Truth Behind the Indo Lanka Peace Accord

Political Solution to Sri Lanka: is one of the popular topics being discussed these days.  The Political Solution for the Sri Lankan political issues, was initiated by HE JR Jayawardena and Indian Prime Minister Rajeev Gandhi.  This agreement is well known as Indo Lanka Peace Accord.  The most important fact is that this is the first ever incident happened after the independence, which involved an external party in an internal matter.  There are number of political aspects around this agreement.  It is not merely bring peace to people but there were many hidden intentions initiated.  

This article discusses the step by step incidents that ultimately resulted in Indo Lanka Agreement.  Further this discusses the Russian factor which could have had a big influence indirectly.  Remember that this was the Soviet Union's demanding time.  This article is mainly based on Wiki sources. 

Click on the title to view the full content...

 

What is Indo Sri Lanka Accord:

The Indo-Sri Lanka Accord was a bilateral agreement signed in Colombo on July 29, 1987, between Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Sri Lankan President J.R. Jayewardene. The accord was aimed at resolving the ongoing conflict in Sri Lanka. It was, to a large part, forced upon the Sri Lankan administration, and there were widespread protests against India in Colombo following the singing of the accord.

Now lets look at what made this agreement:

1. J R Jayawardana won the general election in 1977 with more than 4/5 of majority in the parliament. 

2. Unleashing of free economy resulted in temporally economic boom in the country.  Foreign Investments came into the country.  Youth got thousands of employment opportunities.  This was actually a temporary boost in the country as no one paid attention to the long term drawbacks of open economic policies.  People were suffered during the Sirimavo's government as it purely based on self sustainable economy.  Further she tried to implement it withing few years resulted in making shortages of number of essentials good and services.  The concept was good but the approach she took ultimately resulted in giving the majority to the opposition in the next general election.  The economy was opened within one day and all the shortages became excesses due to imported products. 

3. However, this short sighted politician did not for see the growth of separatist terrorism in the North.  Young Tamil groups kept on grouping to fight against the government to win their demands.  JR actually did not pay much attention for this matter as he thought this would get sorted out with the development of the country.  I would say none one even seen this upcoming terrorist problem

4. The eruption of 1983 riots which were completely orchestrated by dictatorial UNP regime.  This is a common understanding.  The riot was backed by the government.  In fact it could have been stopped at the early stage but government did not want to do it.  Tamil community was basically under attack and it has resulted in them developing the faith on LTTE as their saviors.  This is the biggest damage happened during JR time.  LTTE could won the Tamil people.  There were so many Tamil people who never work for LTTE or followed them.  But after this riot almost all of them started to build up faith on LTTE which made this problem even worst. 

5. India was committed to more planned and managed national economy and economy was growing steadily. Indian politicians face with the challenge to convince their people to keep with original planned national economy in the light of temporary boost in Sri Lankan open economy.  The fact is that Indian economic policy is very good and they have been working on it with a long term vision.  The economic boost created some uncomfortable feeling in Indian people as they could not stand with Sri Lankan development than them.  

6. Rajiv Gandhi took the easy approach and decided to support the growing Tamil terrorism in Sri Lanka to destabilize Sri Lankan economy.  Unofficial sources said that once LTTE was trained in India and were given military equipment. 

From Wiki: India had, initially under Indira Gandhi^[7][8]and later under Rajiv Gandhi, provided support to Tamil interests from the very conception of the secessionist movement. This included providing sanctuary to the separatists, as well as support the operations training camps for Tamil guerrillas in Tamil Nadu^[9] of which the LTTE emerged as the strongest force.

 7. From 1985 however, the Sri-Lankan Government started rearming itself extensively for its anti-insurgent role with support from Pakistan, Israel, Singapore and South Africa. 

8. In 1986, the campaign against the insurgency was stepped up and in 1987, retaliating an increasingly bloody insurgent movement, Operation Liberation was launched against LTTE strongholds in Jaffna Peninsula, involving nearly four thousand troops

9. In June 1987, the Sri Lankan Army laid siege on the town of Jaffna

10. As civilian casualties grew calls grew within India to intervene in what was increasingly seen in the Indian (and Tamil) media as a developing humanitarian crisis, especially with reports use of aerial support against rebel positions in civilian areas. India, which had a substantial Tamil population in South India  faced the prospect of a Tamil backlash at home, called on the Sri Lankan government to halt the offensive in an attempt to negotiate a political settlement

 

11. Following the failure of the naval mission, the decision was made by the Indian government to mount an airdrop of relief supplies in support of rebel forces over the besieged city of Jaffna. On 4 June 1987, in a blatant show of force, the Indian Air Force mounted Operation Poomalai in broad daylight. Five An-32s of the Indian Air Force under cover of heavily armed Indian fighter jets flew over Jaffna to airdrop 25 tons of supplies, all the time keeping well within the range of Sri Lankan radar coverage. At the same time the Sri Lankan Ambassador to New Delhi was summoned to the Foreign Office to be informed by the Minister External Affairs, K. Natwar Singh, of the ongoing operation. It was also indicated to the Ambassador that if the operation was in any way hindered by Sri Lanka, India would launch a full-force military retaliation against Sri Lanka. The ultimate aim of the operation was both to demonstrate the credibility of the Indian option of active intervention to the Sri Lankan Government, as a sympbolic act of support for the Tamil Rebels, as well to preserve Rajiv Gandhi's credibility.

12. Faced with the possibility of an active Indian intervention and facing an increasingly war-weary population at home, the Sri Lankan President, J. R. Jayewardene, offered to hold talks with the Rajiv Gandhi government on future moves. The siege of Jaffna was soon lifted, followed by a round of negotiations that led to the signing of the Indo-Sri-Lankan accord on July 29, 1987 that brought a temporary truce. The terms of the truce specified that the Sri Lankan troops withdraw from the north and the Tamil rebels disarm,and saw the induction of the IPKF peace keeping force in Sri Lanka. as a

13. In 1990, India withdrew the last of its forces from Sri Lanka, and fighting between the LTTE and the government resumed. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and government forces committed serious human rights violations against one another.

Now the problem is why Indian army withdrew from Sri Lanka even after sacrificing hundreds of Solders lives for the battle.  The reason is Indians was not welcomed by the JR's successors.  President Premadasa openly criticized the accord and supported LTTE not only by criticizing but also by physical help.  Basically Premadasa helped LTTE to fight with the Indian Peace keeping Army.  

Now lets see the Russian influence on this matter:

India was having a close relationship with the Soviet Union.  They had many trade as well as military agreements between two nations.  India deals closely with Soviet Union as a result of China and Pakisthan factors.  India wanted to be the leader of the sub continent and therefore kept a very good relationship with Russia.  

When JR was approaching countries like Israel, Pakisthan who were then backed by US, to eliminate the rebels, India did not let it happen.  Then only these humanitarian factors brought up and finally they could send their army to Sri Lanka through the Indo Lanka peace accord.  For the first time in the independent Sri Lankan history Indian Army operated officially inside Sri Lanka.  This was I think backed by Russia then Soviet Union as they were in the Cold War.  No one likes to see US involvements in Asia.  As a result all these peace missions came in.               

Suddenly Soviet Russia collapsed. The power of Russia weaken.  India was lost.  JR's successor did not have good relationship with India.  India then realized their approach should be changed.  Their battalions were recalled to India.  I think this is what happened. 

Facts with Russia: Click here for the source

India had depended heavily on the Soviet Union for military hardwareand political support against both China and Pakistan. America and China, with which India had once fought a disastrous border war, both had close ties to Pakistan. It took prickly India a long time but, having opened up to more Western investment, it then improved relations with America: a needed counterweight to a China that loomed larger as Russian influence and largesse fell away.

Wiki:

During the 1980s, despite the 1984 assassination by Sikh extremists of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, the mainstay of cordial Indian-Soviet relations, India maintained a close relationship with the Soviet Union. Indicating the high priority of relations with the Soviet Union in Indian foreign policy, the new Indian prime minister, Rajiv Gandhi, visited the Soviet Union on his first state visit abroad in May 1985 and signed two long-term economic agreements with the Soviet Union. In turn, Gorbachev's first visit to a Third World state was his meeting with Gandhi in New Delhi in late 1986. Gorbachev unsuccessfully urged Gandhi to help the Soviet Union set up an Asian collective security system. Gorbachev's advocacy of this proposal, which had also been made by Brezhnev, was an indication of continuing Soviet interest in using close relations with India as a means of containing China. With the improvement of Sino-Soviet relations in the late 1980s, containing China had less of a priority, but close relations with India remained important as an example of Gorbachev's new Third World policy

Following is the full content of the Indo Lanka Peace Accord:

To establish peace and normalcy in Sri Lanka
The president of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, his excellency Mr. J.R. Jayawardene, and the Prime Minister of The Republic of India, His Excellency Mr. Rajiv Gandhi, having met at Colombo on July 29, 1987.
Attaching utmost importance to nurturing, intensifying and strengthening the traditional friendship of Sri Lanka and India, and acknowledging the imperative need of resolving the ethnic problem of Sri Lanka, and the consequent violence, and for the safety, wellbeing and prosperity of people belonging to all communities of Sri Lanka.
Have this day entered into the following agreement to fulfill this objective
1. In this context,

1.1 Desiring to preserve the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka:

1.2 Acknowledging that Sri Lanka is a "multi-ethnic and a multi-lingual plural society" consisting, inter alia, of Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims (Moors) and Burghers:

1.3 Recognising that each ethnic group has a distinct cultural and linguistic identity which has to be carefully nurtured:

1.4 Also recognising that the Northern and the Eastern Provinces have been areas of historical habitation of Sri Lankan Tamil speaking peoples, who have at all times hitherto lived together in this territory with other ethnic groups:

1.5 Conscious of the necessity of strengthening the forces contributing to the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka, and preserving its character as a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual and multi- religious plural society, in which all citizens can live in equality, safety and harmony, and prosper and fulfill their aspirations:

2. Resolve that:

2.1 Since the Government of Sri Lanka proposes to permit adjoining provinces to join to form one administrative unit and also by a Referendum to separate as may be permitted to the Northern and Eastern Provinces as outlined below:

2.2 During the period, which shall be considered an interim period (i.e. from the date of the elections to the Provincial Council, as specified in para 2.8 to the date of the referendum as specified in para 2.3), the Northern and Eastern Provinces as now constituted, will form one administrative unit, having one elected provincial council. Such a unit will have one Governor, one Chief Minister and one Board of Ministers.

2.3 There will be a Referendum on or before 31st December, 1988 to enable the people of the Eastern Province to decide whether:

a) The Eastern Province should remain linked with the Nothern Province as one administrative unit, and continue to be governed together with the Northern Province as specified in para 2.2 or:

b) The eastern province should constitute a separate administrative unit having its own distinct provincial council with a separate Governor, Chief Minister and Board of Ministers.

The president may, at his discretion, decide to postpone such a referendum.

2.4 All persons who have been displaced due to ethnic violence or other reasons, will have the right to vote in such a referendum. Necessary conditions to enable them to return to areas from where they were displaced will be created.

2.5 The Referendum, when held,will be monitored by a committee headed by the Chief Justice, a member appointed by the President, nominated by the Government of Sri Lanka, and a member appointed by the president, nominated by the representatives of the Tamil speaking people of the Eastern Province.

2.6 A simple majority will be sufficient to determine the result of the Referendum.

2.7 Meetings and other forms of propaganda, permissible within the laws of the country, will be allowed before the Referendum.

2.8 Elections to Provincial Councils will be held within the next three months, in any event before 31st December 1987. Indian observers will be invited for elections to the Provincial Council of the north and east.

2.9 The emergency will be lifted in the Eastern and Northern Provinces by Aug. 15, 1987. A cessation of hostilities will come into effect all over the island within 48 hours of signing of this agreement. All arms presently held by militant groups will be surrendered in accordance with an agreed procedure to authorities to be designated by the Government of Sri Lanka.

Consequent to the cessation of hostilities and the surrender of arms by militant groups, the army and other security personnel will be confined to barracks in camps as on 25 May 1987. The process of surrendering arms and the confining of security personnel moving back to barracks shall be completed within 72 hours of the cessation of hostilities coming into effect.

2.10 The Government of Sri Lanka will utilise for the purpose of law enforcement and maintenance of security in the Northern and Eastern Provinces the same organisations and mechanisms of Government as are used in the rest of the country.

2.11 The President of Sri Lanka will grant a general amnesty to political and other prisoners now held in custody under The Prevention of Terrorism Act and other emergency laws, and to combatants, as well as to those persons accused, charged and/or convicted under these laws. The Government of Sri Lanka will make special efforts to rehabilitate militant youth with a view to bringing them back into the mainstream of national life. India will co-operate in the process.

2.12 The Government of Sri Lanka will accept and abide by the above provisions and expect all others to do likewise.

2.13 If the framework for the resolutions is accepted, the Government of Sri Lanka will implement the relevant proposals forthwith.

2.14 The Government of India will underwrite and guarantee the resolutions, and co-operate in the implementation of these proposals.

2.15 These proposals are conditional to an acceptance of the proposals negotiated from 4.5.1986 to 19.12.1986. Residual matters not finalised during the above negotiations shall be resolved between India and Sri Lanka within a period of six weeks of signing this agreement. These proposals are also conditional to the Government of India co-operating directly with the Government of Sri Lanka in their implementation.

2.16 These proposals are also conditional to the Government of India taking the following actions if any militant groups operating in Sri Lanka do not accept this framework of proposals for a settlement, namely,

a) India will take all necessary steps to ensure that Indian territory is not used for activities prejudicial to the unity, integrity and security of Sri Lanka

b) the Indian navy/coast guard will cooperate with the Sri Lankan navy in preventing Tamil militant activities from affecting Sri Lanka.

c) In the event that the Government of Sri Lanka requests the Government of India to afford military assistance to implement these proposals the Government of India will co-operate by giving to the Government of Sri Lanka such military assistance as and when requested.

d) the Government of India will expedite repatriation from Sri Lanka of Indian citizens to India who are resident here, concurrently with the repatriation of Sri Lankan refugees from Tamil Nadu.

e) The Governments of Sri Lanka and India will co-operate in ensuring the physical security and safety of all communities inhabiting the Nothern and Eastern Provinces.

2.17 The government of Sri Lanka shall ensure free, full and fair participation of voters from all communities in the Northern and Eastern Provinces in electoral processes envisaged in this agreement. The Government of India will extend full co-operation to the Government of Sri Lanka in this regard.

2.18 The official language of Sri Lanka shall be Sinhala. Tamil and English will also be official languages.

3. This agreement and the annexure thereto shall come into force upon signature.
In witness whereof we have set our hands and seals hereunto.
Done in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on this the twenty-ninth day of July of the year one thousand nine hundred and eighty seven, in duplicate, both texts being equally authentic.

______________________ Junius Richard Jayawardene President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka

______________________ Rajiv Gandhi Prime Minister of the Republic of India

ANNEXURE TO THE AGREEMENT

1. His Excellency the President of Sri Lanka and the Prime Minister of India agree that the Referendum mentioned in paragraph 2 and its subparagraphs of the agreement will be observed by a representative of the election Commission of India to be invited by His Excellency the President of Sri Lanka.
2. Similarly, both heads of Government agree that the elections to the provincial council mentioned in paragraph 2.8 of the agreement will be observed and all para-military personnel will be withdrawn from the eastern and northern provinces with a view to creating conditions conducive to fair elections to the council.
3. The President, in his discretion shall absorb such para-military forces, which came into being due to ethnic violence, into the regular security forces of Sri Lanka.
4. The President of Sri Lanka and the Prime Minister of India agree that the Tamil militants shall surrender their arms to authorities agreed upon to be designated by the President of Sri Lanka. The surrender shall take place in the presence of one senior representative each of the Sri Lanka Red Cross and the Indian Red Cross.
5. The President of Sri Lanka and the Prime Minister of India agree that a joint Indo-Sri Lankan observer group consisting of qualified representatives of the Government of Sri Lanka and the Government of India would monitor the cessation of hostilities from 31 July 1987.
6. The President of Sri Lanka and the Prime Minister of India also agree that in the terms of paragraph 2.14 and paragraph 2.16(c) of the agreement, an Indian peace keeping contingent may be invited by the President of Sri Lanka to guarantee and enforce the cessation of hostilities, if so required.