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| 1983 |
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| Violence organized by terrorist groups marred local elections in the Jaffna peninsula. The army clashed with Tamil Tigers, leading to an anti-Tamil pogrom in Colombo. | 1 |
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| May |
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| A state of emergency was declared in response to heightened political tension provoked by the long period of electioneering, but ethnic violence erupted anyway. | 2 |
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| May–July |
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| Pressure from India on behalf of the Tamils. Indira Gandhi's government attempted to mediate between the Sri Lankan government and Tamil groups. | 3 |
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| July |
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| Worst eruption of anti-Tamil violence since 1958. The most severely affected was the city of Colombo and its suburbs. In an unprecedented breakdown in law enforcement, the government took nearly a week to reestablish control. | 4 |
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| Aug |
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| A ban on the advocacy of separatism was imposed with the passage through Parliament of the sixth amendment to the constitution. All TULF members lost their seats in Parliament. Anura Bandaranaike, the son of Sirimavo Bandaranaike, took over from Appapillai Amirthalingam as leader of the parliamentary opposition. | 5 |
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