Word: tamils
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Nearly all the invaders were believed to be former Tamil separatist guerrillas from Sri Lanka, apparently in the pay of Maldivian elements hostile to Gayoom. The President issued pleas for military intervention from India and the U.S. as well as Britain, which held Maldives as a protectorate from 1887 until 1965. Following an emergency Cabinet meeting, Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi dispatched some 1,600 troops to restore order in Male and commanded navy warships to head toward Maldivian waters. Paratroopers arrived less than twelve hours later, landing aboard two Soviet-built IL-76 transport aircraft at the national airport...
...currently operates a farm near the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo. Several years ago, Lutefi was arrested for entering Maldives with a firearm, apparently in an attempt to overthrow Ibrahim Nasir, Gayoom's predecessor as President. Both Sri Lankan and Maldivian authorities suspect that Lutefi may have hired the Tamil mercenaries, many of whom have become increasingly inactive since India sent army troops to Sri Lanka to quell the separatist movement...
Last week's violence came on the day before nominations closed for Nov. 19 elections to form a provincial council in the new northeastern Tamil province. The Tigers say the council will have too little power, and have labeled those who support the election as traitors "who will not be forgiven." The point was ruthlessly driven home last week when three members of Tamil organizations taking part in the voting were shot dead...
...Tigers reserve most of their wrath for the Indian soldiers sent to enforce the agreement. Once considered protectors of Tamil autonomy, they are now the chief target of the insurgency. In the past year guerrillas have killed more than 600 Indian military...
...Yugoslavia' s numerically dominant Serbs demand a larger share of influence, several Soviet republics push for greater autonomy. -- Why many Israeli voters are flocking to the splinter parties on the right and the left. -- Sri Lanka' s Tamil and Sinhalese militants move violently to disrupt elections. -- A personal odyssey along the 2,076- mile U. S.- Mexican border...