Sri Lanka
Occupied by the Portuguese in the 16th century and the Dutch in the 17th century, the island was ceded to the British in 1802. As Ceylon it became independent in 1948; its name was changed in 1972. Tensions between the Sinhalese majority and Tamil separatists erupted in violence in the mid-1980s. Tens of thousands have died in an ethnic war that continues to fester.
Sri Lanka has been a functioning democracy since gaining independence in 1948. It has an executive presidency and a unicameral parliament. The executive generally handles legislative drafting. Constitutional reform packages under active consideration could return the country to a British-Westminster Cabinet System of government, and lead to broader powers for parliament and the Prime Minister. Power in almost all spheres of public life rests with the center, but additional proposals to devolve power to smaller units of regional or local government are also under review.
Most provincial councils throughout the country were dissolved by operation of law in June and July 1998. However, as of early July, the government had not yet finalized plans for holding elections (originally planned for August 1998) due to security concerns. Sri Lanka held Presidential elections on December 21, 1999. Chandrika Kumaratunga won reelection with 51% of the vote, although Sri Lanka's main opposition party has urged the Supreme Court to cancel the results, claiming that the vote was rigged. President Kumaratunga reportedly is considering holding early parliamentary elections, hoping to increase the number of seats for her party, the ruling People's Alliance.
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) is the dominant partner in the governing People's Alliance (PA) coalition which came to power in late 1994. The SLFP publicly endorses free- market policies, but implementation of the policy is uneven. Sri Lanka pursues a "non-aligned" foreign policy, while maintaining strong trade relations with the West. The United National Party (UNP) is the leading opposition party. During its seventeen years in office (1977-1994), the UNP was a strong advocate of an open economy and was instrumental in building closer economic relations with the West. Like the SLFP, the UNP supports a non-aligned Sri Lanka.
Terrorist activities in the capital city of Colombo and other areas remain a serious threat. Political assassinations are routinely carried out by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). In 1997 the LTTE attacked several commercial ships flying foreign flags in the waters off the north and east of the country. While no terrorist attacks against international or domestic aviation in Sri Lanka have been recorded since 1987, in late 1998 threats were directed at domestic air carriers flying between Colombo and Jaffna. LTTE inspired terrorist acts typically occur after major reversals on the battlefield in northern Sri Lanka around Jaffna. In early-to-mid 2000, Tiger successes on the battlefield have resulted in diminished terrorist activity in Colombo.
Nevertheless, Colombo’s major hotels have been directly affected by terrorist activities and could be again because of their proximity to likely economic, government and military targets in the capital. An October 1997 truck bomb in downtown Colombo killed 18, injured over 100, and badly damaged nearby office buildings and adjacent five-star hotels. In December 1997 a truck carrying a bomb and traveling along the Galle-Matara road exploded just outside Galle, killing the three individuals in the truck and damaging nearby shops. In January 1998 the Temple of the Tooth, an important religious and tourist site in Kandy, was bombed. Eight people were killed and the temple, nearby businesses and a historic hotel were damaged. In February 1998 an LTTE suicide bomber killed herself and eight others when she detonated the vest she was wearing at a police checkpoint in Colombo. In March 1998 a large bomb concealed in a bus was detonated near a busy intersection in Colombo, killing 39 and wounding 250.
Although foreigners have not been specifically targeted, LTTE operations have been planned and executed with the knowledge that expatriates may be killed or injured. Tourists or business representatives traveling in Sri Lanka who are in the wrong place at the wrong time may be inadvertently caught up in random acts of violence. Additional attacks, especially on infrastructure facilities, could result in future tightening of security, causing hardship to travelers.
Visitors are urged to exercise extreme caution in Colombo because of possible terrorist activities there. In addition, visitors are advised to avoid political rallies and other mass gatherings, limit exposure to government and military installations and use caution when traveling on public buses and trains and on domestic air carriers. Street and highway checkpoints staffed by security personnel are common; travelers should closely follow any instructions given. Non-Sri Lankan citizens of Tamil heritage have occasionally been detained during security operations. Travelers are encouraged to keep their passports with them at all times in Colombo. In the event of a terrorist attack, Americans should monitor local radio and television, seek cover away from windows and return to their homes or hotels when it is safe to do so.
