The World - News from April 2, 1989

Sri Lankan President Ranasinghe Premadasa appealed to Sinhalese militants and Tamil rebels to negotiate an end to six years of ethnic violence and said Indian troops will be sent home. Premadasa, in a speech broadcast over state-run radio, promised to scrap the controversial India-Sri Lanka peace accord in which 40,000 Indian soldiers have been sent to the island nation to put down the rebellion by Tamil separatists. Premadasa also offered radicals seats in Parliament and promised to do away with strict anti-terrorism laws. There was no immediate comment from either the Tamil rebels or the Sinhalese militants.