Sir Lanka calm as military controls two trouble areas

August 20, 1981

Peace returned to this island after 10 days of communal violence as the Sri Lanka government placed military officers in charge of two troubled districts and detained more than 300 people as suspected troublemakers.

President Junius Jayewardene introduced tough measures to stop the violence between the majority Sinhalese and the minority Tamil communities, prescribing the death penalty for arson and looting.