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Terrorism in Asia in 1985A Regional Profileſ(b)(3)

International terrorism in Asia in 1985 generally 10 to 12 May in a series of bombings that left more followed the pattern of recent years, well below the than 85 persons dead and more than 150 wounded in level of activity in other regions of the world. Because Delhi and other cities in northern India. More than a most terrorist attacks in Asia continue to occur in the dozen bombs, many of them boobytrapped portable context of ongoing insurgencies, and because most radios, exploded in buses, bus stations, and other Asian insurgent groups do not target foreigners or crowded areas. These attacks came just before the operate across national boundaries, terrorism in Asia trial of the three Sikhs accused of murdering Mrs. tends to be predominantly domestic in character. Sikh Gandhi and represented the first massive outbreak of terrorism was a notable exception to this pattern in Sikh terrorism since that event (b)(3) 1985, in that it was international in scope, victimized foreigners, and maintained a high level of lethality. The majority of Sikh terrorist attacks have remained Other areas that we anticipated would be the sources domestic in nature—bombings, shootings, and of serious international terrorist problems in 1985- robberies. The frequency began to increase during the such as Sri Lanka's Tamils, Pakistan's Al-Zulfikar, summer of 1985, following a political agreement and Japan's Chukaku-ha---were not. Isolated terrorist between Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and moderate attacks occurred last year in such previously violence- Sikh leader Harchand Singh Longowal and leading free areas as Nepal and Singapore, but areas such as up to statewide elections in Punjab last September. the Philippines, Indonesia, and New Caledonia did During this period, Sikh radicals assassinated not experience as much terrorist-related violence as Longowal and other important Sikh and Hindu has been expected. (b)(3)

political figures. It remains to be seen whether the

current high rate of Sikh political violence within The Sikhs

India will destroy the Punjab accords or lead to During 1985, Sikh political violence within India another crackdown there, but any attempt to returned to the high level of early 1984. Sikh

implement the arcnols is apt to exacerbate the extremists have sought for several years to gain

situation. (b)(3) additional political rights, religious status, and territorial concessions from the central government Sikh extremist activities outside India certainly had (some seek to found an independent state). Violence profound effects during 1985. Last year's most peaked in early 1984 as radicals conducted near daily spectacular act of international terrorism was the murders of Hindus and conservative Sikh rivals. After downing of an Air India 747 over the North Atlantic the Indian Army stormed the stronghold of the largest on 23 June, probably by a bomb planted by Canadiangroup of militants in the Golden Temple in Amritsar based Sikh extremists. This incident killed more in June 1984, Sikh violence declined, but resentment people (329) than any other single terrorist attack we over the attack ran deep.[(b)(3)

have recorded. The “Sikh Student Federation, 10th

Regiment" claimed responsibility. The 10th, or The depth of Sikh anger was demonstrated most Dashmesh, Regiment is a militant Sikh group vividly in the October 1984 assassination of Prime responsible for many acts of terrorism and communal Minister Indira Gandhi, but it was not expiated with violence within India since 1981. On the same night, her death. It was further fueled by the killing of more another bomb exploded in the baggage-handling area than 2,000 Sikhs in the aftermath of her death and of Tokyo's Narita Airport, killing two Japanese carried over into 1985 in both domestic and international terrorist incidents. Sikh domestic terrorism reached its greatest intensity last year from

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Sceret DI TR 86-005 April 1986

Approved for Release: 2017/09/13 C05632837