The World - News from Sept. 22, 1985

Sri Lanka plans to crack down on Tamil rebel activity by establishing Vietnam-style free-fire zones where troops will have orders to shoot anyone on sight, a government official said. The “no-go zones” will prohibit people from entering specific eastern territorial waters, forest reserves and state-owned lands. Similar tactics were developed by the United States in an effort to isolate the Viet Cong. Sri Lankan authorities said they took the step to cut off arms flowing to Tamil guerrillas, who seek to set up a separate nation on part of the island.