xxxi CHRONOLOGY

3 Finland. resigns; followed on 30th by a Conservative- led coalition under H. Holkeri; Foreign , K. Sorsa. 6-8 . End of the Amal siege of Chatila refugee camp. Paraguay. State of Siege (imposed in 1947) officially ended at 7-8 midnight. Fiji. General election returned a Labour Party government under 12-13 Timoci Bavadra, with a mainly of Indian descent. Macao. Agreement by China and Portugal, ensuring the ultimate 13 reversion of Macao to China. Argentina. Army rebellion, arising from the trial of officers on 15—IS charges of violating human rights; rebellion quashed. of South Africa. Supreme Court quashed most of the 24 government's restrictions on reporting unrest; also, on 28th quashed a police prohibition of campaigning to free detainees. 29 Malaysia. Dato Rais bin Yatim resigned as Foreign Minister.

5 Republic of South Africa. Kwa Ndebele voted to proceed to the status of an 'independent' republic such as Transkei. 6 Iran-Iraq. Attacks on US and Soviet ships lead to foreign inter- vention in the Gulf war. 9-12 Malta. General election returned a Nationalist Party government under E. Fenech Adami. 13 Zambia. Finance Minister, K. Musokotwane replaced by Gibson Chigaga. 13-29 Argentina. Parliament approved a bill to end officers' trials for human rights violation (finally upheld on 23 June by the Supreme Court, as applying to all but the most senior officers). 14 Fiji. Lieut.-Col. Sitiveni Rabuka overthrew the government; swom in as chairman of a Council of Ministers on 17th; formed an Advisory Council on 22 nd. 15 Uganda. Currency devalued by 76 • 6%. Yugoslavia. Lazar Mosjov became President of the collective state presidency. 18 Colombia. Luis Fernando Alarcon became the new Finance Minister. 19 Malaysia. Datuk Haji Abu Hassan Omar became the new Foreign Minister.

1 Kenya. Zachary Onyonka became the new Foreign Minister. Barbados. Prime Minister Errol Barrow died; succeeded by 1-2 Erskine Sandiford. Lebanon. Prime Minister Rashid Karami killed by a bomb; 1 succeeded by as acting Prime Minister. Canada. Agreement between central and state , 3 redefining federalism and recognizing Quebec as a 'distinct society' within the federation. Sir Lanka. First Indian attempts to send relief supplies to the North; successful from 4th, regular from 24th. CHRONOLOGY—contd.

4 New Zealand. Parliament passed the New Zealand and Nuclear- Free Zone, Disarmament and Arms Control Bill. 11-3 Panama. State of Emergency following demonstrations when Gen. Manuel Noriega, Commander of the Defence Forces, was accused of violating human rights. 14 Ethiopia. Elections begin to the 835-seat parliament created by a new Constitution in Feb. 1987. 18 Vietnam. Vo Chi Cong elected President of the State Council; Pham Hung elected Chairman of the Council of Ministers. 22-2 Peru. Prime Minister Luis Alva Castro resigned; succeeded on 29th by a government under Guillermo Larco Cox. 24 Ecuador. Domingo Cordovez replaced as Finance Minister by Rodrigo Espinosa. 25 Hungary. Karoly Nemeth became President of Presidential Council; Karoly Grosz, Chairman of the Council of Ministers.

1 Panama. USA suspended aid, suspecting Panamanian government involvement in anti-US demonstrations. 14 Iran. Paul Torri, first secretary at the French Embassy, held for espionage. France broke off diplomatic relations on 17th. 15 Taiwan. Martial Law replaced by a National Security Law. 19 Turkey. Martial Law in the south-east provinces replaced by a State of Emergency. 25 Sudan. State of Emergency imposed. India. Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi became Foreign Minister; N. Dutt Tiwari became Finance Minister. 29-3 . Agreement between India and Sri Lanka on a solution of the Tamil seperatist issue (inoperable during continuing unrest). 31 Saudi Arabia. About 400 pilgrims were killed, and 650 injured, in violence at Mecca; Saudi Arabia blamed Iranian pilgrims, Iran the Saudi Arabian police.

3-5 Gaza Strip. Sealed off from and placed under curfew, after the Israeli police commander had been shot. 18 Sri Lanka. Sinhalese extremists claim responsibility for a grenade attack on parliament. 19 New Zealand. Russell Marshall becomes Foreign Minister. 22 Sudan. Coalition government collapsed. 28 Philippines. Army attempted a coup.

3 Burundi. Coup; the president overthrown in his absence and replaced by Maj. Pierre Buyoya. 6 Argentina. After a general election the ruling Civic Union Party lost its overall majority. 11 Chad-Libya. Agreement on a cease-fire. CHRONOLOGY—contd. 1987 Sept. 13 New Caledonia. A referendum, boycotted by most Kanaks, voted by 48,611 to 842 (on a 59% turnout) to remain part of the French Republic. 15 Albania-Federal Republic of Germany. Diplomatic relations established. 16 Philippines. Salvador Laurel resigned as Foreign Minister; replaced 9 Oct. by Raul Manglapus. Vincent Jayme replaced Jaime Ongpin as Finance Minister. Zimbabwe. The parliament approved legislation abolishing reserved white seats. 20 Ethiopia. Fikre Selassie Wogderesse became Prime Minister of the new civilian government. 22-25 Fiji. Caretaker coalition government announced; on 25th a second coup took place and Lieut.-Col. Rabuka once more took control.

Oct. 2 Tunisia. Col. Zine Abidine Ben Ali became Prime Minister. 6 Fiji. Declaration of a republic. 14 USA. Beginning of a sharp downward trend on the stock market, leading to a 23% fall on 19th. 15 Burkina Faso. Capt. Sankara overthrown and killed in a coup led by Capt. Blaise Compaore. 30 . The government resigned; succeeded by new government under Mahmoud Zubi on 1 Nov. Nov. 6 Japan. Yasuhiro Nakasone retired as Prime Minister; succeeded by Noboru Takeshita, with Sosuke Uno as Foreign Minister. 7 Tunisia. President Bourguiba was declared senile and replaced by the Prime Minister; new Prime Minister, Hedi Baccouche. 8 Northern Ireland. An IRA bomb killed 11 and injured about 60 at a Remembrance Day ceremony in Enniskillen. 10 Niger. President Seyni Koutche died; succeeded by Col. Ali Saibou on 14 th. 15 Romania. Riots in Brasov, about food shortages and poor working conditions. Brazil. Constituent Assembly voted for a four-year presidential term, and parliamentary government led by a Prime Minister. 18 Ethiopia. Confirmation of approaching famine. 27 Bangladesh. State of Emergency imposed. 29-8 Dec. Iran-France. Hostility was ended by exchanges of hostages and prisoners, French expulsion of Iranian dissidents. 29-30 Haiti. Elections cancelled after widespread bloodshed; the USA suspended aid. 29 North Korea. Terrorists blow up a South Korean airliner in flight.

Dec. 1 China-Laos. Diplomatic relations resumed. 6 Bangladesh. Parliament dissolved and new elections promised. (To be held 3 March 1988). CHRONOLOGY—contd. 1987 Dec 6 Fiji. Rabuka resigned as ; he appointed Ratu Mara Prime Minister and Ratu Sir Penaia Ganilau (former - General) as President. 8 USA-USSR. Treaty to eliminate both nations' intermediate-range land-based nuclear missiles within three years. Gibraltar. Sir Joshua Hassan resigned as Chief Minister; he was replaced by Adolfo Canepa on 11 Nov. 9 Israeli-occupied territories. Beginning of violent unrest. 13 Belgium. A general election leaves no party with a clear majority. 16 South Korea. Roh Tae Woo was elected President. 17 Czechoslovakia. Gustav Husak resigned as General Secretary of the Communist Party; he was replaced by Milos Jakes. 21 Nigeria. Bolagi Akinyemi dismissed as Foreign Minister; replaced by Maj.-Gen. Ike Nwachukwu. 22 Zimbabwe. Zanu PF and Zapu agreed to merge, to create a one- party state. 28 Libya-Tunisia. Diplomatic relations resumed. 1988 Jan. 3 Israel. Deportation orders were served on nine from the occupied territories; unrest increased. 13 Taiwan. President Chiang Ching-Kuo died; succeeded by Lee Teng-hui. 17 Haiti. Presidential election (postponed from Nov.). Official estimates of a 70% turn-out were challenged by figures down to 10%. Leslie Manigat was elected. 18 Sri Lanka. Ronnie de Mell resigned as Finance Minister; he was replaced by Naina Marikkar. 19 Nicaragua. The State of Emergency was lifted. 23 Zanzibar. The President dismissed the government and took command of the army. 25 Suriname. Return to civilian government; Ramsewak Shankar was installed as President. North Korea. The USA having imposed sanctions, North Korea broke off diplomatic relations. Feb. 8 Panama. Gen. Manuel Noriega, Commander of the Defence Forces, ordered the recall of ambassadors to the USA and the UN, after a US federal grand jury charged him with drug offences; he had called for the removal of US forces from Panama. 9 South Yemen-Egypt. Diplomatic relations resumed (broken off in 1979). 9-10 Bophuthatswana. Attempted military coup quashed by South African forces. 19 Brazil. Heavy rains and storms culminate in mud-slides, with severe damage and loss of life, in Rio. 21 Cyprus. Final ballot of the presidential election; George Vassiliou was elected. CHRONOLOGY—contd. 1988 Feb. 24 Republic of South Africa. Seventeen anti-apartheid organizations banned from activity. 26 Panama. Gen. Manuel Noriega overthrew President Delvalle and appointed Manuel Solis Palma as head of state. 28 USSR. Azerbaijanis murdered Armenians living in Sumgait; unrest arose from Armenian claims to the Nagorny Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. 29 Senegal. A State of Emergency was proclaimed when riots followed the re-election of President Diouf.

March 3 Turks and Caicos Islands. General elections marked the end of direct rule from the UK (since July 1986). The People's Demo- cratic Movement won 11 of 13 seats. 4 Panama. The USA froze Panamanian assets as part of a programme of economic sanctions. Panama's banks closed. A State of Emergency was proclaimed on 18th. 5-6 Tibet. Nationalist riots in Lhasa. 10 Vietnam. Prime Minister Pham Hung died. 20 El Salvador. General election; the Arena party won a majority in the Legislative Assembly. 23 Nicaragua. The government signed a cease-fire agreement with the Contra rebels. 24 Gibraltar. General election; a Labour government elected, under Joe Bossano.