visvanathan dharmalingam and all other tulf mps boycotted parliament from the middle of 1983 for a number of reasons: they were under pressure from sri lankan tamil militants not to stay in parliament beyond their normal six-year term; the sixth amendment to the constitution of sri lanka required them to swear an oath unconditionally renouncing support for a separate state; and the black july riots in which up to 3,000 tamils were murdered by sinhalese mobs. after three months of absence, dharmalingam forfeited his seat in parliament on 8 october 1983.