The following is a list of notable assassinations of the Second JVP Insurrection, most of which were carried out by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna or by government security forces.
Politicians
edit| Victim | Position | Date | Location | Method | Perpetrator(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jinadasa Weerasinghe | UNP MP (Tangalle) | 31 July 1987 | Angunakolapelessa | Shot | JVP is blamed.[1][2] |
| Keerthisena Abeywickrama | UNP MP (Deniyaya) | 18 August 1987 | Parliament of Sri Lanka, Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte | Bombing | JVP is blamed.[3][4][1][2] |
| Harsha Abeywardena | Chairman, UNP | 23 December 1987 | Wellawatte | Shot | JVP is blamed.[1] |
| Daya Sepali Senadheera | UNP MP (Karandeniya) | 1988 | JVP is blamed.[1] | ||
| Vijaya Kumaratunga | Founder of Sri Lanka Mahajana Party and actor | 16 February 1988 | Colombo | Shot | JVP is blamed.[3][4][1] |
| G.V.S. de Silva | District Minister & UNP MP (Habaraduwa) | 1 May 1988 | Galle | JVP is blamed.[4][1] | |
| Nandalal Fernando | General Secretary, UNP | 20 May 1988 | Wellawatte | JVP is blamed.[1] | |
| S. B. Yalegama | Former SLFP MP (Rattota) & USA candidate | 28 May 1988/ 25 August 1988? |
Matale | JVP is blamed.[3][1][2] | |
| L.W. Panditha | CPSL member and trade unionist | 27 July 1988 | Dematagoda, Colombo District | JVP is blamed.[3] | |
| Lionel Jayatilake | Minister & UNP MP (Kuliyapitiya) | 26 September 1988 | Kuliyapitiya | Shot | JVP is blamed.[4][1][2] |
| Indrapala Abeyweera | SLFP organiser, Kalutara | 10 January 1989 | JVP is blamed.[3][1] | ||
| P.D. Wimalsena | LSSP member and trade unionist | 15 May 1989 | JVP is blamed.[3] | ||
| Merrill Kariyawasam | UNP MP (Agalawatta) | September 1989 | JVP is blamed.[4][1][2] | ||
| O. Kariyawasam | Liberal candidate | 26 October 1989 | Wattala, Gampaha District | JVP is blamed.[3] | |
| W.M.P.G. Banda | UNP MP (Galagedara) | JVP is blamed.[1] | |||
| Lesley Ranagala | UNP MP (Borella) | Shot | JVP is blamed.[1] |
JVP leaders
edit| Victim | Position | Date | Location | Method | Perpetrator(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rohana Wijeweera | Leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna | 13 November 1989 | Borella | Shot | Government Forces are blamed.[5] |
| Upatissa Gamanayake | Deputy leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna | 13 November 1989 | Government Forces are blamed.[5] | ||
| Saman Piyasiri Fernando | Military wing leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna | 29 December 1989 | Government Forces are blamed. |
Journalists
edit| Victim | Position | Date | Location | Method | Perpetrator(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thevis Guruge | Chairman, ITN & broadcaster, Radio Ceylon | 23 July 1989 | JVP is blamed.[3][4] | ||
| Premakeerthi de Alwis | Broadcaster | 31 July 1989 | Colombo | Shot | Pro-government paramilitary squads are blamed.[3][4] |
| K. Amaratunge | Chief News Editor, Rupavahini | 13 August 1989 | JVP is blamed.[3] | ||
| Sagarika Gomes | Broadcaster, Rupavahini | 13 September 1989 | JVP is blamed.[3][4] | ||
| Richard de Zoysa | Journalist, author, human rights activist and actor | 18 February 1990 | Moratuwa | Shot | Pro-government paramilitary squads are blamed.[6] |
Academics
edit| Victim | Position | Date | Location | Method | Perpetrator(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professor Stanley Wijesundera[7] | Vice Chancellor, University of Colombo | 8 March 1989 | Colombo | Gunshot | JVP is blamed.[3][4] |
| Professor Chandratne Patuwathavithane | Vice Chancellor, University of Moratuwa | JVP is blamed.[3][4] | |||
| Captain T.E. Nagahawatte | Assistant Registrar, University of Peradeniya | October 1989 | Peradeniya | Gunshot | JVP is blamed.[8] |
Professionals
edit| Victim | Position | Date | Location | Method | Perpetrator(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D. C. Athukorale | Chief Engineer, Colombo Port Authority | 17 November 1988 | Welikada | Gunshot | JVP is blamed.[9] |
| E. Liayana Pathirana | Working Director, Salt Corporation | 22 June 1989 | Opanayake | Gunshot | JVP is blamed.[9] |
| Wijedasa Liyanarachchi | Lawyer | 2 September 1989 | General Hospital, Colombo | Multiple injuries resulting from torture | Sri Lanka Police is blamed.[10][11] |
| Dr Gladys Jayawardene | Chairperson, State Pharmaceuticals Corporation | 12 September 1989 | Slave Island, Colombo | Gunshot | JVP is blamed.[3] |
| Neville Nissanka | Lawyer | 3 October 1989 | Miriswatta, Gampaha | Gunshot | PRRA is blamed. |
Police and Military officers
edit| Victim | Position | Date | Location | Method | Perpetrator(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terrence Perera | Deputy Inspector General of Police, Director - Counter Subversive Division | 12 December 1987 | Battaramulla | Shot | JVP is blamed.[12] |
| Bennet Perera | Deputy Inspector General of Police, Director, Criminal Investigation Department | 1 May 1989 | Mount Lavinia | Shot | JVP is blamed. |
Activists
edit| Victim | Position | Date | Location | Method | Perpetrator(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daya Pathirana | Leader, Independent Students Union, University of Colombo | 15 December 1986 | Near Bolgoda Lake, Piliyandala | Cut-throat | JVP led Inter University Students' Federation (IUSF) is blamed.[4][13][14][15] |
| Padmasiri Thrimavitharana | Medical student and prominent student activist | 22 October 1988 | Rathnapura | Multiple injuries resulting from torture | Pro-government paramilitary squads are blamed.[16] |
| Nandathilaka Galappaththi | Education Secretary and Political Secretary of Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna | 10 September 1989 | Mattegoda | Multiple injuries resulting from torture | Paramilitary squads are blamed.[17] |
| P. R. B. Wimalarathna | Teacher and the leader of the National Center for Workers' Struggle. | 19 September 1989 | Borella | Multiple injuries resulting from torture | Paramilitary squads are blamed.[18] |
The number of activists killed exceeded 13,000 as the following quote from Barbara Harff, professor of political science emerita at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland showed:
“And on the democratic side, Sri Lanka is one clear case of a democratic regime that in 1989–90 authorized military squads to track down and summarily execute members and suspected supporters of the JVP (Peoples Liberation Party), which had begun its second rebellion that threatened to overthrow the state. Between 13,000 and 30,000 were killed in this politicide...” [19]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Dilrukshi Handunnetti and Ranjith Jayasundera (10 February 2008). "JVP's double take on the 13th Amendment". The Sunday Leader. Retrieved 24 March 2010.
- ^ a b c d e Ferdinando, Shamindra (23 January 2008). "Political killings: Some intriguing facts". The Island, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 24 March 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Jansz, Frederica (15 January 2004). "The JVP's new clothes". The Sunday Leader. Retrieved 24 March 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Is the JVP Prepared to Disown its Pol Potist Past". Tamil Times. XVIII (4): 27–28. 15 April 1999. ISSN 0266-4488.
- ^ a b Rajasingham, K.T. (12 November 2008). "Rohana Wijeweera's killing - still a mystery". Asian Tribune. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
- ^ "Richard de Zoysa after 21 years". Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
- ^ "featur03". Retrieved 17 December 2014.
- ^ Chandraprema, C. A. Sri Lanka: The Years of Terror. The J.V.P. Insurrection 1987-1989.
- ^ a b "JVP – A never-ending power struggle". The Nation. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
- ^ "The Sunday Times Special Assignment". Retrieved 17 December 2014.
- ^ "LankaWeb news". Retrieved 17 December 2014.
- ^ Wijesinghe, Geoff. "Sri Lanka's biggest-ever serial killer - Part I: The birth of JVP fear psychosis". Daily News. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
- ^ Seneviratne, Malinda (15 November 2001). "November is for remembering". The Island, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 24 March 2010.
- ^ "15 December 1987". pact.lk. 2009. Archived from the original on 8 January 2011. Retrieved 11 January 2011.
- ^ "The JVP and 'Pol Potism'". Ilankai Tamil Sangam. Retrieved 11 January 2011.
- ^ "news10". Retrieved 17 December 2014.
- ^ "Nandathilaka Galappaththi is the end of an unwavering revolutionary who is dedicated to a socio-political movement". Silumina. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
- ^ "A man who should be read in the memory of a massacre: PRB Wimalarathna". Silumina. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
- ^ Harff, Barbara (2017). "Chapter 12: The Comparative Analysis of Mass Atrocities and Genocide". In Gleditsch, N. (ed.). R.J. Rummel: An Assessment of His Many Contributions. Springer. pp. 111–120. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-54463-2_12. ISBN 978-3-319-54462-5.