Kumar Mahaththaya’s wife and children arrested

Monday, 02 January 2012

Wife and children of the theoretician of the JVP dissidents, Premakumar Gunaratnam alias Kumar Mahaththaya was arrested by the security units at the Katunayake International Airport this morning.

Kumar Mahaththaya’s wife Dr. Champa Somaratne and the two children were interrogated by the security units for a long time.

Kumar Mahaththaya’s wife and children are Australian citizens and were arrested when they were trying to return to Australia after spending the holidays in Sri Lanka.

After the security units had learnt that Kumra’s wife and children had arrived in the country, the Defence Ministry had asked the airport authorities to keep a close watch on them.

Kumar Mahaththaya played a lead role in the JVP since the 80s. Former convener of the Inter University Students’ Federation (IUSF) Ranjitham Gunaratnam was Kumar Mahaththaya’s brother.

Ranjitham Gunaratnam was a member of the JVP politburo in 1988 and 89 and was killed by the security forces.

Kumar Mahaththay then went in to hiding and carried out politics in secret and played a major role in bringing the JVP back to the mainstream political arena in 1994. Even when the JVP started mainstream politics, Kumar Mahaththaya continued to work behind the scenes.

The party’s Central Committee decided to allow Kumar Mahaththaya to carry out party politics from overseas after Wimal Weerawnasa revealed details about the JVP’s internal leaders to the intelligence units after his defection.

Kumar Mahaththaya left for Australia with his family during that time.