The JVP’s Bid For Power & The Government Response

By Rajan Hoole -February 21, 2014 |

Rajan Hoole

1989: The Eclipse of the JVP and the Perplexity of the Left – Part 2 

The JVP did not respond to Premadasa’s call, but instead launched on a course of terror, disruption and paralysing the economy. It sought to neutralise the security forces with an editorial proclamation in its bulletin Ranabima of 21st April 1989, threatening the families security forces personnel active in counter-insurgency operations. Named in particular were the Rapid Deployment Force (RDF) and the Special Task Force (STF). Chandraprema (see Bibliography) adds that such a threat had also been made in 1988.

During the same period (April – July 1989) the JVP put out another leaflet alleging that the Government was weeding out and killing off members of the armed forces considered anti- government. There is speculation that the Government took advantage of the JVP’s threat to loyal personnel and actually used it to eliminate suspect personnel and to spread the impression that the JVP was targetting soldiers and their families. An army major in the Southern Province confided to a journalist that his troops encountered men coming from a village. They found on checking them out that they were soldiers. These soldiers were returning to their unit after killing a soldier on leave with his family. The blame was put on the JVP. How organised or widespread such practices were, we do not know.

The JVP made a final putsch in late July, on the second anniversary of the Indo-Lanka Accord, by calling for a total stoppage of all activity by forcing people out on the street to demonstrate on pain of death. Scores of these demonstrators were shot dead by Government troops. This was followed in early August by rumours of the JVP threatening the families of service personnel who do not desert. Chandraprema has quoted JVP’s deputy leader Gamanayake as having said that this threat was not intended to be carried out, but again to neutralise active sections of the security forces.

Gunaratne (see Bibliography) tells us that the threat was repeated several times on the JVP radio. Having examined the evidence, the Disappearance Commission for the Central Zone opines that this threat was a Government ploy to make the security forces go on the offensive.Read More

To be continued..

*From Rajan Hoole‘s “Sri Lanka: Arrogance of Power  - Myth, Decadence and Murder”. Thanks to Rajan for giving us permission to republish. To read earlier parts click here