Attrocities of Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) or
Peoples' Liberation Front
During the period 1987-1992 the JVP murdered hundreds of members of the working class in the South of the island in order to force people to join anti-government strikes.
Just 15 year ago JVP attacked the holiest of Buddhist shrines, the sacred Sri Dalada Maligawa in Kandy and also the Katunayake International airport.
Information below is gathered from a news paper in Sri Lanka. (An official document marked 'top secret' listed killings that the JVP carried out during this time.)
Killed :
3210 Informants 1735 Government supporters 487 Government servants
52 Educationists (Including 50 Principals, a vice chancellor and a University professor)
70 Politicians (35 were leading politicians)
Service personnel :
209 Security forces 342 Police personnel 98 Home guards
In 1989 alone, JVP murdered 24 Buddhist clergies (For refusing to bow to the Marxists principles)
| Name of Buddihist Clergy | Buddhist Temple | Date |
| Rev. Poddalamulle Premaloka | 18/12/1988 | |
| Rev. Marambe Somaratana | 31/12/1988 | |
| Rev. Angunakolapelasse Upali | 07/01/1989 | |
| Rev. Kumbagoda Gunaloka | Mihintale Temple | 11/07/1987 |
| Rev. Kotikawatte Saddhatissa | 03/08/1989 | |
| Rev. Hemaloka | Nandimithra Temple –Pallama | 04/08/1989 |
| Rev. W. Pangnatisa | Athurugiriya Temple | 13/08/1989 |
| Rev. Soragune Pangnasara | Rajamahaviharaya | 20/08/1989 |
| Rev. Kirawanagama Pangnarama | 27/08/1989 | |
| Rev. Welltota Pangnadassi | Kithalagamuwa Temple | 30/08/1989 |
| Rev. Pelpola Dharmapala | Jayasumanaramaya | 04/09/1989 |
Rev. Muditha |
Sri Sudharshanaramaya – Hiniduma | 05/09/1989 |
| Rev. Kahawa Wimalasiri | Bodhirajaramaya | 09/09/1989 |
| Rev. Mahanuwara Dammarakkitha | Bambarangala Temple | 18/09/1989 |
| Rev. Govunne Rathanajothi | Mawelagama Rajamaha Viharaya | 20/09/1989 |
| Rev. Thiaranagama Rathanasara | 29/09/1989 | |
| Rev. Thambugala Anandasiri | 13/10/1989 | |
| Rev. Dikpitiye Angirasa | Sri Keththarama Temple | 05/10/1989 |
| Rev. Kalutara Dharmarathana | 12/10/1989 | |
| Rev. Wimalakeerthi | Dangolla Temple – Horambawa | 20/10/1989 |
| Rev. Nikapitiye Siddhartha | Deliwala Temple | 30/10/1989 |
| Rev. D. Gunawansa | Mangalagama Pirivena – Molagoda | 05/11/1989 |
| Rev. Welipitiye Pangnatissa | Viyaneliya Temple | 29/11/1989 |
| Rev. Bamunupotha Somarathana | Medpitiya Temple | 10/12/1989 |
| Rev. W. Pangnananda | Weulukannala Temple | 11/12/1989 |
| Rev. Ambewela Chandrajothi | Kulubululanda Viharaya | 12/12/1989 |
Rev. Rekawa Pangnasiddhi |
Ubhayaramaya Temple – Rekawa | 16/12/1989 |
In 1987 and 1988 two Catholic priests were killed by JVP.
Name of Priest Place of incident Date
Fr. Michael Paul Rodrigo Subaseth Gedara, Kataragama 11/10/1987
Fr. P. Lionel Jayasinghe Lanka Deva Sabhawa – Tissamaharamaya 25/03/1988
Vandalism and sabotage by JVP
Destroyed
553 CTB buses 15 CTB depots 01 CTB workshop
113 Government vehicles 29 Private vehicles
Vandalised
16 Trains 12 Rail tracks 24 Railway stations
680 Post offices 18 Postal vehicles 12 Telecommunication centres
01 CTO building 84 Key telephone lines
04 Paddy collecting centres and cultivation and milk collecting centres
73 Tea factories 38 Estate bungalows
Many Estate vehicles, Tea leaf collecting centres
Corporations vandalised
(1)Timber Corporation depots (2) Distilleries (3) Weaving centres,
(4) Building Materials Corporation (5) Plywood Corporation (6) Cashew Corporation,
(7) Fertiliser Corporation (8) Mining buildings (9) Government schools.
Sabotaged
132 Electric transformers 13 Pylons 69 Power lines
02 Power stations 25 Electric meters 09 Elec-sub stations
103 Agrarian service centres
Attacked
More than 40 Banks
21 Government office
294 Offices of Government agents
Private property damaged
107 Homes of service personnel 76 Houses of Police officers Home Guards
20 Houses of civilians 33 Private buildings
05 Sarvodaya Centres Homes of provincial council members,
Social centres and Trade union offices
Foreign construction projects and construction centres
JVP ADMITTED KILLING IN THOUSANDS
JVP leader Somawansa admitted to the killing of at least 6,000 people
Civil society was shocked to learn that Somawansa Amerasinghe has accepted that the Janatha Vimuke Peramuna (JVP) murdered 6000 people including hundreds of politicians and others, including President KumaratungaÕs husband Vijeya Kumaratunga! Amerasinghe is the only member still alive of the JVP politburo of that time. Civil society expects that the international community will demand legal action after the revelation of such a vast number of brutal murders.
He has been in self-imposed exile in the United Kingdom for the past few years. The evidence against him has been well documented and there is a warrant in Sri Lanka for his arrest.
It is shameful that the Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga to brought Somawansa from London as a State guest to address the election rally last year and then allowed him to go back to UK, instead of having him arrested. Yet another outrageous act of President Chandrika!
According to Human rights organisations and the Sri Lankan media, the JVP has killed or contributed to the killing of more than 60,000 people in 1980s.
Weapon trained Army deserters are the main culprits behind a series of crimes that have rocked Colombo in the past few months, police charge.
The rapid recruitment of men into the army and large-scale desertion has resulted in army deserters being involved in most of the serious crimes committed in the country ranging from bank robberies to organized crimes and murder.
According to Police sources there are around 30,000 deserters. "All of them are weapon trained and have been involved in many serious crimes in recent months,'' a senior police official said. Deserters have been linked to the spate of bank robberies that have taken place across the country in the past few months as well as to the activities of the underworld gangs.
A Navy deserter is one of the suspects wanted in connection with the killing of a 59 year old woman in her home at Peliyagoda on Monday. On Wednesday, Kegalle Police recovered nearly 15 kilograms of robbed gold jewellery from the home of an army deserter in Hingurakgoda and took into custody three suspects of whom two were deserters.
In connection with the latest attempted robbery at the People's Bank branch at Battaramulla, Police have arrested six people including three army deserters and a policeman. Police are looking for two others including another deserter.
According to Thalangama Police OIC Crimes Anura Perera, the same gang has been involved in six bank heists, all in different branches of the People's Bank. "The suspects confessed they only targeted state banks," he said.
In December, the Bank Manager and a security guard at the People's Bank branch at Padalangala in Embilipitiya were killed during a bank robbery. The gang that attempted the robbery at Battaramulla last week is believed to be the same gang behind the Embilipitiya incident. They have also been linked to bank robberies in Athurugiriya and Nittambuwa .
Nearly 99 per cent of the weapons being used in the recent spate of crimes are believed to be those that disappeared during the time of the JVP insurrection in the late 80's and which have not been accounted for, according to army spokesman. (excerpts, Sunday Times 14 January 2001)
The AFP news agency reported that three members of the elite presidential bodyguard were arrested for alleged involvement in poll-related violence. Earlier, Sri Lanka's Defence Ministry said nearly 170 army deserters had been arrested over the weekend amid reports they'd been involved in election-related violence.
It said efforts would be made to round-up an estimated 30,000 deserters who have fled fighting with Tamil separatists in the island's northeast. ( BBC South East Asia 3 December 2001)
COLOMBO- (AFP) 12 February 2002 - Four Sri Lankan army deserters were arrested on Tuesday in connection with the alleged gang rape of a British woman tourist eight days ago, police said.
The men were taken into custody at the eastern town of Polonnaruwa where the
woman was allegedly raped, police said. A locally-made gun, cash and stolen
goods were found with the suspects.
The attackers had allegedly threatened the woman, her male companion and their
driver with weapons before the rape. They also allegedly robbed the British
couple of their cash and wristwatches.
(Ps. Army deserters fleeing heavy fighting in the north and east have been blamed for sharp rise in violent crime in recent years)
Sri Lanka military lists 70,369 soldiers as deserters
(Who replaced these deserters? Children from the South)
COLOMBO Friday 22 April 2005, Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka's military said Friday it has listed over 70,000 soldiers as deserters and appealed to them to get de-listed so they can lead a normal life and stop running from the law.
Brig. Daya Ratnayake said 80,661 soldiers deserted military ranks during the two decade war with Tamil Tiger rebels, which ended with a cease-fire in 2002.
The army launched its first major drive to delist the deserters in October 2003, but only 10,292 deserters responded.
"We appeal to all of them to come and start the process of de-listing,'' Ratnayake said of the new campaign that starts on May 9.
"The deserters will be given a chance to obtain a clearance certificate from the army to continue their livelihood as normal citizens of the country,'' he said.
Ratnayake said there has been a 70 percent drop in the number of deserters since the cease-fire. Sri Lankan media often carry reports of increasing involvement of army deserters in organized crime.
Sri Lanka, a small island country of 19 million people, has about 125,000 personnel in the armed forces. – (AP)