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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.
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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.
| Victim | Position | Date | Location | Method | Perpetrator(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jinadasa Weerasinghe | UNP MP (Tangalle) | 31 July 1987 | Angunakolapelessa | Shot | JVP is blamed. [1] [2] |
| Keerthi Abeywickrema | 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] |
| 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. |
| 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] |
| 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] |
| 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] |
| 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. |
| 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]
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