Government forces capture and kill JVP leader Rohana Wijeweera and his deputy in Colombo.
Source
Sri Lanka A Lost Revolution? The Inside Story of the JVP, Rohan Gunaratna, 1990.
Quotations
“Based on intelligence on subversive activities, the army conducted operations in Ulpane, amongst other areas…In the afternoon of November 12, 1989, one of the army units conducting search operations in the Ulpane area came across a person whom they suspected to be Rohana Wijeweera. They questioned him as to his identity and he admitted that he was Rohana Wijeweera and that the others present were his wife and children. … On the same day, at about 2200 hrs, Rohana Wijeweera was brought down to Colombo where further investigations commenced. During the investigation, on questioning, Rohana Wijeweera volunteered to make an appeal to the youth of the country for the cessation of violence. … In the early hours of Nov. 14 1989, Rohana Wijeweera led the security forces and police team to this location of the military and propaganda HQ of the JVP/DJP organisation, located in the suburbs of the district of Colombo. Rohana Wijeweera asked H.B. Herath a high ranking official of the JVP, to hand over to the investigators whatever documents and other articles were available at the HQ. … Herath handed over certain articles and pretending to search for more articles, suddenly pulled out a weapon and fired in the direction of Rohana Wijeweera. The security forces reacted immediately and opened fire. In the course of this firing, both Rohana Wijeweera and Herath received serious injuries to which they succumbed.” Extracts from the official statement of the army commander, reproduced in Rohan Gunaratna (1990) Sri Lanka A Lost Revolution? The Inside Story of the JVP.
“However, controversy reigns over Wijeweera’s death to this date. Nearly a month after his death, Lakshman Jayakody the SLFP MP stated in Parlieament…that shanty dwellers on the Model Farm Road vouched that Rohana Wijeweera was killed at the Gold Club grounds and cremated immediately thereafter at 3 am on Monday morning. The cemetery keeper at Kanatte was available at 3 am to cremate Wijeweera’s body.” Rohan Gunaratna (1990) Sri Lanka A Lost Revolution? The Inside Story of the JVP.
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