Popular actor and political leader Vijaya Kumaratunga is shot dead by two gunmen on a motorbike. He was married to former Sri Lankan president, Chandrika Kumaratunga.

Vijaya started his political life in the Lanka Sama Samaja Party. He later joined the Sri Lanka Freedom Party. Later, he was jailed under the emergency regulations by J.R. Jayawardena for allegedly being a ‘Naxalite’, but  was never charged. He later founded the Sri Lanka Mahajana Party (SLMP) which argued for peace in the war in Sri Lanka.

At the time of his assassination, negotiations were taking place to form a broader alliance of five leftist parties, including Vijaya’s Mahajana Party. At the funeral ceremony at Independence Square, attended by over half a million people, the leaders of the five parties signed an agreement to form the United Socialist Alliance and took oaths swearing their allegiance to it.

Lionel Ranasinghe alias Gamini, later confessed to Vijaya’s murder upon being questioned by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Ranasinghe, in a 141 page statement, confessed that he was merely carrying out orders given to him by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP).

Sources
Devolution only solution – CBK, BBC, 19 February 2008; Remembering Vijaya Kumaratunga, Tamil Week, 8 October 2006; Confessions of Vijaya’s killer, Frederica Jansz.

Quotations

“It wasn’t only the southern community who noticed Vijaya’s leadership qualities; even the Tamil leadership acknowledged his capabilities and proven courage. In 1986, at the height of the ethnic conflict, when 6 policemen were taken hostage by the LTTE, it was Vijaya Kumaratunga who went to Jaffna to intervene and secure their release. Another remarkable facet of Vijaya was his valiant struggle to restore peace in the country. He was one of the few people who actively promoted the Indo Lanka Agreement, the arrival of the Indian Peace Keeping Force in 1987 when a vociferous minority took to the streets to demonstrate against what was then termed as a ‘sell out to India’. … An ardent proponent of the provincial council system, he firmly believed that devolution of power to the periphery was the fairest way of resolving the ethnic crisis and the issues of historical inequalities suffered by the minorities. As a result of this act, he earned the wrath of the JVP, who were vehemently against the Indian intervention and as it later conspired, it was this act that led to his assassination one year later. Before his death Vijaya was vilified by the JVP and Front organisations such as the Protection of the Mother Land as a traitor, as an agent of the LTTE seeking to divide the country. To date, he remains one of the few Sinhalese leaders who defied government pressure and death threats in order to have direct negotiations with all the Tamil leaders including the LTTE supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran.” Kumar Rupesinghe, Remembering Vijaya Kumaratunga.

“Jayantha told Herath and myself that we will be assigned a special task. He said Vijaya Kumaratunga has to be removed. Jayantha further said Vijaya Kumaratunga supports the Indian Peace Accord; he supports the provincial councils; he is holding meetings island-wide explaining things to people. Because of his popularity youth are going for his meetings. Because of this the bankrupt Left parties have formed a front with him. … Vijaya Kumaratunga’s front is being trained by the EPRLF and PLOTE. They will be used against us to protect Vijaya Kumaratunga’s front. Jayantha said Vijaya Kumaratunga has been warned by letter. He is working disregarding those [warnings]. He has even been sent a final warning. Therefore he has to be removed,”  Lionel Ranasinghe alias ‘Gamini’, Confession statement.

Related events
August 1987
10 November 2006

This event was the subject of a feature: Assassination of an activist.