Nandana Gunathilake asks Govt not to expose MR to Tamil Diaspora threats
Posted on August 11th, 2025
By Janakantha Liyanage Courtesy The Daily Mirror
Colombo, August 11 (Daily Mirror) – One time JVP Politburo member Nandana Gunathilake who defected from the party, said the JVP, which encouraged former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to resort to a military solution to the war, should not make him vulnerable to the threats of the Tamil Diaspora by curtailing his privileges.
He told the media today at Dodanduwa in Hikkaduwa that it was a matter of serious concern that the former President to be a target of the Tamil separatist movements through the proposed act to reduce the privileges of former presidents at the instigation of the Tamil Diaspora and several members of the JVP Politburo.
I am hopeful that the government will not ignore our views in this regard. The JVP, prior to the presidential election, formed a collective of retired military personnel. Its leader was Thoradeniya, who assassinated the JVP leader Rohana Wijeweera.”
Tamil Diaspora is largely instrumental in bringing the National People’s Power (NPP) into power. The government taking much interest in excavating Chemmani mass grave has now shown a similar interest in Suriyakanda and Hokandara mass graves.”
In 2010, the JVP backed Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka and campaigned to elect him to power. It is not a long spell of time from 1989 to 2010. Security force personnel who were called Ranaviru prior to the Presidential and General Elections are now mere soldiers for the President.”
If Sarath Fonseka were victorious, Ranil Wickremesinghe would have been the Prime Minister. It was Sarath Fonseka who suppressed the JVP movement in Trincomalee.” We believed in a struggle against imperialism and the movement heading for socialism. Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa resolved a massive political crisis created by the separatist movement.”
We believed in a struggle towards socialism against imperialism, and it was with this in view that we formed the UPFA government, and the JVP held several cabinet portfolios,” he further said.
Former Deputy Minister of Fisheries Resources Development Chandrasena Wijesinghe addressed the media conference.