{"id":106444,"date":"2020-09-09T14:33:40","date_gmt":"2020-09-09T21:33:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=106444"},"modified":"2020-09-09T14:33:40","modified_gmt":"2020-09-09T21:33:40","slug":"erasing-the-eelam-victory-pt-17-c-5b","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2020\/09\/09\/erasing-the-eelam-victory-pt-17-c-5b\/","title":{"rendered":"ERASING THE EELAM VICTORY PT 17 C 5b"},"content":{"rendered":"

KAMALIKA PIERIS<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

 THIS ESSAY INCLUDES\nMATERIAL WHICH COULD NOT BE USED IN THE PREVIOUS ESSAY. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

BOMBS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

  • In 1970 JVP had experimented with making  safety bombs and Molotov cocktails. <\/li>
  • JVP conducted training classes in bombs at Kandy, Matale, Nuwara  Eliya, Moneragala, Ampara, Polonnaruwa,\nTrincomalee, Kalutara. <\/li>
  • In  1970 3000 bombs were\nsent  to Badulla, Anuradhapura,\nTrincomalee and Jaffna.    <\/li>
  • JVP had underground stores for the bombs.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    SCHOOLS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    • Principal of Polonnaruwa Rajarata Vidyalaya was threatened when he\ntook down a black flag on Independence Day hoisted by pupils. <\/li>
    • JVP regularly  organized demonstrations\nin schools.  <\/strong>There were widespread protests by school\nchildren in  1987-1988. These were well\norganized  within the JVP district and division\nstructure. <\/li>
    • In 1988  Several Colombo schools shut down   and \nstudents of several small schools in Kandy boycotted classes. <\/li>
    • The main\nfeature of the October 1988 agitation was the large scale involvement of school\nchildren. On October 3 about two thousand children for the elite schools of\nGalle, St Aloysius, Mahinda, Richmond, Southlands Balika, Sanghamitta Balika\nand Ripon Balika demonstrated in Galle. Schools in Hambantota, Tangalle,\nAmbalantota, Tissamaharama, and Debarawewa were            closed following agitation form\nchildren.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      In Matara students of Rahula\nCollege and Sujatha Balika were tear gassed.In Ambalantota an army detachment was attacked with stones by\ndemonstrating school children.  In\nKalutara the demonstrating school children had been tear gassed and chased\naway. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Demonstrations spread to Colombo\nand Kandy as well with Isipatana Vidyalaya in Colombo and Vidyartha in Kandy\njoining in.  Demonstrations erupted in\nAnuradhapura at St. Josephs College and Anuradhapura Central.  In Anuradhapura school children had stoned a\npolice patrol and injured six policemen. In Matale, students of St. Thomas,\nWijeya College and Science College had also joined in the street\ndemonstrations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Soon afterward alls schools were\nclosed indefinitely. Later it was announced that 115 schools would remain\nclosed while others would re-open. The schools to stay closed were the\nprivileged schools in each district.  In\nColombo it was Ananda, Nalanda, Thurstan, DSS Senanayake, Isipatana, Mahanama,\nas well as Ananda Sastralaya Kotte, Dharmapala Pannipitiya and Prince of Wales\nMoratuwa. In Galle it was Richmond, Mahinda, St Aloysius, and Ripon Balika. In\nAmbalangoda it was Dharmasoka, In Matara it was Rahula, Sujatha, St Thomas and\nSt Thomas Balika.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Later when school reopened,\ndemonstrations erupted again. Schools that were not previously affected now\ncame out on strike. In Colombo district, Carey College, Lumbini, Mahabodhi, St\nThomas ,Veluwana Maha Vidyalaya (Dematagoda), Janadhipathi (Kotte), Samudradevi\n( Nugegoda).  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      In remote areas of south and Uva\nstriking school kids were heard calling out \u2018Colombata kiri apita kekiri\u2019. These  demonstrations centered on the  elite schools of the provinces. But none of\nthe English speaking schools such as Royal , St Thomas , Ladies College in\nColombo were involved, only the schools of the \u2018Sinhala elite\u2019 were in the\ndemonstrations. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      UNIVERSITIES <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      • Universities were paralyzed in the period 1987-1989. University\nstaff was held hostage<\/li>
      • JVP dominated University through IUSF. <\/li>
      • University agitation started in March 1987. JVP made undergrads\ndemonstrate and protest at the slightest thing. Students were\nmade to go in procession, they hung flags, put up posters, distributed\nleaflets, sprayed and wrote on buses. <\/li>
      • University of\nPeradeniya was the one of the main centers of \nJVP activity in Kandy, some members of University minor staff and University security\nwere  in JVP military wing.  <\/li>
      • Instructions for prison  attack and central command attack in Kandy\nwere issued from Hilda Obeyesekera Hall, Peradeniya <\/li>
      • Over one hundred staff and students saw  the Nagahawatte killing take place in the early\nafternoon. Gunman escaped in a push cycle warning the audience  In the Senate not to come out or use phone.\nNo one dared to stop them. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        PRISONS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        • There\nwere  spectacular jail breaks in 1988. .\nAt Pelawatte rehabilitation camp most JVP escaped through a tunnel they had\ncut. Welikada escape was  done with\ninside help. JVP had supported from the air force personnel guarding the\nprison. <\/li>
        • In Nov 1988 ,there were \nprison riots at Colombo, Kandy, Mahara, Anuradhapura , Negombo and\nPelawatte. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

          BHIKKHUS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

          • In 1988 there were  more\nthan fifty monks in custody. It is estimated that over 100 monks had\ndisappeared  or were killed in1989 . <\/li>
          • In Jan 1988, army arrested  Ven. Nakkala Kusalnyana of Kumbukwella temple\nGalle. Kottegala Gantana of Ruhuna University \nand  Ratanesa Upali. <\/li>
          • Ven. Kotuhene Premawansa, chief prelate\nof  Nawalawatte temple in Tudella and\nPohoddaramulle  Premaloka were killed in\ntemple premises. Ven.Upali of Dickwella was killed in temple. <\/li>
          • Others were abducted. The abducted monks  included \nVen. Balangoda Dhammissara, Gonadeniya Sirinanda, Medirigiriye Sumana,\nGodakande Mahinda,  Wattala Piyadassi,\nKakuranpala Dhammananda. Parts of  four\nbodies  of bhikkhus who had been\nabducted   while visiting a temple in Galle\nwere found on Hikkaduwa beach . <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

            KILLINGS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

            • Weapons\ntraining was one thing,    killing was\nanother matter. To kill  one needed\nspecial expertise. When JVP needed large number of killers in 1987 they\nrecruited professional killers. JVP had close links with Piliyandala mafia .<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

              \u2018KOKU\nGAHANAWA\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

              • To hook\nsomeone in, he is given  a task,  probably irregular,  which commits him to the JVP. He is  then involved inextricably in the movement.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                POLICE\nHARASSMENT<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                • The Police harassed JVP . Piyadasa Ranasinghe of Angunakolapalessa\nwent to police to get a permit for a loudspeaker for  JVP rally \nto be held in August 1978 and was assaulted by a sergeant, police\nofficer and reserve constable. <\/li>
                • When the police arrested and assaulted a person, JVP recruited\nhim. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                  JVP\nCOMMUNICATIONS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  • In most semi- urban and village areas  JVP were faceless. Threats came without the\ncourier seen. JVP delivered\nmessages,  tied to stones and thrown into\ngardens of the intended recipients. These had to be obeyed otherwise the JVP\npunishment was very severe. <\/li>
                  • There were message drops for the JVP members    <\/li>
                  • Aliases were used. The other members would know only that X was a\nmember but not his position in the JVP . <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                    JVP\nSTRONGHOLDS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    • JVP started      in the\nsouth, . Then it went to the North Western Province and thereafter to Central\nprovince . <\/li>
                    • In 1989 main\nareas of JVP was Piliyandala, Homagama, \nHokandara, Kahatuduwa circle. <\/li>
                    • .JVP had always been weak in Ratnapura.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                      WEAPONS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                      • The 1971 insurgency  fizzled\nout in Chilaw as  the weapons  were \ntoo  few and unsatisfactory.  <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                        JVP  VIOLENCE AND STRIKES 1988-1989<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                        • The wave of\nviolence that swept in after 1987 cannot be explained . There were suddenly\nlarge number of people who were willing kill. And a larger number who were\nwilling to accept this. There was a general increase in murder, rape, abduction\nand holdups. <\/li>
                        • The\nfamily of senior Police officer Udugampola were shot and burnt in their\nancestral home.  His mother, brother,\nbrother\u2019s  wife, and their children  died. 100 per day of robberies and arsons and\naverage of 20 people  killed each day in\n1988.  Death rate was 100 per day in Dec\n1988. <\/li>
                        • 1988 started a phase of open confrontation, fights with security\nforces. Forces personnel were regularly killed, defense installations attacked,\nprominent person and intellectual died every day, many left the country  .  <\/li>
                        • Trees were  cut and placed\nacross roads, power pylons and transformers damaged and telephone exchanges\nwere  sabotaged, , even hospitals were\nnot functioning,  huge rallies  organized by JVP were well attended,  public brought in forcibly. <\/li>
                        • JVP wanted to keep the urban areas \nof the country constantly on the boil.<\/li>
                        • June 1988 JVP\nsaid the first give voters for southern PC election would be shot. In\nHambantota an early voter was shot dead.<\/li>
                        • From mid 1988 JVP made officials, government servants,  families of MPs and Provincial Councilors,  prominent business men and their families who\nsupported the government   paste  JVP posters , stitch and hang flags,\ndistribute leaflets and even  collect\nmoney. <\/li>
                        • From Sept 1988 JVP imposed unofficial curfew at least once a week.\nSometime for over a week in a town or village, district or province . Those who\ndefied were killed. <\/li>
                        • On Sept 12 1988 in most part \nof country, not a single shop or pharmacy opened, no buses, few people\non the road,  streets of villages\ndeserted,  no sounds of  radio, tv \n<\/li>
                        • Situation in\nOct- Nov 1988 was unlike anything before. <\/li>
                        • Thanks to infiltrating the \ntrade unions, in 1988, banks were closed, buses did not run, harbor was\ndead, postal service were crippled, no supply of water no electricity and not\neven  food. <\/li>
                        • JVP ordered a\nstrike on Oct 1988 , it was a total success. Workers in whole country were  told not to go to work on  Oct 26 \nrailways stopped by threatening letters, \nTulhiriya textile Mills closed down. Mattakkuliya CTB depot 150 workers\nstopped work  on orders of JVP.  3 to 4 thousand had demonstrated carrying\nanti government posters. Government establishment in Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa,\nMatale, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Panadura were closed. A  threatening letter  brought out demonstrators in Eppawela..<\/li>
                        • On the orders\nof JVP trade unions, professionals, student bodies, religious Association s and\neven  old boy Association of certain\nschools marched  in the funeral\nprocession  of Thrimavithane  in 1988,  \nwith prominently displayed  banners.\nIntelligence videoed the entire procession and this was used later to\nidentify  JVP . <\/li>
                        • On Nov 3\n1988, JVP ordered all shops, offices, hotels, business establishments to close.\nAll state institutions to close, also \nbanks, state and private transport,  \npetrol stations . No one should watch \ngovernment TV or listen to government radio.  Switch off lights till midnight. All houses\nand institutions to  hoist red and black\nflags. The order was  signed Keerthi\nVijayabahu. This protest was a great success. All obeyed orders to the letter\nreported Chandraprema.  <\/li>
                        • In Nov 1988 JVP ran the country . \nIt was in a  state of near\nanarchy. People were  threatened and\nthey  kept  away from work. No transport, shortage of\npetrol, bus drivers who defied  orders\nwere   killed. There were queues for kerosene.   Shops closed for weeks in certain areas.\nThere was a  food shortage. Bank, postal\nand telecommunications came to a halt. <\/li>
                        • April 1989\nthere was a  landmine war  in south which showed signs of spreading .<\/li>
                        • May 1989 spate of strike in all sectors.<\/li>
                        • June 1989 Gam\nUdawa celebration in Mahiyangana  were\nattacked .<\/li>
                        • At 1988 Presidential  election despite JVP there was a turnout of\n65%. Wave of terror continued and many families \nwere gunned down. On day of election four killed near polling booth at Tissamaharama.\nBut still people voted and were relieved to have had elections.<\/li>
                        • In 1989  killings continued.\nThere was arson, robbery, death squads murdered large  numbers \nMahaweli had an average of 70 bodies floating every day. Government  did nothing.<\/li>
                        • Spate of\nviolence in south  in June 1989. <\/li>
                        • At the end of\nthe June 1989 strike JVP had killed an estimated 130 SLTB employees, destroyed\nabout 200 buses, in order  to keep the\nterror level \u2018 high\u2019.<\/li>
                        • In august\n1989, JVP forced  government hospitals\n,private hospital and dispensaries to stop work<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                          DEFEAT<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                          • June 1989 JVP\nheld a massive rally at Nugegoda. This was its last public show.<\/li>
                          • Around June\n1989, Media personnel resigned or kept away from work. Security forces took\nover the work and the media functioned. Newscasters were navy men.<\/li>
                          • General\nstrike in June 1989. Army   drove the\nbuses and ensured there was public transport. And navy took charge of unloading\nfood ships in port. <\/li>
                          • In August\n1989 there was a partial hartal of government Departments, transport, banks\nafter JVP issued threatening letters. This was JVP \u2018s last hartal . <\/li>
                          • 1989 SLTB\nstrike was the crucial tug of war between government and JVP .At the start SLTB\ncould not say why they were on strike. Two leading JVP were killed and this\nshook the JVP and gave confidence to the public. Strike was a defeat for JVP\n.  It was the beginning of the end.  Two JVPers in CTB were killed. <\/li>
                          • A new element\nhad   also come in. there was a new urban\nguerilla movement against the JVP . These persons  arrived at the most unexpected  times, and killed with cold blooded\nruthlessness. They had accurate inside information, and had probably heavy\ninfiltrated the   JVP. There was a  spate of killings of JVP . <\/li>
                          • The  public now realized that state was getting\nthe upper hand. <\/li>
                          • Earlier, In\nDec 1987 the army started to break through JVP , and gain control of  Embilipitiya area. They found an underground\narmory there, 9 feet long. Embilipitiya area was  cleared \nin 1988. This was not easy,  there\nwere  vast jungle tracts.  <\/li>
                          • A JVP   member had led army to a hideout at Kakkangodella\non Embilipitiya Middeniya road.. Ruhuna ranahanda\u201d had been issued from\nthere.  <\/li>
                          • JVPers also\nled the authorities to  another hideout\nat Bando Kokkayaya near Panamure. Sophisticated radio equipment was discovered\nin a concrete bunker near latrine. <\/li>
                          • By 1989 JVP\nColombo had been successfully infiltrated . Intelligence  knew  a\nleast some JVP  centers, such as one in\nRatmalana. Intelligence  had even worked\ntheir way into   the Ratmalana\noutfit.  <\/li>
                          • State\nIntelligence  had videoed the entire\nprocession  at the Thrimavithane funeral.\nInformants with inside knowledge of the JVP were  brought in, given lists of names, shown the\nvideo and told to identify the people as faces appeared on the screen.<\/li>
                          • Most\ncadres  were caught   through information given by JVP activists\nin custody. <\/li>
                          • The moment  an arrest was\nmade the  victim was blindfolded . Police\ndid not give the bodies back.    <\/li>
                          • Most of the\nJVP cadres were liquidated in  October\n1989.  ( continued) <\/em><\/em><\/li><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                            KAMALIKA PIERIS  THIS ESSAY INCLUDES MATERIAL WHICH COULD NOT BE USED IN THE PREVIOUS ESSAY. BOMBS In 1970 JVP had experimented with making  safety bombs and Molotov cocktails. JVP conducted training classes in bombs at Kandy, Matale, Nuwara  Eliya, Moneragala, Ampara, Polonnaruwa, Trincomalee, Kalutara. In  1970 3000 bombs were sent  to Badulla, Anuradhapura, Trincomalee and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[104],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-106444","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-kamalika-pieris"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106444","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=106444"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106444\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=106444"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=106444"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=106444"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}