The 1971 Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna insurrection (also known as the 1971 Revolt) was the first unsuccessful armed revolt conducted by the communist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) against the Government of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) under Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike.
The revolt began on 5 April 1971 and lasted until June 1971. The insurgents were able to capture and hold several towns and rural areas for several weeks until they were recaptured by the armed forces. Even though its first attempt to seize power in 1971 was quickly crushed by force, in 1987 this group launched another far more potent insurgency in the south, central and western regions of the country.
The 1987–89 JVP insurrection (also known as the 1989 Revolt) was the second unsuccessful armed revolt conducted by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna against the Government of Sri Lanka under President J. R. Jayewardene. Unlike the first unsuccessful JVP insurrection of 1971, the second insurrection was not an open revolt, but appeared to be a low intensity conflict that lasted from 1987 to 1989 with the JVP resorting to subversion, assassinations, raids and attacks on military and civilian targets.
The following is a list of notable assassinations of the Second JVP Insurrection blamed on the UNP government & Security forces.
The leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna Rohana Wijeweera arrested on 12th November 1989 and killed at dawn 13th November 1989 by the UNP government Government.
Deputy leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna Upatissa Gamanayake arrested and killed on 13th November 1989.by the UNP government.
Sumith Athukorala (JVP) was killed on 04th September 1988.He was the First member of the politburo to have been killed by the UNP government before Wijeweera.
Piyadasa Ranasinghe (JVP) was killed by the UNP government on 15th November 1989.
D.M. Ananda (JVP) was killed by the UNP government on 15th November 1989.
Gunarathna Wanasinghe (JVP) was killed by the UNP government on 15th November 1989.
Saman Piyasiri Fernando better known as Kabral (JVP) was killed by the UNP government on 29th December 1989.
Shantha Bandara (JVP) was killed by the UNP Government on 06th January 1990.
H.B. Herath (JVP) was killed by the UNP government on 13th November 1989.
Lalith Wijerathna (JVP) was killed by the UNP government on 04th January 1990.
P.R.B. Wimalarathna (JVP) was arrested and killed by the UNP government on 18th September 1989.
Somawansha Amarasingha (JVP) was the only politburo member to have survived found asylum in the UK and later died a natural death on 15th June 2016.
Chithranganie Wijeweera (Rohana Wijeweera’s wife) was arrested along with Wijeweera and still under the custody of Sri Lanka Navy)
Ishwarage Ariyasena (Ralahami) was arrested and killed by the UNP government on 29th November 1989.
Sisira Randeniya (JVP) was killed on early 1990.
Dr. Jayathilake was arrested by the UNP government.
Dr. Jayathilake’s wife was arrested by the UNP government.
