1987–1989 JVP Insurrection

The 1987–1989 JVP insurrection, also known as the 1988–1989 revolt or the JVP troubles, was an armed revolt in Sri Lanka, led by the Marxist–Leninist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, against the Government of Sri Lanka. The 1987–1989 insurrection, like the 1971 JVP insurrection, was unsuccessful. The main phase of the insurrection was a low-intensity conflict that lasted from April 1987 to December 1989. The insurgents led by the JVP resorted to subversion, assassinations, raids, and attacks on military and civilian targets while the Sri Lankan government reacted through counter-insurgency operations to suppress the revolt.

Guerrilla forces of the insurrection were led by the military branch of the JVP, the Deshapremi Janatha Viyaparaya. The insurgency reached its peak in 1988 and impacted all Sri Lankan civilians, including those without any political stake in the situation. Attacks on civilians by pro-government guerrillas began after the re-election of president Ranasinghe Premadasa. A period of government mass killings soon began following the ceasefire of the Sri Lankan Civil War and the expulsion of the Indian Peace Keeping Force, resulting in the death of many Sri Lankan civilians and multiple Indian expatriates.

JVP received support from its one-time enemy, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP). However, this alliance broke down following the SLFP's participation in the provincial elections which the JVP and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) openly boycotted. The government lifted the ban on both parties in 1987, hoping that they would participate in the elections, but this attempt ultimately failed. For over two years, the state saw mass militancy of youth and workers, mass execution, rape, and feuds. Anti-JVP militias also caused violence, including the leftist People's Revolutionary Red Army (PRRA).

In 1989, Sri Lanka Armed Forces launched Operation Combine (Ops Combine). While the revolutionary Rohana Wijeweera was killed, the insurgency never truly ended. The violence escalated when the DJV leader Keerthi Vijayabahu took over. DJV members also operated in LTTE-occupied areas of Trincomalee against the Sri Lanka Armed Forces and the IPKF. DJV was supported by Tamil militants so that it could also operate as a front against the Indian forces. Many smaller anti-government groups gave up the armed struggle, but largest threats persisted, with the DJV continuing to operate as an armed group until December 1989. Ranjan Wijerathna, who played a major role in the Ops Combine, said he was ready to launch a similar counterinsurgency against the Tamil Tigers. He was assassinated in 1991. This marked the beginning of the second phase of the Sri Lanka-LTTE conflict, known as the Second Eelam War.

Background

History of Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna

Founded by communist Rohana Wijeweera, the Janatha Vmukthi Peramuna (JVP) is known for its revolutionary youth background. The organization was banned more than once when the group was first involved in the Anti-U.S. riots of the 1970s. Since then, the movement was called the "''Che Guevara clique"'' (a nickname the JVP did not claim) by the Sri Lankan government and international media. The group was first internationally recognized as a political party when it participated in a communist youth conference in Havana, Cuba, in 1978.

1971 JVP Insurrection

JVP launched an open revolt against Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike's government in April 1971. While the government was caught off guard, it was able to subdue the insurgency in a matter of weeks. The insurgency may have led to the death of 4,000–5,000 people. Over 20,000 suspected rebels, mostly young people, were arrested in the period that followed the insurrection, but most were released after rehabilitation. Indian assistance was called by the government of Sri Lanka, the Indian involvement was however less known at the time of the insurrection.

Rohana Wijeweera and the other major leaders of the insurgency were sentenced to prison and the JVP was banned as a political party. However, all of them were released in 1977 by J. R. Jayewardene after the UNP won the general election after running on a platform of amnesty for those prosecuted by the infamous Criminal Justice Commission.

Tamil insurgency and pro-United States policy

During the mid-1980s, as the Tamil insurgency in the north became more intense, there was a marked shift in the ideology and goals of the JVP. Initially Marxist in orientation, and claiming to represent the oppressed of both the Tamil and Sinhalese communities, the group identified increasingly as a Sinhalese nationalist organization opposing any compromise with the Tamil insurgency.

Third ban

Rohana Wijeweera came third in the presidential elections in 1982, and the Jayawardene government feared the increasing influence of the JVP.

JVP became a more controversial party along with the Nava Sama Samaj Party following an assembly held on July 6, 1983, which was held in support of the LTTE and other Tamil separatists; there the leader of the NSSP Vickramabahu Karunaratna defended the Tamil insurgency. The government mostly triggered by these parties, alleged that three socialist parties were preparing to topple the government. The Jayawardene government also alleged that the JVP was involved in the Black July riots, but provided no concrete evidence. Due to these allegations, Jayawardene banned the party, a move which was suspected to be due to his fear of losing future elections to leftist parties as he was highly pro-U.S. and anti-Soviet due to his anti-Indian policy. It is also to be noted that during this time, Jawardene degraded diplomatic relations with socialist countries like Cuba and the Soviet Union.

Preparation

Having been banned and driven underground, the JVP began preparing to overthrow the government. They targeted political opponents, carried out robberies in the form of bank heists to collect funds, and began acquiring weapons, usually pistols and shotguns from owners who had gained gun licenses from the government. Thereafter, they planned to raid armories of the government, which had deployed its forces to the north and east of the country to counter the Tamil insurgency.

The politburo members of the insurrection were Rohana Wijeweera, Upatissa Gamanayake, Sumith Athukorala, D. M. Ananda, Saman Piyasiri Fernando, Piyadasa Ranasinghe, H. B. Herath, Gunaratne Wanasinghe, P. R. B. Wimalarathna, Somawansa Amarasinghe, Shantha Bandara, Nandathilaka Galappaththi and Lalith Wijerathna. Until 1987, no arms were available for the youth military arm of the JVP, the Deshapremi Janatha Viyaparaya (DJV) to train their soldiers. The collection of weapons for this purpose began in early 1987, and weapons training began in mid-1987, with deserters from the army providing instruction.

During this period, police inspectors reported their pistols to be missing and landlords were given shotguns by the police to defend themselves. The DJV stole weapons and ammunition from military bases, defense academies, and landlords. A spike in gun thefts were reported from Balangoda, Deniyaya, Hakmana, and Nochchiyagama in 1987. There were reports in May 1987 that an increasing number of youths were stealing such weapons from police stations in the south. 600 weapons, mostly shotguns, were taken by DJV in July 1987.

Armed with these stolen weapons, DJV members were trained in universities and were joined by new members from lower castes. At the start of the insurgency, it was estimated by western diplomats that of the 10,000 armed soldiers of the DJV, approximately 3,000 were well trained. According to Somawansa Amarasinghe, a Sri Lankan politician, these groups were also provided aid by North Korea since 1970.

Prelude to open insurrection

On 15 December 1986, the JVP abducted and murdered Daya Pathirana, leader of the Independent Students' Union (ISU) of the University of Colombo, who was a rival of the Socialist Students Union, the student wing of the JVP. By this time, the JVP had been designated as a terrorist organization by the Jayawardene government.

JVP carried out small scale bombings throughout 1986, but what marked the beginning of the pre-insurgency took place on 7 May 1986, when the JVP claimed responsibility for a large bombing in the Colombo Central Telegram office which killed 14 and coordinated anti-Indian propaganda in Sinhalese universities.

Insurgency

Early attacks

On 15 April 1987, JVP attacked the Pallekele Army Camp in Kandy. An unknown amount of troops, under the directions of Shantha Bandara and Premakumar Gunaratnam, the JVP seized twelve Type 56 assault rifles, seven sub-machine guns, and ammunition. In May 1987, Sri Lanka Armed Forces launched the Vadamarachchi Operation (English: "Operation Liberation") with the objective of defeating the LTTE militarily and re-establishing government control in areas dominated by Tamil militants. However, the second phase of Operation Liberation was abandoned with the Indian intervention of Operation Poomalai, which led to the signing of the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord in Colombo on 29 July 29, 1987 and the arrival of the first troops of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) on 30 July.

Events of LTTE and JVP took place parallel to each other. Shortly after the LTTE stopped and attacked a spate of heavy vehicles in the northern province,
the JVP started to raid heavy military installments in the central province. These were even located in the de facto ''Tamil Eelam''.

The prospect of Tamil autonomy in the north together with the presence of Indian troops stirred up a wave of Sinhalese nationalism and the sudden growth of anti-government violence by the DJV which had emerged as an offshoot of the JVP and was led by Saman Piyasiri Fernando. On 7 June 1987, Sri Lanka Air Force Base, SLAF Katunayake, and the Kotelawala Defence Academy were attacked. Weapons and ammunition were stolen, while four of the attackers were killed. These attacks were led by the military unit, Patriotic People's Armed Troops. Afterwards, DJV claimed responsibility and a Criminal Investigation Department investigation resulted in the arrest of thirteen JVP members.

On 18 August, when the first parliamentary group meeting took place after the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord, an assassination attempt was made on the president and prime minister by the DJV: resulting in the death of a Member of Parliament (MP) and one other. Lalith Athulathmudali, the Minister of National Security and Deputy Minister of Defence, was also severely wounded. On 4 October 1987, 50 members of the DJV raided a security forces camp in Trincomalee; DJV succeeded and stole 6 T-56 assault rifles, 3 shotguns, .303 British rifles, and ammunition.

The beginning of the insurgency was marked when BBC
...