• Wants JVP’s role in ‘insurgency terror’ probed in view of fairness 

The main Parliamentary Opposition, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), urged the Government to appoint either a Presidential Commission of Inquiry or a Parliamentary Commission to look into the destruction caused during the insurgencies that took place in the 1988-1989 era.

This was mentioned during a press briefing held yesterday (17) in Colombo, at which SJB Parliamentarian Harshana Rajakaruna opined that based on the findings of such a commission, the public would be able to determine whether it was the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) or another group that actually caused destruction in the country at that time.

“At the same time, without politicising the Batalanda Commission report, the deeds of the JVP at that time should also be documented. Even the current leaders of the JVP were involved in the 88-89 insurgencies,” he opined, adding that with the current discourse on the Batalanda incidents, a discourse should emerge on the JVP’s activities at that time which he referred to as ‘terrorist deeds’. He further alleged that the JVP is attempting to make the public forget about the violent incidents caused by the JVP. Adding that even the JVP leaders took arms in the 88-89 era, Rajakaruna opined that it is unfair to implement the law against only one group, and that the law should be enforced against all the groups that caused violent incidents in the country.