Matale District MP Rohini Kavirathna tabled several documents in Parliament, alleging that numerous killings were carried out by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) during the 1988-89 period. She presented this information on the final day of the budget debate, accusing the JVP of engaging in mass violence and introducing child soldiers to the country.
During her speech, she made comparisons between the current Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s relationship with IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and past relationships between Sri Lankan leaders and foreign dignitaries. She stated that President Dissanayake’s communication with Georgieva resembled the familiar and friendly interactions seen between previous leaders and their international counterparts, suggesting that Sri Lanka is now heavily reliant on the IMF.
According to Kavirathna, Sri Lanka has been a member of the IMF since becoming its 50th member and has taken loans from the IMF 16 times. However, she claimed that the country had failed to receive the full agreed amount on most occasions due to an inability to meet the required conditions. She cited previous loan agreements, noting the percentage of funds received under various leaders, including J.R. Jayewardene, Felix Dias Bandaranaike, D.B. Wijetunga, and Chandrika Kumaratunga.
Kavirathna criticized the government’s current handling of the IMF program, alleging that the Sri Lankan economy is now heavily controlled by the IMF and dependent on foreign loans. She further warned that the government is planning to seek an additional 4-5 billion dollars from the IMF, which will further deepen the country’s dependency.
Highlighting Sri Lanka’s growing reliance on India, Kavirathna acknowledged the importance of maintaining good relations with the Indian government and companies like Adani for economic growth. She noted that the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, is expected to visit Sri Lanka soon, emphasizing the importance of economic cooperation.
However, she expressed concern over the government’s borrowing practices, stating that in the last five months alone, the government has borrowed 5,200 billion rupees through treasury bills and bonds. Kavirathna challenged the government to name even five projects accomplished with the borrowed money.
Turning her attention back to the JVP, she tabled the names of 1,300 people killed by the group during the 1988-89 period. She also listed 920 families of victims who are still alive, providing details about their names, villages, ages, and relationships.
Kavirathna accused the JVP of introducing child soldiers to the country, sharing horrific stories of brutal killings, including the murder of a 70-year-old UNP activist by a 13-year-old assassin in Kantale, and the murder of a Communist Party trade union leader by a child.
She further alleged that the JVP had influenced the LTTE by introducing the concept of child soldiers to the country.
Kavirathna concluded her speech by urging the government to acknowledge the victims of the JVP’s violent past and provide justice for the 41,813 individuals who lost their lives during the insurgency.
