Nandana Gunathilake asks Govt not to expose MR to Tamil Diaspora threats

Says hopeful that the government will not ignore our views

By Janakantha Liyanage   

One time JVP Politburo member Nandana Gunathilake who  defected from the party, said the JVP, which encouraged former President  Mahinda Rajapaksa to resort to a military solution to the war, should not  make him vulnerable to the threats of the Tamil Diaspora by curtailing  his privileges.  

He told the media yesterday at Dodanduwa in Hikkaduwa that it was a matter of serious concern that the former President to be a  target of the Tamil separatist movements through the proposed act to  reduce the privileges of former presidents at the instigation of the  Tamil Diaspora and several members of the JVP Politburo.   

“I am hopeful that the government will not ignore our views  in this regard. The JVP, prior to the presidential election, formed a  collective of retired military personnel. Its leader was Thoradeniya,  who assassinated the JVP leader Rohana Wijeweera.”   

“Tamil Diaspora is largely instrumental in bringing the  National People’s Power (NPP) into power. The government taking much  interest in excavating Chemmani mass grave has now shown a similar  interest in Suriyakanda and Hokandara mass graves.”   

“In 2010, the JVP backed Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka and  campaigned to elect him to power. It is not a long spell of time from  1989 to 2010. Security force personnel who were called Ranaviru prior to the Presidential and General Elections are now mere  soldiers for the President.”   

“If Sarath Fonseka were victorious, Ranil Wickremesinghe  would have been the Prime Minister. It was Sarath Fonseka who suppressed  the JVP movement in Trincomalee.” “We believed in a struggle against  imperialism and the movement heading for socialism. Former President  Mahinda Rajapaksa resolved a massive political crisis created by the  separatist movement.” 

“We believed in a struggle towards socialism against  imperialism, and it was with this in view that we formed the UPFA government, and the JVP held several cabinet portfolios,” he further said.   

Former Deputy Minister of Fisheries Resources Development Chandrasena Wijesinghe addressed the media conference.