Sri Lankan Leftist Party Not to Take Up Arms

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, November 29, 2001

Sri Lankan Leftist Party Not to Take Up Arms

Sri Lanka's leftist JVP or the people's Liberation Front said on Wednesday that they were not planning a third armed uprising but vowed to crush separatist Tamil Tiger rebels.

Sri Lanka's leftist JVP or the people's Liberation Front said on Wednesday that they were not planning a third armed uprising but vowed to crush separatist Tamil Tiger rebels.

JVP leader Somavansa Amerasinghe said that there will be no third revolution and his remarks were completely misquoted.

Amerasinghe had called for an armed struggle at a weekend election rally which was broadcast on local television.

He said that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) must surrender their arms and renounce their demand for a separate Tamil homeland which they have been fighting for since 1983.

He said that he did not believe that the LTTE was serious about dropping its separatist demand and seeking a political settlement to the country's 18-year ethnic war as LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran said on Tuesday in his Heroes Day speech.

The JVP launched two revolts in 1971 and 1987 during which more than 80,000 people were killed. However,it helped President Kumaratunga's ruling People's Alliance government from collapsing after the withdrawal of the main Muslim Congress party in late June.