Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) of Sri Lanka was founded on the 14th of May 1965.
The 1971 April Up-rising took place as an exercise of self-defense during the continuous capitalist state suppression in which nearly 10,000 members of the movement were slaughtered and about 20,000 members were held in detention in prisons.
Later in 1976 as the state of emergency was lifted, the proscription on the party came to an end and the party engaged in mainstream political activities again.
In 1983 July the party was proscribed without a justifiable reason and all the steps taken by the party to reverse the proscription were futile. During that time there was a complex political environment in the country and the state suppression was intensified.
Comrade Rohana Wijeweera was arrested and on the 13th of November 1989 and was murdered while in custody.

The only surviving political bureau member comrade Somawansa Amarasinghe left Sri Lanka and lead the party from abroad.
In 1994 the government had to lift the emergency as a result of the agitations of the people. The JVP entered the mainstream politics, contested the 1994 General Elections under the party name of National Salvation Front (in coalition with Progressive Front) and won a parliamentary seat in Hambantota district. At the Presidential Elections 1994 the JVP nominated comrade Nihal Galappththi as the National Salvation Front’s Presidential candidate.
10 legislators were elected to the parliament at the 2000 General Elections representing the JVP in the parliament and then at the General Election held on 5th December 2001, JVP won 16 seats in the parliament. At the Local Government elections held in 2002, 219 representatives of the JVP were elected.
After having discussions for more that 10 months the PA and the JVP formed the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) in January 2004. Having won the election held on 2nd April 2004 the UPFA formed the government. The JVP won 39 seats in the Parliament.