‘Comrade Somawansa Amarasinghe, who had to hide in the wilderness, spend his time in prisons or live abroad under very trying conditions, fulfilled a very magnanimous task. For, he dedicated himself, without any consideration for his own life, for the elevation of the JVP on behalf of the downtrodden masses of this country who have been deprived of justice and fair play. The leadership task he carried out amidst repression, defeats with unrelenting dedication and determination would live among the whole membership of the party and the downtrodden masses in this country,’ states an announcement released by the Political Bureau of the JVP on behalf of the demise of former Leader Comrade Somawansa Amarasinghe.
Comrade Amarasinghe passed away at his brother’s residence at Rajagiriya today (15th) morning.
Full text of the announcement:
Comrade Somawansa Amarasinghe’s service would never be forgotten!
The former Leader of the JVP Comrade Somawansa Amarasinghe passed away today (15th) morning. We, who are saddened by his demise, salute him.
No one can forget the service he rendered bearing the leadership of the JVP for nearly two and a half decades. His mediation in elevating the JVP, the enemy had bragged that it had been wiped out, to the position it enjoys in Sri Lankan society today is laudable. Comrade Amarasinghe, who never abandoned his responsibility towards the party despite the leadership councils had been annihilated during the 88/89 terror period, strived to save the party without any consideration for his own life. As the suppression by the enemy intensified he secretly left the country voluntarily taking over his task on behalf of the downtrodden masses of the Motherland. Comrade Amarasinghe, who lived in foreign countries under very trying conditions and made his travelling bag his party office successfully overcame the vicious conspiracy hatched during the early 90s by various enemies of the party to grab the official ownership of the JVP.
Comrade Somawansa Amarasinghe became a full-time member of the JVP in 1969, contributed in the people’s uprising against state suppression of 1971 and was arrested on 5th April, 1971. He was remanded and according to the judgment in the trial against the JVP in 1974 he was sentenced to 2 years in prison. He joined party building process in 1976 while many others became traitors to the party.
In 1978 Comrade Amarasinghe was elected to the Central Committee of the JVP and was appointed to the Political Bureau in 1984 when the party had been already proscribed since 1983. When Comrade Rohana Wijeweera, the beloved Leader of the party, was assassinated by the enemy Comrade Amarasinghe shouldered the task of rebuilding the party as the only surviving member of the Political Bureau.
Comrade Somawansa Amarasinghe, who had to hide in the wilderness, spend his time in prisons or live abroad under very trying conditions, fulfilled a very magnanimous task. For, he dedicated himself, without any consideration for his own life, for the elevation of the JVP on behalf of the downtrodden masses of this country who have been deprived of justice and fair play. The leadership task he carried out amidst repression, defeats with unrelenting dedication and determination would live among the whole membership of the party and the downtrodden masses in this country. The task of Comrade Somawansa Amarasinghe, who played an unblemished political role for more than 45 years within the JVP, to hand over the JVP to its genuine inheritors and the task he carried out to bring back life to the JVP would never be forgotten.
Comrade Somawansa Amarasinghe, your service carried out on behalf of millions of downtrodden masses in our country will never be forgotten. We salute you.
Political Bureau,
Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna.
15.06.2016