JVP was never “brought into” the political process. Nobody liked them coming to politics. No concessions were given to them to come to politics. But they came on their own. Don’t forget JVP WAS a political party before taking up arms. LTTE on the other hand was only a terrorist outfit with no political leadership whatsoever.

LTTE had to depend on ITAK, ACTC, TULF politicians for guidance. Of course TULF’s Vadukoddai resolution was the guiding light of the LTTE. This shows LTTE’s total lack of knowledge/ability in politics.

LTTE had a golden opportunity in 1987, 2002 to enter politics but refused because they knew nothing of politics.

Sole representative drivel is another result of LTTE’s total lack of political knowledge.

Anyway SL lost nothing much by LTTE not coming into politics. After all war is politics by other means! What the military can handle best should be given to the military.

JVP didn’t pose that much of a security threat. They had only crappy weapons. The brutal response was self inflicted by the JVP. They attacked army personnel’s families. A brutal tactics LTTE never used but not a very effective one.

JVP could never have toppled the government by force.

Another interesting thing is immediately following the 2 JVP uprisings, governments were keen to engage in war/conflict in the north. Faced with this threat, the majority unified. And JVP’s demise accelerated as people consider “those who pull from the leg of the govt at war” as traitors.

e.g. 1972 (Tamil armed groups were formed following the republic constitution)

e.g. 1990 (Elam war-2)

Some unwise Tamil seperatists pray for another JVP uprising. What they don’t know is that will eventually end with a military assault on them!

The 1971 JVP thing was an eye opener. Just imagine LTTE attacking the army/police for the first time (had there not been any JVP uprising in 1971). They would have been clueless how to respond. After successfully responding to the JVP threat, the army had some apprehension of fighting guerillas. Forces used same heavyhanded tactics against Tigers in early 1980s. It worked well to reduce the Tigers.

Prof Heshan

“But what is also interesting is that the JVP was brought into the political process, whereas the LTTE was and still continues to be ostracized.”

Actually the JVP chose to enter the political mainstream, while the LTTE refused to do so even during the CFA lopsided in its favor.

The JVP had a grassroots following among the Sinhalese youth that posed far more danger to the Sri Lankan government than the LTTE, which was always containable. If the JVP had managed to topple the government, then what? They would have had access to the weapons and foreign recognition you speak of. And finally, does not the brutal response of the government show the severity of the JVP threat?

Heshan,

No whitewashing JVP terrorists (in my view) but their subversion lasted a very short time unlike the LTTE. Their terrorist tactics, weapons, skills, oraganisation falls well short of terrorist groups particularly the LTTE (world’s most ruthless terrorist group).

JVP DID topple the government in 2004 but through an election!

More than 33 countries recognize LTTE as a terrorist organisation but JVP, none. I think this settles the matter beyond debate.

Prof Heshan

“Out of curiosity, are you willing to call the members of the JVP rebellion, terrorists?”

Only those who were not Christian (non-practicing is ok).

The JVP threatened to topple the government itself (and nearly succeeded). So technically the JVP posed a bigger threat to the future of the island than the LTTE (which only wanted a very specific piece of piece).

But what is also interesting is that the JVP was brought into the political process, whereas the LTTE was and still continues to be ostracized.

Dear Heshan,

RE: “are you willing to call the members of the JVP rebellion, terrorists?”

Yes, terrorists would be an appropriate term. However, I would not put them anywhere in the league of the LTTE, as they did not employ suicide bombers, child soldiers and become an ongoing threat to the state and society on a similarly organized scale.

In both cases, good riddance.

We’ve already lived through the murder and death of massive numbers of youth during the JVP rebellion.

Out of curiosity, are you willing to call the members of the JVP rebellion, terrorists?

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