Home > News from around the world > Success for appeal from Nava Sama Samaja Party

Sri Lanka

Success for appeal from Nava Sama Samaja Party

Saturday 7 April 2012

Save this article in PDF Version imprimable de cet article Version imprimable

UPDATE: The two comrades of the Frontline Socialist Party, Premakumar Gunarathnam and Dimuthu Attygale have both been released within the last few hours of Monday 9th night / Tuesday 10th morning.

Gunarathnam has reportedly been deported to Australia (he is an Australian citizen), while Attygalle is currently addressing a press conference organised by her party.

Without doubt it was the high level of international attention, the diplomatic efforts of the Australian high commission, and the unprecedented solidarity across the political divide in Sri Lanka that secured the lives and now liberty of these comrades.

Two leaders of the Frontline Socialist Party (JVP dissident group) Kumar Gunarathnam and Dimuthu Attygalle (Women and International Affairs secretary) were separately abducted in the early hours of Saturday 7 April 2012 from Kiribathgoda and Godagama respectively (suburbs of Colombo). They are prominent representatives of a new Left party that has broken away from the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna in opposition to coalition politics and in solidarity with the Tamil peoples struggle for justice and equality.

Kumar Gunarathnam, who is of Tamil origin, was a longstanding leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, who has been in hiding from the authorities since the split with the JVP. Dimuthu Attygalle, is also a former member of the JVP politburo and leader of its women’s front and former elected member of an urban council.

The timing of their abduction is directly related to the forthcoming inaugural conference of the Frontline Socialist Party on 9 April 2012. It is a clear attempt to intimidate and discourage the members and sympathisers of this new socialist party. This heinous act follows the disappearance of two Tamil-origin activists of the party, Lalith and Kugan, in Jaffna in December 2011 whose whereabouts and safety is still unknown.

The Nava Sama Samaja Party demands the immediate release of the comrades of the Frontline Socialist Party; and for all acts of intimidation and harassment of their political activities to end forthwith. We call upon Left parties across the world to organise solidarity actions in front of Sri Lankan embassies and missions and to send messages of protest to the Sri Lankan authorities.

Colombo
7 April 2012

Write to:
Hon President of Sri Lanka
Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksha

Defence Secretary
Mr.Gotabhaya Rajapakse
secdef@sltnet.lk

copies
Frontline Socialist Party
"pubudu jayagoda"