JVP Sinhalese movement activities in Moscow; existence of an exit visa requirement in the Soviet Union; Sri Lankan government's attitude towards Marxist-Leninist parties
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 June 1989 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | LKA1079 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, JVP Sinhalese movement activities in Moscow; existence of an exit visa requirement in the Soviet Union; Sri Lankan government's attitude towards Marxist-Leninist parties, 1 June 1989, LKA1079, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6aab517.html [accessed 6 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) is described as a Maoist Sinhalese organization, which has undergone periods of
proscription and legality. [ Revolutionary and Dissident
Movements, (London: Keesing's Reference Publications, 1987),
p.350.] At present, it is opposed not only to the Sri Lankan government, but to the presence of the Indian Peace Keeping Force in the northern and eastern regions of the country. [ "A Decisive Mandate", in Asiaweek, 3 March 1989, pp. 20, 25-26.] The JVP has been linked with another group, the Deshapremi Janatha Viyaparaya (DJV). [ Urgent Action, (London, Amnesty International), 15 November 1988.] From mid-1987 to the end of 1988, more than five hundred political killings, mainly members of the ruling United National Party and its supporters, had been attributed to the JVP and DJV. [ Urgent Action, (London, Amnesty International), 15 November 1988, and Keesing's Record of World Events, (London, Longman Publications), June 1988, p. 35936.] The JVP has also been accused of attempting to assassinate the President of Sri Lanka and other government officials, as well as using violence to obstruct elections and to impose strikes in different regions. No activities in Moscow are reported among the sources presently available to the IRBDC.
The main JVP group is reportedly not acknowledged by the Soviet Union, but there are splinter groups which may be backed by the Soviet government. [ Yearbook on International Communist Affairs 1988, (California: Hoover Institution Press, 1988), p. 223.] According to a Professor of Political Science knowledgeable in the area, Moscow-oriented communist parties in Sri Lanka have tried to undermine and infiltrate the JVP. According to the Professor, the current Sri Lankan government looks upon the Marxist-Leninist parties with "considerable hostility". However, the governments' attitudes towards Marxist parties have varied historically. The 1970-1977 United Front government included Marxist-Leninist parliamentarians, although they lost most of their seats in the 1977 elections. The Professor states that the government does not presently consider Marxist parties a threat because of their poor electoral backing.
According to External Affairs, non-Soviet citizens do not need a visa to exit the Soviet Union, although they may be told by the authorities from which point of departure they must leave.
Please find attached copies of the following documents which provide information related to the requested subjects:
-Yearbook on International Communist Affairs 1988, (California: Hoover Institution Press, 1988), pp.222-223.
-Revolutionary and Dissident Movements, (London: Longman, 1988), pp. 350-351 (section on the JVP).
-"Taming terrorists is his only hope", in The Globe and Mail, 3 April 1989, p. A7.
