JVP didn’t treat our family well

Chithrangani, wife of former JVP leader, Rohana Wijeweera reveals her battle for justice

Srimathi Chithrangani Wijeweera, wife of political revolutionary and founder of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Rohana Wijeweera, made headlines during the past few weeks after news spread about a notice which the Wijeweera family had received from the Sri Lanka Navy to hand over their house in the Welisara Navy Camp to the authorities by October 1, 2015. Speaking after 26 years, Mrs. Wijeweera revealed her struggle to live, how the party treated her and what she requests from the relevant authorities now. Excerpts are as follows:

Q How long have you been living at the Welisara Navy camp?

We were first residing at the Ganemulla camp and later we were transferred to the Trincomalee Navy Camp. Since 1999 we were living at the Welisara Navy Camp.

Q Why have you started to speak up after all these years?

First of all I would like to clear false accusations made against me and wrong information that was spread by certain parties. In a statement made by Somawansa Amarasinghe he mentioned that 3 of my children were abroad and 2 of them were engineers. The truth is that my son is in Russia. There are no engineers in my family and my other 5 children are in Sri Lanka. Some people have made this an opportunity for mudslinging campaigns but I strongly urge them not to do that to us. My children have faced a lot of discrimination. After being identified as Wijeweera’s children, teachers treated them like the children of a Sinhala Prabhakaran. They would go on about Wijeweera’s life, how he became a murderer, a thief and his inhuman acts of violence. If Wijeweera was responsible they should punish him not me and my children. They are unemployed to date because companies do not want to recruit children of a revolutionary and a murderer.

Q How did the party treat your family?

The JVP didn’t treat our family well. I first went to meet Tilvin Silva and Nihal Galappaththi around mid 1995 or 1996 and urged them to send us abroad. They were in a position to send us but didn’t respond to our request. After we came to Colombo I made the same request to Somawansa Amarasinghe who returned to Sri Lanka after 2000. Vijitha Herath also made a statement in which he has said that the Navy had asked us to leave the house on ‘several occasions’. But we have been asked to move out only once in 2008.

Q What happened then in 2008?

When we were first asked to move from the house I met with Tilvin Silva and Somawansa Amarasinghe. We were not in a financially sound position then. When I told them about my situation, Somawansa said he will give us a house and took us to a place in Pita Kotte. He showed me the house and said he will give me the house. Those days I was in touch with Mrs. Karuna Gamanayake, wife of Upatissa Gamanayake and she

The truth is that my son is in Russia. There are no engineers in my family and my other 5 children are in Sri Lanka.

saw how much I was struggling with my family without a house. She told me that a house was promised but do not know when we will get it. Thereafter she lodged a complaint to the London Branch of the JVP regarding my plight.

Q What happened next?

A few days later Mr. Amarasinghe who had had got to know about it, scolded me on the phone. He said I was not supposed to make any statement without his permission and threatened me. Honestly I had no connection with the London branch, if I had I would not be suffering like this today. Because of this incident they didn’t give me the house they promised to give me. They never spoke for our benefit. It was then I went to the then President and told him about my situation. One good thing about that government was that they didn’t throw us out.

Q That means this is the second time you were asked to leave the house?

Yes. After that notice, we received the second notice in February, 2015. Again I called Tilvin Silva and told him that we have been asked to leave. He said he had no money. Then I asked him for Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s number but he didn’t give it to me. But I found it and told him{ Anura] the story. He listened and kept the phone down. I have been calling him over and over again but didn’t get any response. As a party they have a responsibility to give a house to us at least as a gesture of respect to the founder [ of the JVP] who was my husband.

Q Do you think they will respond at some point?

Now they feel guilty and are telling all sorts of tales to the media. Wijeweera is said to have taken away the lives of 60,000 people but did the party call for an investigation? If the party failed to serve justice to those who were killed, how would they serve justice to our family?

Q What about the sum of Rs. 10 million which the party say they had given to your family?

Hereafter I will have no connection with the JVP because they have failed in their duties. I am aware that many supporters of Wijeweera have sent money for the welfare of our family. But the party is keeping the money and want us to dance to their tunes. Somawansa also mentioned about a sum of Rs.

10 million. Neither the party nor I know where this money is. There are books written on the life of Wijeweera and as his wife they should belong to me. But the party is selling them and are collecting money.

Q : How do you meet your daily expenses?

A: We have been given a house and are taken care of by the government.