Rohana Wijeweera

Rohana Wijeweera
රෝහණ විජේවීර ரோகண விஜயவீர
1st Leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna
In office 14 May 1965 – 13 November 1989
Preceded by	Position Established
Succeeded by	Saman Piyasiri Fernando
Personal details
Born	Patabendi Don Nandasiri Wijeweera (1943-07-14)14 July 1943 Kottegoda, Matara, British Ceylon
Died	(1989-11-13)13 November 1989 (age 46) Borella, Colombo, Sri Lanka
Manner of death	Assassination by firearm
Nationality	Sri Lankan
Political party	Ceylon Communist Party (until 1964) Ceylon Communist Party-Peking Wing (1965) Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (from 14 May 1965)
Other political affiliations	Patriotic People's Front
Education	Goda Uda Government Senior School Dharmasoka College
Alma mater	Lumumba University
Occupation	Communist
Signature
Military service
Battles/wars	1971 JVP Insurrection 1987-1989 JVP insurrection

Patabendi Don Jinadasa Nandasiri Wijeweera (Sinhala: පටබැඳි දොන් ජිනදාස නන්දසිරි විජෙවීර; 14 July 1943 – 13 November 1989, better known by his nom de guerre Rohana Wijeweera, was a Sri Lankan Marxist political activist, revolutionary and the founder of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP; transl. People's Liberation Front). Wijeweera led the party in two unsuccessful insurrections in Sri Lanka, in 1971 and 1987 to 1989.

He formed the JVP in 1965, with the intention of replacing the Dominion of Ceylon with a socialist republic. The JVP ideologically supported the Tamil militants, calling it a war for self-determination, but opposed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. Following the Indo-Lanka accord, the JVP, with the leadership of Wijeweera and a secondary faction, launched a military and social campaign with the aim of overthrowing the government of Sri Lanka. This included two major insurgencies, in 1971 and 1987–1989.

In 1989, the government of Sri Lanka then launched Operation Combine with the intention of killing Wijeweera, along with Upatissa Gamanayake. While they succeeded, the JVP maintained its identity as a political party and later joined a coalition government.