Two radical leftist leaders have been abducted in Sri Lanka just as they were about to launch a new political party, a spokesman for the group said Sunday. The leaders of a breakaway faction of the JVP, or People's Liberation Front, were taken from their homes on Saturday by unidentified groups, the Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) said.
The FSP was due to announce its formal launch Monday. It split last year from the JVP which led two failed bids to violently overthrow governments in 1971 and 1987 in campaigns that left up to 100,000 people dead.
Party official Ajith Kumara told reporters that they believed that their leader Premakumar Gunaratnam and women's wing leader Dimuthu Attygalle had been taken away by security authorities. "We hold the state and the government responsible for these abductions and disappearances and demand that they be released immediately, or be prosecuted legally," Kumara said.
Police confirmed that they received a complaint regarding the disappearance of the two party activists, but denied that they were in police custody.
The Hong Kong-based Asian Human Rights Commission expressed concern for the safety of the two activists and pointed the finger at the government.
"The JVP dissident group has been known for taking a proactive task in supporting the struggle of workers," the AHRC said. "It is no secret that the government and the ministry of defence are concerned about their activities." It said the security of the two was a "matter of serious concern for all the human rights groups."
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