Douglas Devananda
Encyclopedia
Kathiravelu Nithyananda Douglas Devananda, commonly known as Douglas Devananda, is a Sri Lankan Tamil politician, Cabinet Minister
and leader of the Eelam People's Democratic Party
. Originally a Sri Lanka Tamil militant
who fought against the Sri Lankan government for an independent
Tamil Eelam
, he became a pro-government paramilitary leader and politician. Due to his strong opposition to and vocal criticism of the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
(Tamil Tigers), they unsuccessfully tried to assassinate him over 10 times. Devananda is a proclaimed offender in India
and is wanted on charges of murder
, attempt to murder, rioting, unlawful assembly and kidnapping
.
. He has three brothers and a sister. Maheswary died when Devananda was six-years old.
Devananda studied at Jaffna Central College before moving to Colombo
in 1974. He lived with his paternal uncle K. C. Nythiananda at 17 Frances Road in Colombo 6 and studied at Colombo Hindu College.
As a teenager, Devananda was influenced by the political work of his father, a member of the Sri Lanka Communist Party
and his uncle, a leading trade unionist. Feeling discriminated by certain government policies, he wanted to be engaged in the emerging Tamil liberation movement. Thus he joined the Eelam Liberation Organization (ELO) and later became a founder-member of the Eelam Revolutionary Organisation of Students
(EROS). He took on the nom de guerre Douglas.
Following his victory in the 1977 election, President J.R. Jayawardene appointed Nithyananda as the chairman of the newly formed Palmyrah Development Board and Devananda functioned as his personal assistant.
for military training with Al Fatah, an organization within the Palestine Liberation Organization
. In 1980 EROS split into two as K. "Ranjan" Padmanaba (Pathmanaba) and Varatharajah Perumal broke away and formed the Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front
(EPRLF). GUES and Devananda joined EPRLF.
Devananda was twice arrested in 1980 under the Prevention of Terrorism Act
(PTA) and was held in various prisons in the country. He was imprisoned again after a bank robbery at Thirukkovil
. He was in Welikada prison when the July 1983 anti-Tamil riots
began. On 25 and 27 July 1983 53 Tamil prisoners were massacred
by Sinhalese
prisoners. Devananda and 27 other Tamil prisoners who survived were transferred to Batticaloa prison. On 27 September 1983, 41 Tamil political prisoners including Devananda escaped
from Batticaloa prison. Devananda fled to Tamil Nadu
in India
.
In India Devananda was given training by the Indian authorities. He was made commander of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), EPRLF's military wing. Devananda and other PLA members were given military training by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
. On returning to Jaffna
Devananda was put in charge of all of the EPRLF's military activities in Sri Lanka.
On 5 May 1985 the PLA led by Devananda attacked the Sri Lankan Navy
base at Karainagar
. It was a disaster: Devananda's cousin sister Shobha (alias Mathivathani) and PLA second-in-command Sinnavan were amongst the PLA cadres killed.
By early 1986 disputes had arisen between Devananda and Padmanaba, the EPRLF's political leader. The EPRLF leadership split into two factions: EPRLF (Ranjan) and EPRLF (Douglas). Devananda was replaced by Gaffoor as the EPRLF's military commander. In late 1986 Devananda traveled to Madras (now Chennai
) to meet Padmanaba.
, Madras when it was attacked by locals. Devananda opened fire, killing Thirunavukkarasu, an Indian lawyer, and injuring four others. Devananda and nine others were arrested and charged with murder and attempted murder. Two AK 47 assault rifles and ammunition were seized. Devananda was released on bail.
In late 1986, whilst Devananda was in India, the Tamil Tigers attacked the EPRLF, inflicting a heavy losses and killing Gaffoor. Many of its cadres were killed or taken prisoner and its camps and weapons were seized by the Tigers. Devananda was blamed for the debacle because he had sent EPRLF cadres from Vanni
and Eastern Province home before going to India. He was also accused of hiding EPRLF weaponry and ammunition and some of his supporters were accused of running away when the Tigers attacked.
(ENDLF) with a breakaway faction of the People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam
led by Paranthan Rajan. The ENDLF collapsed when Rajan started working with Indians - Devananda was opposed to the Indian intervention in the Sri Lankan Civil War
. Devananda, now living in Madras, then formed the Eelam People's Democratic Party
.
In late 1987 the Tamil Tigers murdered Devananda's brother Premananda.
, Madras, and imprisoned. He was given bail. In 1990 police in Kodambakkam
, Madras, started an investigation on Devananda on charges of rioting and criminal intimidation of a person called Valavan. In 1990 Devananda jumped bail and returned to Sri Lanka.
. Devananda offered to place the EPDP under Sri Lankan government control in return for support and protection from the Tamil Tigers. The government accepted - the EPDP had transformed itself into a paramilitary organisation. Devananda was attacked for betraying the Tamil people and collaborating with the enemy.
EPDP cadres from all over Sri Lanka and India converged on Colombo. The government gave the EPDP vast financial assistance. The EPDP, with the support of the government, took control of the islands off Jaffna peninsula
after the Tigers withdrew. The EPDP used the islands as a base to transport goods, particularly dried fish, between India and Sri Lanka. It also imposed taxes. Tamils living in Colombo were extorted money.
On 1 January 1993 Tharmalingam Selvakumar, a former EPDP sympathiser, was abducted from the Premil Sports Club at Kotahena, Colombo. Selvakumar has alleged that the he was taken in a van driven by Devananda to Devananda's house at 121 Park Road, Colombo 5. He was detained along with other prisoners in cells at the back of Devananda's house. Selvakumar was tortured and the EPDP tried to extort money from his family.
All of this resulted in Devananda making a fortune.
The EPDP claims to have given up the armed struggle and joined the democratic process in Sri Lanka. However, the EPDP's paramilitary activities are well documented. The paramilitary wing has been accused of helping the Sri Lankan Navy
commit massacres in places like Allaipiddy
as an independent group in Jaffna District
. Most of the district was under Tamil Tiger control and so did not vote, allowing the EPDP win nine parliamentary seats with just 10,744 votes, of which 9,944 votes came from the EPDP controlled Jafna islands. Devananda was elected with just 2,091 preference votes. Devananda has been re-elected to Parliament in all subsequent elections.
The EPDP became an ally of President Chandrika Kumaratunga
and her People's Alliance
(PA) government. In October 2000 Kumaratunga appointed Devananda as Minister of Development, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of the North, and Tamil Affairs, North and East. He lost his ministerial post following the change of government in December 2001 but was reappointed Minister of Agriculture, Marketing Development, Hindu Education Affairs, Tamil Language & Vocational Training Centres in North when the United People's Freedom Alliance
, the successor to the PA, returned to power in April 2004. He was appointed Minister for Social Service and Social Welfare by President Mahinda Rajapaksa
in 2005. There are unproved allegations of corruption against Devananda.
by the 1987 Indo-Sri Lanka Accord
.
Cabinet of Sri Lanka
The Cabinet of Sri Lanka is the council of cabinet ministers , responsible to parliament. Cabinet ministers are appointed by the President under the advice of the Prime Minister and serve at his pleasure. Officially the prime minister is the head of the cabinet, but the cabinet is chaired by the...
and leader of the Eelam People's Democratic Party
Eelam People's Democratic Party
The Eelam People's Democratic Party is a political party and a pro-government paramilitary organization in Sri Lanka. It is led by its founder Douglas Devananda.-Background:...
. Originally a Sri Lanka Tamil militant
Sri Lankan Tamil militant groups
Sri Lankan Tamil militant groups rose to prominence in the 1970s to fight the state of Sri Lanka in order to create an independent Tamil Eelam in the north of Sri Lanka. They rose in response to the perception amongst minority Sri Lankan Tamils that the state was preferring the majority Sinhalese...
who fought against the Sri Lankan government for an independent
Independence
Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state in which its residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory....
Tamil Eelam
Tamil Eelam
Tamil Eelam , is the name given by certain Tamils in Sri Lanka and the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora to the independent state which they aspire to create in the north and east of Sri Lanka. Tamil Eelam has no official status or recognition by any other state or authority...
, he became a pro-government paramilitary leader and politician. Due to his strong opposition to and vocal criticism of the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was a separatist militant organization formerly based in northern Sri Lanka. Founded in May 1976 by Vellupillai Prabhakaran, it waged a violent secessionist and nationalist campaign to create an independent state in the north and east of Sri Lanka for Tamil...
(Tamil Tigers), they unsuccessfully tried to assassinate him over 10 times. Devananda is a proclaimed offender in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and is wanted on charges of murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
, attempt to murder, rioting, unlawful assembly and kidnapping
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
.
Early life
Kathiravelu Devananda was born on 10 November 1957. His father was Subramaniam Kathiravelu, an employee of Ceylon Petroleum Corporation and his mother was Maheswary, a teacher at Jaffna Central CollegeJaffna Central College
Jaffna Central College is a boys public national school in Jaffna, Sri Lanka. It was founded in 1817 by British Methodist missionaries and is among the oldest of the modern schools in Sri Lanka.-History:...
. He has three brothers and a sister. Maheswary died when Devananda was six-years old.
Devananda studied at Jaffna Central College before moving to Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
in 1974. He lived with his paternal uncle K. C. Nythiananda at 17 Frances Road in Colombo 6 and studied at Colombo Hindu College.
As a teenager, Devananda was influenced by the political work of his father, a member of the Sri Lanka Communist Party
Communist Party of Sri Lanka
The Communist Party of Sri Lanka is a communist political party in Sri Lanka. At the last legislative elections, on 2 April 2004, the party was part of the United People's Freedom Alliance that won 45.6% of the popular vote and 105 out of 225 seats....
and his uncle, a leading trade unionist. Feeling discriminated by certain government policies, he wanted to be engaged in the emerging Tamil liberation movement. Thus he joined the Eelam Liberation Organization (ELO) and later became a founder-member of the Eelam Revolutionary Organisation of Students
Eelam Revolutionary Organisation of Students
The Eelam Revolutionary Organisation of Students , also known as the Eelam Revolutionary Organisers, is a former Tamil militant group in Sri Lanka. Most of the EROS membership was absorbed into the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in 1990. The rump, which continues to use the EROS name, has...
(EROS). He took on the nom de guerre Douglas.
Following his victory in the 1977 election, President J.R. Jayawardene appointed Nithyananda as the chairman of the newly formed Palmyrah Development Board and Devananda functioned as his personal assistant.
Militant
Devananda was in charge of EROS' student wing, the General Union of Eelam Students (GUES). In 1978, the EROS dispatched Devananda to LebanonLebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
for military training with Al Fatah, an organization within the Palestine Liberation Organization
Palestine Liberation Organization
The Palestine Liberation Organization is a political and paramilitary organization which was created in 1964. It is recognized as the "sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people" by the United Nations and over 100 states with which it holds diplomatic relations, and has enjoyed...
. In 1980 EROS split into two as K. "Ranjan" Padmanaba (Pathmanaba) and Varatharajah Perumal broke away and formed the Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front
Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front
The Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front is a Sri Lankan political party and a former militant separatist group.-Militant separatists:The EPRLF was formed in 1980 by K...
(EPRLF). GUES and Devananda joined EPRLF.
Devananda was twice arrested in 1980 under the Prevention of Terrorism Act
Prevention of Terrorism Act (Sri Lanka)
The Prevention of Terrorism Act of 1978 is a law in Sri Lanka. It provides the police with broad powers to search, arrest, and detain suspects. It was first enacted as a temporary law in 1979, then made permanent in 1982....
(PTA) and was held in various prisons in the country. He was imprisoned again after a bank robbery at Thirukkovil
Thirukkovil
Thirukkovil or Tirukovil is a town in the Ampara District of Sri Lanka, situated along the eastern coast of the island. It is 30 km north of Pottuvil and 35 km south of Kalmunai. In Tamil it translates to God's-temple. It was affected by 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.It was under Batticaloa...
. He was in Welikada prison when the July 1983 anti-Tamil riots
Black July
Black July is the commonly used name for the anti-Tamil pogrom and attacks carried out by mobs in Sri Lanka which began on July 23, 1983. The riots occurred following a deadly ambush by a Tamil militant organization known as Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam which killed 13 Sri Lanka Army soldiers...
began. On 25 and 27 July 1983 53 Tamil prisoners were massacred
Welikada prison massacre
The Welikada Prison Massacre took place during the 1983 Black July pogrom against Sri Lankan Tamil minority in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Fifty-three prisoners were killed inside a high-security prison. No one has been convicted of crimes relating to these incidents.- Crime scene :The prison is shaped as...
by Sinhalese
Sinhalese people
The Sinhalese are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group,forming the majority of Sri Lanka,constituting 74% of the Sri Lankan population.They number approximately 15 million worldwide.The Sinhalese identity is based on language, heritage and religion. The Sinhalese speak Sinhala, an Indo-Aryan language and the...
prisoners. Devananda and 27 other Tamil prisoners who survived were transferred to Batticaloa prison. On 27 September 1983, 41 Tamil political prisoners including Devananda escaped
1983 Batticaloa Jailbreak
1983 Batticaloa Jailbreak happened in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka on 27 September 1983 . After the Welikada prison massacre Tamil political inmates were transferred to Batticaloa. Since they were not co-operating with the police they were told by the prison guards that they will be transferred back to a...
from Batticaloa prison. Devananda fled to Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
In India Devananda was given training by the Indian authorities. He was made commander of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), EPRLF's military wing. Devananda and other PLA members were given military training by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine is a Palestinian Marxist-Leninist organisation founded in 1967. It has consistently been the second-largest of the groups forming the Palestine Liberation Organization , the largest being Fatah...
. On returning to Jaffna
Jaffna
Jaffna is the capital city of the Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna district located on a peninsula of the same name. Jaffna is approximately six miles away from Kandarodai which served as a famous emporium in the Jaffna peninsula from classical...
Devananda was put in charge of all of the EPRLF's military activities in Sri Lanka.
Allen kidnappings
On the night of 10 May 1984 the PLA, on the orders of Devananda, kidnapped newly-wed Ohio couple Stanley Bryson Allen and Mary Allen from their home Beach Road, Gurunagar, Jaffna. The EPRLF/PLA suspected the Allens of being CIA agents. The PLA threatened to kill the Allen's unless a ransom of 50 million rupees ($2 million) was paid and 20 militants released. The Allen's were released on 12 May 1984 after pressure was exerted by the Indian authorities.On 5 May 1985 the PLA led by Devananda attacked the Sri Lankan Navy
Sri Lankan Navy
-The Beginning and World War II:In January 1938 the Ceylon Naval Volunteer Force was created with Commander W.G. Beauchamp as Commanding Officer under ordinance No I of 1937. On 31 August 1939 at the out set of World War II, the CNVF was mobilized for war duties...
base at Karainagar
Karainagar
Karainagar is located 20 km from Jaffna, Sri Lanka, on the Karaitivu . In Tamil, it translates to Coastal-Town .Karainagar island is about area and the registered voters 20,000 voted in 1977 national election....
. It was a disaster: Devananda's cousin sister Shobha (alias Mathivathani) and PLA second-in-command Sinnavan were amongst the PLA cadres killed.
By early 1986 disputes had arisen between Devananda and Padmanaba, the EPRLF's political leader. The EPRLF leadership split into two factions: EPRLF (Ranjan) and EPRLF (Douglas). Devananda was replaced by Gaffoor as the EPRLF's military commander. In late 1986 Devananda traveled to Madras (now Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
) to meet Padmanaba.
Choolaimedu murder
On 1 November 1986 Devananda was at the EPRLF's office in ChoolaimeduChoolaimedu
Choolaimedu is a large residential commercial locality in Chennai, India. It borders Kodambakkam, Vadapalani, M.M.D.A.Colony, Aminjikarai, Mahalingapuram and Nungambakkam...
, Madras when it was attacked by locals. Devananda opened fire, killing Thirunavukkarasu, an Indian lawyer, and injuring four others. Devananda and nine others were arrested and charged with murder and attempted murder. Two AK 47 assault rifles and ammunition were seized. Devananda was released on bail.
In late 1986, whilst Devananda was in India, the Tamil Tigers attacked the EPRLF, inflicting a heavy losses and killing Gaffoor. Many of its cadres were killed or taken prisoner and its camps and weapons were seized by the Tigers. Devananda was blamed for the debacle because he had sent EPRLF cadres from Vanni
Vanni
Vanni may refer to:* Vanni , an area of northern Sri Lanka* Vanni Electoral District, an electoral district of Sri Lanka* Vanni Wang, international fashion designer China, USA...
and Eastern Province home before going to India. He was also accused of hiding EPRLF weaponry and ammunition and some of his supporters were accused of running away when the Tigers attacked.
EPDP
In 1987 the EPRLF (Douglas) faction formally split from the EPRLF. Devananda initially formed the Eelam National Democratic Liberation FrontEelam National Democratic Liberation Front
The Eelam National Democratic Liberation Front is a former Indian backed Tamil militant group in Sri Lanka. It was formed in 1987 as an amalgamation of splinter groups from other militant groups...
(ENDLF) with a breakaway faction of the People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam
People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam
The People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam is a former Tamil militant group. It is currently a pro-government paramilitary group and political party. PLOTE's political wing is known as the Democratic People's Liberation Front.-Origins:...
led by Paranthan Rajan. The ENDLF collapsed when Rajan started working with Indians - Devananda was opposed to the Indian intervention in the Sri Lankan Civil War
Indian intervention in the Sri Lankan Civil War
The Indian intervention in the Sri Lankan Civil War was the deployment of the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka intended to perform a peacekeeping role...
. Devananda, now living in Madras, then formed the Eelam People's Democratic Party
Eelam People's Democratic Party
The Eelam People's Democratic Party is a political party and a pro-government paramilitary organization in Sri Lanka. It is led by its founder Douglas Devananda.-Background:...
.
In late 1987 the Tamil Tigers murdered Devananda's brother Premananda.
Kidnapping and extortion
The EPDP lacked funds and Devananda resorted to kidnapping and extortion of Sri Lankan Tamils living in Madras. In 1989 Devananda and 25 others were arrested for the second time by the Indian police, this time for kidnapping a ten-year old boy for ransom at Poonamallee High Road, KilpaukKilpauk
Kilpauk is a small commercial township located in Chennai, the capital city of the state of Tamil Nadu, India. The distance from Chennai's city center to Kilpauk is about 6 km. The region is situated off the Ponamallee High Road in the west. Adjacent suburbs of Kilpauk include Chetpet, Egmore,...
, Madras, and imprisoned. He was given bail. In 1990 police in Kodambakkam
Kodambakkam, Chennai
Kodambakkam is a residential neighbourhood in the city of Chennai in Tamil Nadu, India. It is famed as the centre of the Tamil film industry known as Kollywood.- Location :...
, Madras, started an investigation on Devananda on charges of rioting and criminal intimidation of a person called Valavan. In 1990 Devananda jumped bail and returned to Sri Lanka.
Paramilitary
In 1990 Devananda arrived in Colombo. A meeting was arranged by Sri Lankan intelligence between Devananda and Deputy Defence Minister Ranjan WijeratneRanjan Wijeratne
General Ranjan Wijeratne was the former Sri Lankan Cabinet Minister of foreign affairs, Minister of State for defense and Minister of plantation industries from 1989 to 1991 in President Ranasinghe Premadasa's cabinet.-Early life:Born to Walpola Mudalige George Hercules Wijeratne and Rosalind...
. Devananda offered to place the EPDP under Sri Lankan government control in return for support and protection from the Tamil Tigers. The government accepted - the EPDP had transformed itself into a paramilitary organisation. Devananda was attacked for betraying the Tamil people and collaborating with the enemy.
EPDP cadres from all over Sri Lanka and India converged on Colombo. The government gave the EPDP vast financial assistance. The EPDP, with the support of the government, took control of the islands off Jaffna peninsula
Jaffna Peninsula
The Jaffna Peninsula is an area in Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It is home to the capital city of the province, Jaffna and comprises much of the former land mass of the ancient Tamil kingdoms of the Nagas and the medieval Jaffna kingdom. The peninsula is mostly surrounded by water, connected to...
after the Tigers withdrew. The EPDP used the islands as a base to transport goods, particularly dried fish, between India and Sri Lanka. It also imposed taxes. Tamils living in Colombo were extorted money.
On 1 January 1993 Tharmalingam Selvakumar, a former EPDP sympathiser, was abducted from the Premil Sports Club at Kotahena, Colombo. Selvakumar has alleged that the he was taken in a van driven by Devananda to Devananda's house at 121 Park Road, Colombo 5. He was detained along with other prisoners in cells at the back of Devananda's house. Selvakumar was tortured and the EPDP tried to extort money from his family.
All of this resulted in Devananda making a fortune.
The EPDP claims to have given up the armed struggle and joined the democratic process in Sri Lanka. However, the EPDP's paramilitary activities are well documented. The paramilitary wing has been accused of helping the Sri Lankan Navy
Sri Lankan Navy
-The Beginning and World War II:In January 1938 the Ceylon Naval Volunteer Force was created with Commander W.G. Beauchamp as Commanding Officer under ordinance No I of 1937. On 31 August 1939 at the out set of World War II, the CNVF was mobilized for war duties...
commit massacres in places like Allaipiddy
Politician
Devananda and the EPDP entered politics in 1994 when it contested the 1994 parliamentary electionSri Lankan parliamentary election, 1994
The Sri Lankan parliamentary election of 1994 marked the decisive end of 17 years of UNP rule and a revival of Sri Lankan democracy.-Background:Democracy in Sri Lanka had seemed doomed as the presidencies of J.R...
as an independent group in Jaffna District
Jaffna Electoral District
Jaffna Electoral District is one of the 22 multi-member electoral districts of Sri Lanka created by the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka. The district covers the administrative districts of Jaffna and Kilinochchi in the Northern province...
. Most of the district was under Tamil Tiger control and so did not vote, allowing the EPDP win nine parliamentary seats with just 10,744 votes, of which 9,944 votes came from the EPDP controlled Jafna islands. Devananda was elected with just 2,091 preference votes. Devananda has been re-elected to Parliament in all subsequent elections.
The EPDP became an ally of President Chandrika Kumaratunga
Chandrika Kumaratunga
Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga born June 29, 1945) was the 4th Executive president of Sri Lanka, serving from November 12, 1994 to November 19, 2005. The daughter of two former Prime Ministers, she was also the leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party until end of 2005...
and her People's Alliance
People's Alliance (Sri Lanka)
The People's Alliance is a front of political parties in Sri Lanka, formed in 1994.It comprises the following parties:* Sri Lanka Freedom Party* Lanka Sama Samaja Party* Communist Party of Sri Lanka* Sri Lanka Mahajana Party...
(PA) government. In October 2000 Kumaratunga appointed Devananda as Minister of Development, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of the North, and Tamil Affairs, North and East. He lost his ministerial post following the change of government in December 2001 but was reappointed Minister of Agriculture, Marketing Development, Hindu Education Affairs, Tamil Language & Vocational Training Centres in North when the United People's Freedom Alliance
United People's Freedom Alliance
The United People's Freedom Alliance is a political alliance in Sri Lanka. The current leader of the United People's Freedom Alliance is Mahinda Rajapaksa and Susil Premajayantha is the general secretary of UPFA.The alliance was formed by:...
, the successor to the PA, returned to power in April 2004. He was appointed Minister for Social Service and Social Welfare by President Mahinda Rajapaksa
Mahinda Rajapaksa
Percy Mahendra "Mahinda" Rajapaksa ; ; born November 18, 1945) is the 6th and current President of Sri Lanka and Commander in Chief of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces. A lawyer by profession, Rajapaksa was first elected to the Parliament of Sri Lanka in 1970, and served as prime minister from April 6,...
in 2005. There are unproved allegations of corruption against Devananda.
Opposition to the Tamil Tigers
As the leader of EPDP, which is opposed to the Tamil Tigers, and due to his continuing criticism of the Tigers, he was regularly targeted by the Tigers, and was thought to be high up on their list of targets for assassination. The Tamil Tigers undertook over 10 attempts on his life:- 9 October 1995 - Commando attack by the Tigers on Devananda’s residence in Colombo.
- 30 June 1998 - Devananda attacked by Tiger prisoners whilst visiting Kalutara Prison.
- 7 July 2004 - Attempted suicide bomb attack on Devananda's Ministry.
- 28 November 2007 - Suicide bomb attack on Devananda's Ministry.
Criminal charges
Devananda is wanted in India on connection with the Choolaimedu murder, kidnapping and other charges. In 1994 the Madras VI Additional Sessions Court declared him a proclaimed offender. Devananda claims he, along with other militants, was amnestiedAmnesty
Amnesty is a legislative or executive act by which a state restores those who may have been guilty of an offense against it to the positions of innocent people, without changing the laws defining the offense. It includes more than pardon, in as much as it obliterates all legal remembrance of the...
by the 1987 Indo-Sri Lanka Accord
Indo-Sri Lanka Accord
The Indo-Sri Lanka Peace Accord was an accord signed in Colombo on July 29, 1987, between Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Sri Lankan President J.R. Jayewardene. The accord was expected to resolve the ongoing Sri Lankan civil war...
.