J'pura campus bombs of 88-89 vintage - SB

Nadira GUNATILLEKE

The bombs found on the Sri Jayawardenapura University roof top, date back to the 1988-1989 insurgency period, Higher Education Minister S. B. Dissanayake said. "The Inter University Students' Federation is with the JVP rebel group and not with the main party. This group believes in violence, weapons and armed struggle. We are concerned and vigilant about this," the minister told the Daily News.

He said that pro LTTE elements are still active in the country.

"The danger has not faded away completely. The duty of all in the North is to support the massive development launched by the government to develop the North. They should not be hired by the funds of the pro LTTE elements scattered around the world," he said.

"The JVP totally destroyed the democratic system of electing student representatives in state universities and kept some of their leaders in secret places after pretending that they were dead. The JVP is still hiding weapons they used in the 1988 - 1989 insurgency. Some popular and adaptable leaders like Wimal Weerawansa walked out of the party because of this," Dissanayake said. He said the party's downfall was something unbearable for the rebels who always wished for an armed struggle. "They are now attacking the party. They are the group which tried to establish links with pro LTTE elements," the Minister said.