Name H. Herath | Role Politician | |
Herath Bandarage Herath (c. 1957 – 13 November 1989) was a Sri Lankan politician who was killed by army forces. He was a member of the JVP party in the period 1983-1989.
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Education
Herath graduated from the University of Sri Jayawardanapura in 1980 and was born in Medawachchiya of the North Central Province. As a university student, he held the post of convener of the Inter-University Students Federation (IUSF).
Career
In 1982, when the JVP's leader Rohana Wijeweera contested the presidential election, Herath acted as one of the main campaign organizers. An eloquent speaker and a good organizer, he rose through the party ranks quickly. In 1983, he was believed to be promoted to the political bureau when several high ranking politboro members resigned after the JVP was banned. In 1987, he was active in the events such as May day celebration in 1987 defying the government ban and demonstrations against the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord signed on 29 July.
In November 1989, he was arrested together with Piyadasa Ranasingha, another JVP poilitibureau member, at Araliya Estate in Galaha. Information about Rohana Wijeweera's hideout in Ulapane was obtained by the government while they were in captivity. At the time of arrest of Wijeweera, Herath was in one of the vehicles used for the operation. While Wijeweera was under interrogation at Army headquarters in Colombo, an eyewitness reported seeing Herath, apparently tortured, in another room of the building. Herath is believed to have been executed with Wijeweera at the Colombo golf course ground and cremated later at Borella cemetery. The government offered a different story, stating that Herath opened fire in Gampola, and was shot and killed by army commandos.
At the time of his 1989 death while imprisoned by the Sri Lanka government security apparatus, he was believed to be around 32 years old.