1966 alleged Ceylonese coup d'état attempt
Encyclopedia
The 1966 alleged Ceylonese coup d'état attempt (also known as the Bathroom coup or the Lavatory coup ) was an alleged military coup planned in Sri Lanka
(Ceylon). The commander of the army
and several military personal were arrested. They were later acquitted of a plot to overthrow the legally elected government.
in 1962 the military of Ceylon under went much changers. In 1965 a new government was elected with following the Sirimavo Bandaranaike
government's electoral defeat in 1965, Dudley Senanayake
became Prime Minister. During his tenor his government began to undo several pro-Sinhalese policies undertaken by the Bandaranaike government, to the resentment of some factions.
, the Director of CID
, the police arrested several non-commissioned officers (NCO) of the army, a retired civil servant and a monk with political ties on the basis of an alleged plot for a coup d'état. During this time the Army Commander, Major General
Richard Udugama
was in the UK and was called back immediately. On his arrival he was arrested on July 1966 at the Bandaranaike International Airport
by the IGP
John Attygalle.
31 suspects were arrested, this included Major General Richard Udugama, N.Q. Dias (former Permanent Secretary
of the Ministry of External Affairs and Defence
who had retired after the new government came to power), Ven. Henpitagedera Gnanashia, Captain Sirisena and 20 NCOs and Privates as well as several civilians. Later two suspects Corporal Tilekawardene and Dodampe Mudalali committed suicide jumping from the CID
office on the fourth floor of the secretariat building
. Several Buddhist army officers including Major
(later Lieutenant General
) Denzil Kobbekaduwa
were sent on compulsory leave. Investigations also reviled a link to a "Dr Tissa" who was identified as Rohana Wijeweera
.
, A.C.M. Ameer, QC
filed a plaint before Ben David, the Chief Magistrate
of Colombo who then committed the accused to trail before the Supreme Court of Ceylon. This was under two counts;
H N G Fernando, the Chief Justice, arranged a Division bench of three Supreme Court judges and a jury panel. The accused were deafened by some of the best lawyers in the country, Dr
Colvin R. de Silva
, Felix Dias Bandaranaike
, Anil Moonesinghe
, Mangala Moonesinghe
, Neville Samarakoon
, Tissa Wijeyeratne
, Batty Weerakoon. The case was subsequently dismissed when the jury unanimously acquitted all of the accused in a plot to overthrow the legally elected government due to lack of evidence.
Major General Richard Udugama contest and won the following parliamentary elections from the Sri Lanka Freedom Party
. N.Q. Dias was appointed Sri Lankan High Commissioner to India by the Bandaranaike government that was reelected to power in 1970. The accused NCOs were made commissioned officers by the Bandaranaike government and officers sent on compulsory leave were reinstated in 1970.
The Special Branch
of the Ceylon Police Force
which was charged with national security
created by the Senanayake Government to prevent a future coups was disbanded when Sirimavo Bandaranaike was again elected in 1970 which resulted in her government being caught off guard, with no early warning when the 1971 JVP Insurrection started.
Civilians
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
(Ceylon). The commander of the army
Commander of the Army (Sri Lanka)
Commander of the Army is the title of the professional head of the Sri Lanka Army. The current Commander of the Army is Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya...
and several military personal were arrested. They were later acquitted of a plot to overthrow the legally elected government.
Background
Following the attempted military coupAttempted military coup in Ceylon, 1962
The 1962 Ceylonese coup d'état attempt was a failed military coup planned in Sri Lanka . Several Christian senior military and policy officers planned to topple the democratically elected government of Prime Minister Mrs...
in 1962 the military of Ceylon under went much changers. In 1965 a new government was elected with following the Sirimavo Bandaranaike
Sirimavo Bandaranaike
Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike was a Sri Lankan politician and the world's first female head of government...
government's electoral defeat in 1965, Dudley Senanayake
Dudley Senanayake
Dudley Shelton Senanayake was a Ceylonese politician, who became the second Prime Minister of Ceylon and went on to become prime minister on 2 more times during the 1950s and 1960s.-Early life:Dudley was born on 19 June, 1911 as the eldest son to Molly Dunuwila and Don Stephen Senanayake, who...
became Prime Minister. During his tenor his government began to undo several pro-Sinhalese policies undertaken by the Bandaranaike government, to the resentment of some factions.
Investigations
While Dudley Senanayke was in Washington, following investigations led by SP Ana SeneviratneAna Seneviratne
G. A. D. E. Ana Seneviratne is a former Sri Lankan Inspector-General of Police and Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Malaysia.Educated at the prestigious Royal College Colombo and went to graduate from the University of Ceylon, Peradeniya, with a LLB Degree...
, the Director of CID
Criminal Investigation Department
The Crime Investigation Department is the branch of all Territorial police forces within the British Police and many other Commonwealth police forces, to which plain clothes detectives belong. It is thus distinct from the Uniformed Branch and the Special Branch.The Metropolitan Police Service CID,...
, the police arrested several non-commissioned officers (NCO) of the army, a retired civil servant and a monk with political ties on the basis of an alleged plot for a coup d'état. During this time the Army Commander, Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Richard Udugama
Richard Udugama
Major General Deshamanya Alexander Richard Udugama, MBE, psc, CSR was a Sri Lankan military leader, politician and diplomat. Former Commander of the Ceylon Army , he was elected as Member of Parliament for Matale in 1970 and served as Sri Lankan Ambassador to Iraq from 1979 to 1982...
was in the UK and was called back immediately. On his arrival he was arrested on July 1966 at the Bandaranaike International Airport
Bandaranaike International Airport
Bandaranaike International Airport is Sri Lanka's only international airport at the moment. Mattala International Airport, when it gets built will be the second International Airport of Sri Lanka. It is located in Katunayake, north of Colombo...
by the IGP
Inspector General of Police (Sri Lanka)
The Inspector General of Police is the professional head of the Sri Lanka Police. He is the most senior police officer in Sri Lanka and oversees all police personnel throughout the country. The IGP reports to the minister of defense, when the Police Service is under the Ministry of Defence as it...
John Attygalle.
31 suspects were arrested, this included Major General Richard Udugama, N.Q. Dias (former Permanent Secretary
Permanent Secretary
The Permanent secretary, in most departments officially titled the permanent under-secretary of state , is the most senior civil servant of a British Government ministry, charged with running the department on a day-to-day basis...
of the Ministry of External Affairs and Defence
Ministry of External Affairs and Defence
The Ministry of External Affairs and Defence was a ministry of the Government of Ceylon that conducted and managed all of Ceylon's relations with other countries and its military matters from 1947 to 1977.-History:...
who had retired after the new government came to power), Ven. Henpitagedera Gnanashia, Captain Sirisena and 20 NCOs and Privates as well as several civilians. Later two suspects Corporal Tilekawardene and Dodampe Mudalali committed suicide jumping from the CID
Criminal Investigation Department
The Crime Investigation Department is the branch of all Territorial police forces within the British Police and many other Commonwealth police forces, to which plain clothes detectives belong. It is thus distinct from the Uniformed Branch and the Special Branch.The Metropolitan Police Service CID,...
office on the fourth floor of the secretariat building
Secretariat Building
The Secretariat Building or Central Secretariat is where the Cabinet Secretariat is housed, which administers the Government of India. Built in the 1910s, it is home to some of the most important ministries of the Cabinet of India...
. Several Buddhist army officers including Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
(later Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
) Denzil Kobbekaduwa
Denzil Kobbekaduwa
Lieutenant General Denzil Lakshman Kobbekaduwa RWP, RSP, VSV, USP, rcds, psc, SLAC was a highly decorated and respected General in the Sri Lanka army...
were sent on compulsory leave. Investigations also reviled a link to a "Dr Tissa" who was identified as Rohana Wijeweera
Rohana Wijeweera
Patabendi Don Nandasiri Wijeweera or Rohana Wijeweera was a Sri Lankan Marxist politician and the founding leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna...
.
Aftermath
The Attorney GeneralAttorney General of Sri Lanka
The Attorney General of Sri Lanka is the Sri Lankan government's chief legal advisor, and its primary lawyer in the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka. The Attorney General is usually a highly-respected Senior Advocate, and is appointed by the ruling government. The current Attorney General is Mohan...
, A.C.M. Ameer, QC
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
filed a plaint before Ben David, the Chief Magistrate
Chief Magistrate
Chief Magistrate is a generic designation for a public official whose office—individual or collegial—is the highest in his or her class, in either of the fundamental meanings of Magistrate : as a major political and administrative office , and/or as a judge Chief Magistrate is a generic designation...
of Colombo who then committed the accused to trail before the Supreme Court of Ceylon. This was under two counts;
- Having conspired to wage war against the Queen between December 1, 1965 and February 18, 1966.
- Having conspired between the said dates and in the course of the same transaction to overthrow the Government of Ceylon by means of criminal force or the show of criminal force.
H N G Fernando, the Chief Justice, arranged a Division bench of three Supreme Court judges and a jury panel. The accused were deafened by some of the best lawyers in the country, Dr
Doctor (title)
Doctor, as a title, originates from the Latin word of the same spelling and meaning. The word is originally an agentive noun of the Latin verb docēre . It has been used as an honored academic title for over a millennium in Europe, where it dates back to the rise of the university. This use spread...
Colvin R. de Silva
Colvin R. de Silva
Colvin R. de Silva was a former Cabinet Minister of Plantation Industries and Constitutional Affairs, prominent member of parliament, Trotskyist leader and lawyer in Sri Lanka. He was one of the founders of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party – the first Marxist party in Sri Lanka.-Personal...
, Felix Dias Bandaranaike
Felix Dias Bandaranaike
Felix Reginald Dias Bandaranaike was a Sri Lankan politician who served as Cabinet Minister of Finance, Parliamentary Secretary for the Prime Minister and Defence and External Affairs and Cabinet Minister of Justice in the cabinet of Prime Minister...
, Anil Moonesinghe
Anil Moonesinghe
Anil Moonesinghe was a Sri Lankan Trotskyist revolutionary politician and trade unionist. He became a Member of Parliament, a Cabinet Minister, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament and a Diplomat. He authored several books and edited newspapers and magazines. He was Chairperson and General Manager of...
, Mangala Moonesinghe
Mangala Moonesinghe
Mangala Moonesinghe is a Sri Lankan lawyer, politician and diplomat. He was Sri Lankan High Commissioner to the United Kingdom from 2000 to 2002 and Sri Lankan High Commissioner to India from 1995 to 2000...
, Neville Samarakoon
Neville Samarakoon
Neville Dunbar Mirahawatte Samarakoon was a Sri Lankan lawyer, who served as Chief Justice of Sri Lanka from 1977 to 1984.he's father was A.C.W Samarakoon and mother was Chandrawathi Mirahawatte kumarihamy...
, Tissa Wijeyeratne
Tissa Wijeyeratne
Suratissa Diyasena Wijeyeratne was a Sri Lankan politician, diplomat, barrister and businessman...
, Batty Weerakoon. The case was subsequently dismissed when the jury unanimously acquitted all of the accused in a plot to overthrow the legally elected government due to lack of evidence.
Major General Richard Udugama contest and won the following parliamentary elections from the Sri Lanka Freedom Party
Sri Lanka Freedom Party
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party is one of the major political parties in Sri Lanka. It was founded by S.W.R.D Bandaranaike in 1951 and, since then, has been one of the two largest parties in the Sri Lankan political arena. It first came to power in 1956 and since then has been the predominant party in...
. N.Q. Dias was appointed Sri Lankan High Commissioner to India by the Bandaranaike government that was reelected to power in 1970. The accused NCOs were made commissioned officers by the Bandaranaike government and officers sent on compulsory leave were reinstated in 1970.
The Special Branch
Special Branch
Special Branch is a label customarily used to identify units responsible for matters of national security in British and Commonwealth police forces, as well as in the Royal Thai Police...
of the Ceylon Police Force
Sri Lanka Police Service
The Sri Lanka Police Service is the civilian national police force of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. The police force has a manpower of approximately 85,000. It is responsible for enforcing criminal and traffic law, enhancing public safety, maintaining order and keeping the peace...
which was charged with national security
National security
National security is the requirement to maintain the survival of the state through the use of economic, diplomacy, power projection and political power. The concept developed mostly in the United States of America after World War II...
created by the Senanayake Government to prevent a future coups was disbanded when Sirimavo Bandaranaike was again elected in 1970 which resulted in her government being caught off guard, with no early warning when the 1971 JVP Insurrection started.
Accused participants in the coup attempt
Military- Major GeneralMajor GeneralMajor general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Richard UdugamaRichard UdugamaMajor General Deshamanya Alexander Richard Udugama, MBE, psc, CSR was a Sri Lankan military leader, politician and diplomat. Former Commander of the Ceylon Army , he was elected as Member of Parliament for Matale in 1970 and served as Sri Lankan Ambassador to Iraq from 1979 to 1982...
, MBEMBEMBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error...
- Commander of the Ceylon Army - Captain Sirisena
- SergeantSergeantSergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
Mayadunna - SergeantSergeantSergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
Bandara - CorporalCorporalCorporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4....
Hondamuni - CorporalCorporalCorporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4....
Amaratunga
Civilians
- N.Q. Dias, CCSCCS-Geosynthetics:*Cellular confinement systems , a honeycombed geosythethetic matrix filled with granular material used for soil confinement, stabilization and reinforcement.-Places:*Abbreviation for Caracas, Venezuela....
- former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs and Defence - Ven. Henpitagedera Gnanashia Nayaka Thero - Head of Sri Sumana Pirivena, Ratnapura