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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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5. On the 31st, evening, many parts of Colombo were in a state of unrest, and looting occurred here and there. On the 1st, morning, serious riots broke out in many places. In the district to the east of Colombo one isolated case of looting occurred on the 28th May, a Moor padda boat on the canal being attacked by a gang of Sinhalese and partly looted. On the 31st, evening, disturbances, evidently spreading outwards from Colombo, occurred at Welikada, one or two of the smaller Another case of looting boutiques being looted and the larger ones threatened.

occurred three or four miles out, on the road running from Grand Pass along the southern bank of the Kelani-the old Avisawella road.

6. The first waves of disturbance ran out along most of the roads running eastwards from Colombo On the Avisawella road a mob swept along eastwards, looting every Moorish boutique. Kaduwela, Nawagamuwa, Atigala, Hanwella, Kaluaggala, and finally Kabahena (Waga) were all looted between 3.0 and 8.0 p.m., the bazaars nearer Colombo having been attacked early in the day.

7. Similarly, a mob, led by a notorious ruffian of Hokandara, named Kira or Kirinelis, who is still at large, worked along from Talangama eastwards through Pore, Aturugiriya, and Panagoda. This mob probably went on later to Meegoda and Padukka, and had previously been responsible for serious damage in Malabe, Talangama, and other places nearer Colombo. Another party worked along farther south, through Maharagama junction, looting two boutiques there, to Kottawa, where extensive damage was done.

8. In some places the local people, anticipating the advent of outsiders, fell upon the Moor boutiques themselves. This occurred at Gangodawila and Homagama.

9. On the 2nd large numbers of rioters poured down from Siyane Korale and crossed the Kelani at the Hanwella and Pugoda ferries, as well as at other points. Those who crossed at Hanwella apparently joined in the attack on the Hanwella mosque. An important gang, recruited from the neighbourhood of Weke, where whole villages were called out by an influential headman, marched down to Pugoda in several mobs, the armed portion in front being under the command of a Buddhist priest. They crossed the ferry and reached Puwakpitiya during the night of the 2nd. Owing to the incompetence, or worse, of the Sinhalese Magistrate of Avisa- wella, no effective steps were taken to stop them, though ample armed force was available. They passed through Avisawella early on the 3rd, and looted the Moor boutiques at Talduwa in the next Province. They then went on and did extensive damage in the Moorish village of Napawela, destroying the mosque. On their return on the same day they dynamited the Talduwa mosque and looted the Puwak- pitiya bazaar, finally scattering and returning to their villages. The priest has since been caught and sentenced to penal servitude for life by a court martial.

10. Each of these hordes of raiders appear to have had a nucleus of profes- sional ruffians, but gathered numerous recruits as they went along. In several cases the headman and villagers of one village took a prominent part in the rioting in the next village, this being specially noticeable along the Avisawella road, where, for example, the headman of Nawagamuwa was convicted for leading a riot in Atigala, and the Atigala headman for a similar proceeding in Hanwella.

11. On the 2nd the Magistrate and various minor Sinhalese Government officials toured a large part of the Hewagam Korale in two motor-cars, but the only result of their visits was to aggravate the trouble and effectively hamper any action on the part of the police.

12. On this date the whole countryside was roused by sedulously circulated false rumours that an army of invading Moors was approaching and a succession of armed mobe were moving westwards towards Nawagamuwa and Kaduwela, where a battle was said to be raging The attack on the Hanwella mosque and further looting of Moorish property took place on this day.

13. On the 3rd the country was still in a state of unrest, and an attack was made on Nurani estate, belonging to a Moorman, between Hanwella and Padukka. The factory was looted and burnt, and over Rs.18,000 worth of damage done. East- ward, at Avisawella and Padukka, the trouble was still in progress.

14. On the 3rd the first mobile party, in charge of the Honourable the Govern- ment Agent, arrived in the Korale, catching and inflicting punishment on the looters at Hanwella and speedily restoring order.

15. Nearer Colombo, on the 2nd, a crowd, numbering thousands, collected in Cotta and Welikada, apparently with the idea of getting into Colombo. Foiled in this, they did enormous damage in Welikada, wrecking the large tannery of Messrs.

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Abram Saibo & Company, murdering three Moormen, and seriously injuring others. This crowd seems to have been recruited from many villages east and south-east of Colombo. Two or three fine Moorish estates and bungalows in the neighbourhood at Madiwela, Kalupaluwawa, and other places were attacked on the 1st, night, and the 2nd.

16. In all the southern suburbs of Colombo the rioting was bad, every bit of Moorish property being partially destroyed or looted. In Mount Lavinia and Watarapola two settlements of Moors of fifteen to twenty houses each were attacked, every bit of movable property looted, and the mosque destroyed. The Moors took refuge in the police station. Another mosque was damaged at Kalubovila.

17.

With regard to Ambatalan Pahala, adjoining Colombo farther north, I have not much information as to the details of the disturbances. The rioting was bad and no Moorish property was spared. Similarly, my information as to Alut Kuru Korale South is not very extensive. An organized gang of rowdies from the neighbourhood of Colombo worked up as far as Jaela on the afternoon and evening of the 1st and started the looting all the way along the main road, some of the villagers then joining in. A few boutiques escaped, most of the local people being Catholics and not in sympathy with the disturbances.

18. In Hendala Peruwa, however, an attack on a Moorman's house at Palliya- watta and upon some hawkers' bundles in another village was started by the local Catholics without outside assistance, and there is no doubt that many Catholics joined in the other riots.

19.

On the 2nd Alut Kuru Korale South, like other parts, was systematically raised by false rumours of Moors advancing and destroying churches and houses. large armed mob from Wattala, Peliyagoda, and many other villages, marched down and tried to cross the Victoria Bridge, where they had finally to be dispersed by the fire of the military. On the return of these crowds it appears that a dastardly assault was made upon a colony of poor Moors at Mabola, the mosque being demolished and every house broken into. The inhabitants had taken timely refuge with a Sinhalese gentleman living close by, who did his best to protect them.

20. In the Hewagam Korale the headmen effected practically nothing towards suppressing the disorder. The vidane Arachchi of Kaluaggala Peruwa, the most influential headman in the Korale, and the police vidanes of Atigala and Nawaga- muwa were convicted for leading or instigating the mob, and it is certain that many other headmen took a more or less active part in fomenting disturbances.

The Mudaliyar, though possessing, I believe, considerable influence in the Korale, effected nothing beyond saving a small Moorish boutique opposite his walauwa. Mohandiram was quite useless.

The

21. In the Colombo Mudaliyar's division one headman was sent to prison for participating in the riots, and it is certain that a number more were either actively instigating or conniving at the disturbances. The headman of Welikada was one of the few who pluckily tried to do his duty. When the rioting started on the 31st, evening, he seized a gun and, standing in front of the largest Moor boutique, threatened to shoot any man who entered it, thereby temporarily quelling the dis- turbance. For the next three days, however, he was hunted for his life by the mob. His dwelling house was broken into, another house belonging to him burnt, and some of his property looted. He is being compensated and recommended for special reward.

22 The Colombo Mudaliyar was on duty with me in Colombo till late on the 1st, by which time the trouble had gone too far for him to do much to control it. The Mohandiram of Salpiti Korale was apparently active, but unable to effect anything. Ambatalan Pahala Mohandiram also effected nothing.

23. In Alut Kuru Korale South the Mudaliyar and some of his headmen appear to have made considerable efforts to control the situation, and some Moorish property in various places was saved. The task was facilitated by the fact that the majority of the people along the coast were Catholics, and not, as a whole, in sym- pathy with the riots. Two of the miscreants who went in a motor-car and raised the country on the 2nd, by means of false rumours, were caught and sentenced to long terms of imprisonment. One headman, however, is charged with instigating a riot, and the loyalty or one of two more may be doubted.

24. To summarise the results of the disturbances in the three Korales here dealt with:-In Hewagam Korale the total destruction or theft of Moorish property amounted to about two-and-a-half lakhs in value.

This included two mosques wholly or partially destroyed. A Moorish population of about 650 was temporarily displaced. There were no murders, as far as I know; a few Moors received minor injuries.