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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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C.O. 882/10

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13. I proceeded to Hanwella, where I surprised a large number of rioters engaged in burning down a few Moorish houses that had escaped the attacks of the 1st and 2nd June. One man was killed, two wounded, and eleven apprehended and in due course convicted. The looting was carried out with the greatest effrontery -no mercy was shown to the poor, every article in the houses, was carried off or destroyed. The whole road from Hanwella to Padukka was full of rioters from the The headmen did nothing adjoining villages, all busily engaged in removing loot.

to cope with this outbreak.

14. When I reached Padukka I found a large crowd assembled, evidently bent on further mischief, but as soon as they saw the troops they filed in all directions.

15. Next morning (4th June) I proceeded with my party to Hanwella, dis- armed a crowd there and went on to Dehiowita disarming further villagers on the way, as I was informed that the Volunteers were in danger. I did not see any rioters there, but, whilst I was there, several dynamite explosions occurred in the already ruined mosque, due, I was told, to cartridges thrown from the hill above.

16. On my return to Hanwella I received a telegram from Ruanwella asking me to bring my party there as an attack by rioters was imminent. As I had seen no sign of trouble from that direction in the morning I wired that I was unable to comply with the request and went on to Pepiliyawela, as the Sub-Inspector of Police had wired for me. There was no disturbance there, the boutiques having already been looted, so I returned to Hanwella.

17. That night, at about 9.0 p.m., I received another wire from Ruanwella: "If possible bring your force Ruanwella, large rioting here.-Bayly." I started at once with my Punjabis. The only persons I saw on the road between Hanwella and Ruanwella were Mr. P. B. Herat, Police Magistrate, the Sub-Inspector of Police, Avisawella, and Proctor de Mel standing in a state of fright in the bazaar at Dehi- owita. At Ruanwella there was no rioting, and although I proceeded along the road some distance further I did not see a single rioter. The experience of Major Andrews, who brought up a party from Colombo on another telegram from Major Bayly, was of a similar nature.

18. I returned to Colombo the following day, via Padukka, the Salpiti Korale, and Moratuwa.

19. The above is a brief outline of my personal experience of the riots. Studying the question of the riots in the Colombo District generally we find that, on the 31st of May, besides the outbreak in Colombo, there was the assembly of crowds at Ambepussa railway station, and some of the smaller boutiques at Welikada were looted that night.

20. On 1st June rioting was general in Colombo. In Siyane Korale East the bell at the Vihare, near the Nambadaluwa junction, was rung, inflammatory speeches were delivered, and the mob split up into various sections and began looting about midnight. In Siyane Korale West there was serious rioting in nineteen villages, including Veyangoda bazaar, Yakwella, Kadawatta, Henegama, Wilimbula, Weboda, Makole South, and Heiyantuduwa-in fact, from Bolegalla in the extreme south to Hiripitiya in the north, and from Kendaliyaddapaluwa in the west to Wilimbula in the east. In the Hapitigam Korale the bazaar at Mirigama was looted in the evening almost under the eyes of the Mudaliyar and Mohandiram, and the boutiques at Indiparape and Nawana were also plundered. In the Alut Kuru Korale North riots occurred at Minuwangoda and Diulapitiya on the night of the 1st and the morning of the 2nd June, due to crowds that had their origin in Veyan- goda and Mirigama respectively, and which contained persons who had seen the looting in Colombo on the 31st May. In the Alut Kuru Korale South the mob that had assembled at Peliyagoda, near Colombo, made its way up the Negombo road and looted Jaela and other places en route in the afternoon.

In the Colombo Mudaliyar's division and Hewagam Korale a large gang of rioters, swollen by the local villagers, proceeded along the Hanwella road and sacked the bazaars of Kaduwela, Nawagamuwa, Atigala, Hanwella, and Kahahena (Waga), between the hours of 2.0 and 9.0 p.m. Another gang proceeded to Talángama, through Pore, Aturugiriya, and Panagoda to Padukka, looting all the Moorish boutiques on the way. A third party marched through the Maharagama junction to Kottawa, where extensive damage was done. In other places local attacks by villagers were made.

21. On the 2nd the events in the various Korales, except the Salpiti Korale, which is dealt with later in this report, were as follows :~-

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The disturbances in the Hapitigam Korale reached their height. The whole Korle seems to have paraded along the roads in excited bands, and one mob even attempted to cross into the North-Western Province at Giriulla, but was dispersed by the fire of the Punjabis stationed at the bridge. Looting occurred at Ambepussa, Kotadeniyawa, and some other small bazaars.

In the Siyane Korale East disturbances were universal, including attacks on the police station at Pasyala and on the bazaars at Nambodaluwa, Radawana, Pepiliya- wela, Pugoda, etc., and on the important Moorish village of Kahataowita.

In Siyane Korale West there were three chief centres of disturbances, viz., the important Moorish villages of Tihariya and Walgama and the villages near Hunupitiya.

In Alut Kuru Korale North rioting occurred at Negombo, on a very small scale, in the afternoon. There was also rioting at Minuwangoda and looting at Heene- tiyana, Katunayaka, Katana, Diulapitiya, Medamulla, and a few other places. In Alut Kuru Korale South large crowds endeavoured to cross the Victoria Bridge, and, when dispersed by the military, attacked the Moors at Mabole. Damage was also done at Palliyawatta, to some property at Peliyagoda Pattiya, and a boutique at Elapitiwela was looted about 1.0 p.m.

In the Colombo Mudaliyar's division a large mob that had collected at Kotta and Welikada, with the intention of breaking into Colombo, did a great deal of havoc at Welikada.

In Hewagam Korale the whole country was in a state of unrest, and dis- turbances took place at Hanwella, Kosgama Pahala, Uggala, and Avisawella; many of the rioters had come from the Siyane Korale East.

22. On the 3rd June the riots began to subside as the news of the proclamation

of martial law began to circulate. In the Hapitigam Korale attacks were made on the Moors at Weweldeniya, Bataliya, and Kaleliya.

In Siyane Korale East the rioting at Pasyala was stopped by the arrival of a body of Punjabis, but looting took place at Hunupola and Anduragoda.

In Siyane Korale West boutiques at Kalatuwawa and Ogodapola were looted

and a coco-nut estate at Yakawalla was greatly damaged.

In Alut Kuru Korale North various Moorish estates were attacked.

In Alut Kuru Korale South and in Colombo Mudaliyar's division there were no disturbances on the 3rd.

In Hewagam Korale looting took place at Kananpella, Puwakpitiya, Hanwella, Kaluaggala, and Maduluwawa, whilst a great deal of damage was done to Nurani estate, in Galagedera, by a mob of Sinhalese led by two Moormen.

23. By the 4th June the riots in the Colombo District had ceased, except for

a few sporadic attacks on Moorish estates which took place on the 4th and 5th.

24. Further particulars regarding the Korales referred to above will be found

in the reports of Messrs. Brayne, Willett, Moore, and Izat.

25. In the Salpiti Korale the disturbances may be grouped into:-

(a) Those occurring in the Moratuwa Peruwa. (b) In the other parts of the Korale.

(a) Moratuwa Peruwa.-In the Salpiti Korale trouble started in the Moratuwa Peruwa on the 1st June, people from Angulana village and persons arriving there by train precipitating the outbreak. Rioting began at Angulana, Laksapatiya, and Rawatawatta at about 10.30 a.m., and looting went on at Rawatawatta at intervals all through the day. From Rawatawatta the mob proceeded to Moratumulla, Molpe, Another gang and Willorawatta, plundering all the Moorish boutiques on the way. attacked the shops in Idama and Uyana, whilst another crowd entered the town from the south and yet another from the north. There was a complete disregard of the authority of the Mudaliyar, and the headmen and the police served little useful purpose. The Sub-Inspector of Police sprained his foot in the course of the day. So far The release of the prisoners by the police was a discreditable occurrence.

the very large and valuable boutiques at Suduwella had been protected, but about 9.0 a.m. on the 2nd June large crowds assembled and attacked them, men, women, and children completely gutting them of the enormous stores of goods they had con- tained-cloth, millinery, footwear, iron goods, glass, paint, rice, etc. The people of Pensiyawatta appear to have played a very important part in the riots. A Sinhalese lad was murdered by a gang of Sinhalese who were searching for Moorish property. On the 3rd a report was circulated that the Moors were coming, fully armed, to inflict retribution on the Sinhalese and attack the Roman Catholic church at

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