CO882-10 — Page 35

37

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :--

CO. 882/10

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC.. COPYRIGHT PHOT GRAPH -NOT TO

27. Persua

sion.

26 Rounds.

19. Trial of rioten.

20. A man shot.

al. House-to-

56

Interviewed some of the more influential Sinhalese, and advised them to use This they agreed to do, of course their authority in preventing any riots in town. without any conditions. Two or three of them were taken round in a car to speak to the people.

Did rounds at 7 p.m. in the outskirts. Found all quiet and roads all empty. Was able to get to bed at midnight.

8th June. The seventy eight rioters from Weligama were tried to-day in the Police Court and all convicted. Their arrest reflects credit on Colour-Sergeant Parker of the Ceylon Light Infantry, who rounded them up with only four men, two police, and two Ceylon Light Infantry. What to do with them is rather a problem, as the jail is now inconveniently crowded. I was present in Court and was given a seat on the bench.

Some Moors and At 9.30 a.m. there was a slight disturbance in the town. Sinhalese started a fight in the street. The Volunteer on guard ordered them to desist. They refused and he fired. A Moorman was injured. What might have been. the beginning of a riot was thus nipped in the bud.

At 1:30p.m. I conducted a house-to-house search for arms, etc., in the town.

house search. Nothing was found of a suspicious nature.

32. False Famour.

33. Special Commisioner

34. Miella.

35. Quit.

26. Rioters

At 10 p.m. a report was brought in of a fire having broken out at a Buddhist temple a mile outside the town. Two cars went out at once, but found the fire out. It was either accidental or had been intentionally started by the priest in charge.

9th June. Received instructions from the General as to work of Special Com- missioner, together with my appointment. Preliminary steps will be taken at once. At 6 p.m. received a report from the Mudaliyar, Kandaboda Pattu, of trouble expected at Miella, a Moorish village twenty miles inland. A patrolling party has gone out in that direction. Otherwise all has been quiet to-day.

10th June. There was no trouble at Miella last night. It was twice visited by patrols. The town and district were quiet to-day.

11th June. Twenty-five rioters brought in from Deniyaya last night were tried to-day in the Police Court. The ringleader was kept for trial by a higher Court. Most of the others pleaded guilty and were bound over, in view of the recent instruc- tions not to arrest ordinary looters. Moreover, the Matara jail is greatly over- crowded, and I have instructions from Inspector-General not to make any transfers. I have issued instructions that no more arrests are to be made except of ringleaders. I had a visit in the evening from the Honourable Mr. Abdul Rahiman, who has Mr. Rahiman. been inspecting damages with a party of Ceylon Planters Rifle Corps.

37. Honour- able

Visitors.

1. No distur

district so far.

12th June. In the morning had a good many visitors, including Assistant Superintendent of Police and Officer Commanding the Troops. Several headmen have been arrested from Weligam Korle, and there are several more implicated.

G. F. R. Browning, Assistant Government Agent, Matara.

8th July, 1915.

Enclosure 2 in No. 34.

EXTRACTS REFERRED TO.

18T JUNE. Received wire from Government Agent conveying Government bance in this instructions in regard to method of dealing with any disturbance. Everything so far is quiet in this district, and I see no reason at present to anticipate any outbreak. The Crown Proctor at Tangalle is the only Unofficial Police Magistrate in the district. I do not consider it necessary for the moment to recommend any others for appointment, but, should there be any suspicion of unrest in any locality, recom- mendations will at once be made.

·

2. Application

for heli am

unition for

2nd June-Wired early to Adjutant, Ceylon Light Infantry, to send me 500 rounds of ball ammunition via Matara to Hambantota immediately in case of emer- Ceylon Light gency. Hambantota police station has one carbine and twenty rounds of ball ammu- nition. The Ceylon Light Infantry has forty rifles but no ammunition. Hamban- tota District quiet. Routine.

Infantry.

3. ironia. bation of

3rd June-Public holiday. Hambantota quiet. Assistant Superintendent of martial law. Police wires no trouble anticipated in Tangalle District. At 8 p.m. received instruc- tions from Colonial Secretary re proclamation of martial law in this district. Endeavoured to convey instructions contained therein to Mudaliyar, West Giruwa Pattu, but could not rouse Tangalle office. Instructed police sergeant, Hambantota, that all taverns in the town are to be closed till further notice.

57

Had

4th June. Completed in early morning carrying out of instructions conveyed by Colonial Secretary's telegram re proclamation of martial law. Ammunition, which should have been received yesterday, having not arrived, wired Adjutant, Ceylon Light Infantry, accordingly, and inquired when it was despatched. Saw Mudaliyar, Magam Pattu, in the afternoon. All is quiet here. intended going to Tangalle, but in view of the general situation decided to remain here, and cancelled my engagements there. Wired Galle for six constables, as I have no police force here. Ammunition still not received. Wired Adjutant again, asking for reply to-night.

5th June.-Government Agent wires that no constables can be spared. Am ce at using Ceylon Light Infantry for patrol work at night. Still no reply from Wiraketiya Adjutant. Wired again, asking for reply by 11 a.m. At 10 a.m. received wire reported. from Tangalle police reporting disturbance at Wiraketiya, eight miles from Tan- galle. Assistant Superintendent of Police and Mudaliyar have proceeded.

At 1.30 p.m., having still received no reply from the Adjutant, I wired Govern- ment Agent, asking him to request Government to instruct the Adjutant to reply to my wires and send ammunition at once.

reported

About 2 p.m. received a wire from Assistant Superintendent of Police reporting ketiya all quiet at Wiraketiya. About the same time I received a reply from Adjutant, quiet. stating that ammunition was being forwarded to me from Matara.

Ammunition not received by to-day's 'bus. Wired Officer Commanding "0" Company, Matara, to send it without fail to-morrow.

6th June, Sunday.-Ammunition received in the afternoon. Had bance occurred in Hambantota I might have been seriously handicapped by shortage ammunition. of ammunition.

any

distur

6. Delay over supply of

7th June. Kachcheri routine and Police Court.

8th June. In regard to paragraph 4 (reported disturbance at Wiraketiya) the Assistant Superintendent of Police reports that no disturbance actually occurred. Some Beliatta men came up with the object of creating a row, but dispersed on the arrival of the police. Am asking the Assistant Superintendent of Police for further report in regard to his statement that the Beliatta men came up with the intention of making a disturbance.

10th June. Routine. Received in the afternoon papers and instructions in connexion with my appointment as Special Commissioner.

the abandon-

Tima Festival

Instructed the salt storekeeper, Hambantota, who is general manager of the Ord Buddhist society which conducts the annual festival at Tissa, that the festival, which ment of the would ordinarily have been held on the 26th instant, must be abandoned. festival usually attracts several thousand pilgrims. Also instructed him to give wide publication to the fact that the festival this year would not take place.

This

no

11th June.-Wired Government Agent. inquiring whether, inasmuch as riots and disturbances have occurred and no damage has been done in this district, it is necessary to take security from headmen, wealthy villagers, etc., for payment of share of damage done and expenses incurred elsewhere in the Province.

Government Agent replies in the negative.

Vide entry of 8th instant, the Assistant Superintendent of Police reports that the party of Beliatta people referred to therein consisted only of three or four men, and that there is no evidence to show that they had come there with the object of making a disturbance. Beliatta is a village in this district with a reputation for rowdiness, and it appears that the presence of visitors from this village frightened the market constable, who is a Moorman, and he sent a message to the Walasmulla police that a disturbance was anticipated. That any disturbance was intended by the Beliatta people is surmise.

pure

12th July, 1915.

SIR,

(No. 32.)

E. T. MILLINGTON,

Assistant Government Agent, Hambantota.

Enclosure 3 in No. 34.

District Court, Negombo, 6th July, 1915. RIOT CASES.

WITH reference to my telegram, of the 5th June, asking for the appointment of Messrs. J. E. de Zoysa and T. K. Carron, the Unofficial Police Magistrates of this station, as Additional Police Magistrates, in order that the cases arising from