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(Confidential.)

Report on the Riots.

THE riots in Colombo originated from a very slight incident, the raising of the price of a cup of tea by half a cent by a Mohammedan tea-boutique keeper being given as a pretext for the cominencement. The first outbreak occurred at this shop in Maradana, opposite the workmen's entrance to the railway yard, on the after- noon of the 31st May. By 9 p.m. it had spread through Maradana and Borella.

On Tuesday, the 1st June, the rioting had extended all over Colombo. Business was suspended. Trade was at a standstill, and the tram service was stopped. There was a general attack by the Buddhist Sinhalese on the coast Moors, and in some instances on the Ceylon Moors. That night a band of some 500 Sinhalese of the Wahampura caste, who were marching into Colombo carrying the Buddhist flag, was met by Mr. Brayne, Assistant Government Agent, who was impelled to give the order to his armed party to fire.

On Wednesday, the 2nd June, martial law was proclaimed. Mr. Moore, Addi- tional Police Magistrate, who was guarding the approach to Colombo over the Victoria Bridge, had to order the troops to fire. Mr. Allnutt, Additional Police Magistrate, who was in charge of the approach over the old Kollonnawa Bridge, found it necessary to give a similar order. Mr. Thyne, the Waterworks Engineer of the Colombo Municipality, reported that on the way from Labugama he had passed through a mob of some 2,000 Sinhalese men, armed with clubs katties, and old guns, at Hanwella, marching on Colombo. He said that they were perfectly friendly, and told him that they were going to meet an army of 10,000 Moors who were on the way from Colombo to destroy their villages. This rumour, he said, was circulated by men who came on bicycles from Colombo. On the suggestion of Mr. F. R. Senana yake, Member of the Municipal Council, asked Mr. D. B. Jayatilleka, who, I was told, was accustomed to address the people, to go out to Hanwella in order to stop this crowd from coming to Colombo and to disperse it. This he did. One feature

of the riots was the spreading of false and wild rumours with the object of inciting the people. In some cases statements appear to have been made that the attack on the Moors was countenanced by Government, as England was at war with Turkey.

The proclamation of martial law and the realization that rioters would be shot caused the rioting in Colombo to subside. Till then it had been general throughout the city.

The coast Moors were everywhere hunted out and beaten down in the streets, their shops were looted, and their property stolen or destroyed. The Super- intendent of the Fire Brigade reports that there were thirty-two fires on the 1st June, sixty-seven on the 2nd June, and six on the 3rd June. The attack was directed in the main against the coast Moors, but in some cases the Ceylon Moors were also molested and their houses and shops damaged. In the Moorish quarters, such as Old Moor Street, the Moors were able to more than hold their own. The Malay quarters were untouched.

As far as I could ascertain, the sympathy of the police rank and file was with the rioters. I had occasion to inform the Police Headquarters that the Sub- Inspector of the Pettah was reported to be actually siding with the rioters. This officer was withdrawn. He was subsequently tried and executed.

At the Wesak festival it is customary for the Buddhists to decorate their houses with lanterns. It was therefore easy for the rioters to distinguish the shops and houses which were Buddhist. I found instances in some cases where the shops of the Sinhalese had also been marked in white chalk

and in other cases where the word

had been written on the coast Moor boutiques. This evidence in itself goes to prove that there was a certain amount of prearrangement and organization in the attack. ·

Large crowds of Moorish refugees sought shelter at the mosques. They came streaming in from the outlying districts. The grounds of the Maradana mosque alone contained about 8,000 persons. Temporary housing accommodation was erected for them by the Municipal Works Department, and a water supply was pro- vided. Rice was obtained from the Principal Collector of Customs and distributed among the refugees. The medical wants of the injured were attended to by the Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Marshall Philip, and his staff, with the assistance of the lady nurses of the Overseas Branch of the St. John's Ambulance Brigade, the more serious cases being sent to the General Hospital. This work was supplemented

by Dr. Ratnam, Member of the Municipal Council, who opened a dispensary and, with the assistance of the ladies of the Girls' Friendly Society, treated the sick.

I annex a statement showing the number of houses looted and persons injured, with other particulars.

It is impossible to give an accurate estimate of the actual damage inflicted, but, roughly speaking, it is considered that a sum of Rs. 750,000 to Rs. 1,000,000 will cover the relief to be given for the losses sustained, so as to enable the Moors to start again in their business. The claims put in by the individual sufferers far exceed this sum, but on investigation it is found as a rule that the claims are exaggerated.

I have to place on record my testimony of the invaluable work performed by the European Town Guard. Both sides Sinhalese and Moors--placed absolute confi- dence in them, and the invariable request was to be given a Town Guard for protection."

The fact that previous to the proclamation of martial law armed parties were not permitted to fire except on the orders of a magistrate no doubt tended to increase the boldness of the rioters. It did not seem to be understood that under the common law a citizen, whether a soldier or a civilian, is entitled to fire in order to prevent murder or the commission of certain crimes.

With reference to the suggestion by the Honourable Mr. Abdul Rahiman, Member of the Legislative Council, with regard to mosques, I consider that it is far better to hand over to the mosque authorities the sum awarded for the damage done, and let them carry out the work for themselves, than to attempt to have it done for them. I am quite sure that in the latter case they would never be satisfied, whereas in the former they will be free to add to and embellish the building if they choose. The damage to the mosques in Colombo is inconsiderable.

There is an inner and deeper meaning underlying the outbreak than at first sight appears. Many converging forces have been at work which have contributed their influence to the common resultant. A deep-rooted and inveterate dislike to any foreigner lies embedded in the minds of some of the Sinhalese. Two instances, based on irrefutable evidence, were brought to my notice where expressions were used by the rioters intimating that the white foreigners should also be driven out.

There is another striking characteristic of the Sinhalese people which is very strongly marked. It is an intense attachment to the soil. This in itself engenders a deep resentment to the possession or occupation of any land by any person of another race.

The Sinhalese, on the one hand, are an extremely conservative people, and, on the other hand, they see the advantage of Western ideals and are anxious to benefit by their adoption. In consequence, the infusion of Western education produces a ferment and conduces to results which are similar to those produced when new wine is put into old bottles.

Further, vibrations from the wave of general unrest in India have undoubtedly permeated to Ceylon.

I have come across no ostensible signs of German influence. I received indirect evidence that a leaflet containing a portrait of the Kaiser, with Dharmapala as his Chief Priest, had been distributed at the time of the Wesak, but, although I tried, I was unable to obtain a copy of it, and am not perfectly satisfied that it really existed. Of recent years there has been a direct attempt to bring about a unification of all the Eastern elements in Ceylon, with the ultimate object of the exclusion of the Western foreigner and the obtaining of self-government. The idea embodied was Ceylon for the Ceylonese. One plank in the general policy was to secure all official posts for the people of the country.

The idea of the unification is fully expressed in the following extract from The People:-

"The Ceylonese Nationality.

"Sinhalese and Tamils to sink all differences and coalesce together and form a united nation.

United we conquer, divided we fall.'

The Buddhist Sinhalese and the Hindu Tamils have many things common between them. The remaining sections are the Sinhalese and Tamil Sinhalese and Tamils Christians, Mohammedans, Burgners, and Malays.

could be fused into a single nation.

"The habits of the Malays are more or less Sinhalese and Tamil, and it

is not difficult to take them into one fold or the other.

"The interests of the Burgher community are identical with the rest of the permanent population of the island, and, though their manners and customs prevent them from coalescing with the rest of the community, self- interest requires them to devise the necessary means.

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Reference :-

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