Assassination of S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike
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Assassination of S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike | |
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Ceylon | |
Date | September 25, 1959 9:45 a.m. |
Target | S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike |
Attack type | Lone gunman |
Weapons | .45 Webley Mark VI revolver |
Deaths | 1 (S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike) |
Injured | 1 |
Perpetrator | Talduwe Somarama Thero |
Assassination
Background
Bandaranaike became prime minister after winning the 1956 elections in a landslide, at the head of a four-party coalition with a no-contest pact with the Lanka Sama Samaja Party and the Communist Party of Sri Lanka known as the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP) (the Peoples' United Front) which gained a two-thirds majority in parliament on a wave of strong nationalist sentiment.
After becoming prime minister, Bandaranaike was officially moved to the Prime minister's official residence,
The assassination
Shooting at Rosmead Place
Bandaranaike was seated on the front
When Somarama Thero was announced, he stood up and approached the prime minister, who in turn also stood and came forward, showing respect to the priest in the customary form. The prime minister asked what he could do for Somarama Thero, who told the prime minister that certain improvements were needed at the Ayurveda College. The prime minister responded that he would get Health Minister A. P. Jayasuriya to attend to the matter if Somarama Thero were to submit the requirement in writing. Around 9.45 AM, Somarama Thero sat down again, and fumbled with the file which he had left on the stool as if to pull out a memorandum, but instead withdrew a .45 Webley Mark VI revolver from his robes and fired twice at point-blank range, hitting Bandaranaike in the chest and abdomen. Bandaranaike made a loud sound and fell down, but got up and tried to stagger back inside the house.
Another priest, Ananda Thero from Polonnaruwa, had been sitting in a chair close by and witnessed the incident. When Ananda Thero got up, Somarama Thero pointed his gun at Ananda Thero. Ananda Thero shouted, and Somarama Thero turned around and followed Bandaranaike, shooting at him wildly. Somarama Thero fired four more shots, emptying the chambers of the revolver. One bullet hit Bandaranaike's hand and another hit a school teacher who had come to see the prime minister. The two other shots hit a glass pane on a door and a flower pot, breaking it.
Confusion and commotion had broken out, and the police constable on duty at the gate came running in, having been alerted by the sound of gunshots before Ananda Thero came out shouting that the prime minister had been shot. The police constable fired at Somarama Thero, wounding him in the groin. Somarama Thero was quickly surrounded and overpowered. Bandaranaike ordered restraint and mercy towards Somarama Thero, who was arrested and taken to the Harbour Police Station under armed guard while the prime minister was rushed to the
Aftermath
"a foolish man dressed in the robes of a monk"
When news of the assassination attempt reached parliament, which was in session, Education Minister Wijeyananda Dahanayake requested an adjournment, but a majority of members disagreed. However, many soon left to inquire about the prime minister.
The
Death of Bandaranaike
Bandaranaike underwent five hours of surgery, which was conducted by Dr. M. V. P. Peries, Dr. P. R. Anthonis, Dr. L. O. Silva, and Dr. Noel Bartholomeusz, before being transferred to the Merchant's Ward. He regained consciousness and requested clemency towards the gunman, and dictated a message to the nation. However, his condition deteriorated overnight, and he died twenty-two hours after he was shot. The inquest, conducted by Colombo Coroner J. N. C. Tiruchelvam, JP, UM, recorded that the death was "due to shock and haemorrhage resulting from multiple injuries to the thoracic and abdominal organs".
Bandaranaike had been scheduled to go to New York to address the
Funeral
Following the inquiry proceedings, Bandaranaike's body was taken to the Parliament building at Galle Face to lie in state for two days. Thousands came, day and night, to pay their respects. On the third day, the remains were moved to
Official investigations
Police investigation
With Somarama Thero in custody, the police started an intensive investigation with a team composed of
Arrests
Multiple arrests were made in connection with the assassination. The arrest of
Magisterial inquiry
November 26, 1959, seven persons were charged in the
- Mapitigama Buddharakkitha Thero
- Hemachandra Piyasena Jayawardene
- Pallihakarage Anura de Silva
- Talduwe Somarama Thero
- Weerasooriya Arachchige Newton Perera
- Vimala Wijewardene
- Amerasinghe Arachchige Carolis Amerasinghe
Somarama Thero was also charged with committing the murder. He had confessed to the murder in his statements to the police and to the chief magistrate, but later changed his plea at the Supreme Court trial. During the magisterial inquiry, Amerasinghe, who was a Kolonnawa Urban Councillor, became a crown witness and received a pardon. Vimala Wijewardene was cleared of all charges, but the stigma attached to the case effectively ended her political career.[5]
The magisterial inquiry was conducted by N.A. de S. Wijesekara, Chief Magistrate of Colombo, and lasted 124 days, with 193 witnesses testifying. Wijesekara committed five of the accused to stand trial before the Supreme Court: Buddharakkitha Thero, Jayewardena, Anura de Silva, Somarama Thero and Newton Perera. Although a postmortem examination of Bandaranaike's body was not conducted, Dr P. R. Anthonis recounted the injuries and gave the cause of death.[4]
Cause for the assassination
The investigation claimed that the reason behind the murder of Bandaranaike, was Bandaranaike's refusal to entertain Buddharakitha Thero's requests following his support for Bandaranaike in the election. Buddharakitha supported Bandaranaike campaign with funds and influence. Following the election, Buddharakitha approached Bandaranaike to secure a lucrative shipping contract to import rice from Burma and Thailand for a company named Colombo Shipping Lines which he had co-founded with his associate H.P. Jayawardena. Bandaranaike on advice of his Ministers
Prosecution and punishment
Supreme court trial
The Supreme Court trial of the five accused commenced on February 22, 1961, before Justice
The first and second accused, Buddharakitha Thero and Jayawardene were represented by Phineas Quass,
Verdict
The trial concluded on May 12, 1961 and the jury returned its verdict in five days. The jury acquitted Anura de Silva (unanimously) and Newton Perera (five to two). The jury found first accused Buddharakkitha Thero, second accused HP Jayewardena and fourth accused Somarama Thero guilty by a unanimous verdict and pronounced on all three of them the death sentence (death by hanging).
Capital punishment
S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike's administration enacted the Suspension of the Capital Punishment Act No 20 of 1958, which suspended the death penalty from May 1958. Following the Bandaranaike assassination, Dahanayake government attempted to reactivate the death penalty and within a week of the assassination a gazette extraordinary proclamation dated on October 2, 1959, re-introduced the death penalty. This was followed by the Capital Punishment (Repeal) Act which was quickly passed in parliament and became law on December 7, 1959. It was brought was retrospective effect, aimed at inflicting the death penalty on those responsible for the assassination at happened on September 26. However, a loophole in the law allowed Buddharakkita and Jayewardene evade the death penalty as the Capital Punishment (Repeal) Act allowed for a sentence of death to a person convicted for murder committed prior to December 2, 1959 and not for the offence of conspiracy to commit murder.
Court of Criminal Appeal
An appeal was made by all three convicts to the then Court of Criminal Appeal which consisted of a five Judge bench with the Chief Justice
Capital Punishment (Special Provisions) Bill
"a barbarous bill amounted to murder by statute"
By this time S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike's widow Sirima Bandaranaike had formed a government and was prime minister. Angered by the decision of the Appeal Court, the government drafted a new bill. On behalf of the government C.P. de Silva who was the leader of the house on January 18, 1962 presented the Capital Punishment (Special Provisions) Bill. The bill stated specifically that with regard to the Bandaranaike assassination, provision was made for the execution of those convicted for murder and conspiracy to murder the former prime minister. It rendered null and void the Appeal courts decision to alter death sentence to life imprisonment for those guilty of conspiracy. The bill drew loud protests and outcry, with Dr Colvin R. de Silva stating that the bill was "a barbarous bill amounted to murder by statute". The government faced with widespread opposition withdrew the bill on January 25, on the pretext that an appeal to the Privy Council was in progress.
Appeal to the Privy Council
All the convicted persons made an appeal to the Judicial Committee of the
Punishment of convicted
Execution
Talduwe Somarama Thero thanked his counsel Weeramanthri in open court and later converted to Christianity and was baptized in his cell by the Anglican priest Father Mathew Pieris. He was hanged in the gallows at the Welikada Prison on July 6, 1962. He was 48 years old. The hanging was undertaken by state executioner Lewis Singho and his assistant Subatheris Appu.
Imprisonment
On May 7, 1966, acting on the advice of the Minister of Justice of Dudley Senanayake's government, the Governor General commuted the life imprisonment sentences of Buddharakkitha Thero and Jayewardena to 20 years. Buddharakkitha Thero died in 1967 of a heart ailment aged 46 years after having served time at Welikada prison for 7½ years of his sentence. Hemachandra Piyasena Jayewardena served 17½ years of his sentence and was released on August 4, 1977.[9]
Commission of Inquiry
Sirima Bandaranaike in 1963 appointed a
Conspiracy theories
Many conspiracy theories posit that the assassination involved people or organizations in addition to those accused and convicted. One of the major conspiracies are that the murder was carried out by Ossie Corea an underworld kingpin who was imposing as Talduwe Somarama Thero. Others claim that then Minister
Reaction to the assassination
The assassination evoked stunned reactions nationally and worldwide. It led to a period of political instability where the caretaker government of Dahanayake lasted only one year and following an in-divisive
Artifacts, museums and locations today
The murder weapon, fatal bullet and the Clothing worn by Bandaranaike on that day are on display at the
References
- ^ a b The incident that rocked Ceylon 55 Years Ago The Assassination of Prime Minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike
- ^ The legend that was Daha
- ^ SWRD's vision lives on
- ^ a b c Jayasena, Ananda. "Assassination of a Prime Minister". Island. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
- ^ a b c d Jeyaraj, D.B.S. "Aftermath Of Bandaranaike's Assassination: Investigation to Indictment". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
- ^ Rohaan recaps insights to Sri Lanka's maritime past and present
- ^ "Ceylon: Banda Avenged". Time. 19 May 1961. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
- ^ Perera, K.K.S. "Assassination of SWRD Bandaranaike: How did Buddharakkitha acquire the .45 Revolver?". Daily News. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
- ^ "A Prime Minister's assassination trial". Sunday Times. Retrieved 27 August 2019.