Durand Appuhamy Negombo‚  Courtesy Island

November 4, 2013, 12:00 pm

Given the unending torrent of unsubstantiated accusation against our security forces and the abuse resorted to against the good name of our country by the British government and some of the British Parliamentarians-”a few of whom are alleged to be in the pay of the foreign LTTE-”I regard it appropriate to resurrect just two, out of many, massacres committed by the colonial British on the Kandyan freedom fighters. I offer no comment as I have dealt with them in my two books, viz. THE REBELS, OUTLAWS AND ENEMIES TO THE BRITISH and THE KANDYANS-â„¢ LAST STAND AGAINST THE BRITISH. Here they are:-

In an order signed by Deputy Assistant Adjutant General attributed to Governor Brownrigg dated 6th January 1818 one finds a massacre in a mountain cave near Madulla. “The number of about fifty men were in the cave, while the captain proceeded with the remainder of his brave soldiers to the front. The alarm was given within, the inhabitants set up a hideous yell (probably don-â„¢t shoot!) and rushed from the cavern. Twenty of them were killed by our troops and the remainder precipitated themselves down the steep declivity of the mountain, by which they must have severely suffered. In the darkness that prevailed, one woman and child were also unfortunately killed” (CO/54/70 Letter by Brownrigg to Bathurst, 30th Jan. 1818).

Lt. Henderson actively participated in the military campaign against Matale Kandyans in 1848. He admitted to the slaughter of Kandyans not only in his book but also when he appeared before UK-â„¢s House of Commons Committee on Ceylon 1849. The quotation is from his book, THE HISTORY OF REBELLION IN CEYLON P.24 et passim. The quotation refers to the massacre of Kandyans at Wariyapola coffee estate where he was one of the slaughterers of the Kandyans.

“The Kandyans who stood under the jack tree were panic struck. They stood with their guns in their hand without attempting to fire on us or fly. Had the rifle-men been led up in a soldier-likeway, and formed in front of the rebels, the latter on being summoned, would have at once surrendered and no lives would have been lost. However, this was not done. The first Riflemen who came up began firing into the body of the Kandyans. These did not appear to resist. The Malays now used their bayonets and krises, one who stood near me plunging the whole blade of the latter weapon into the chest of the Kandyan, till his hand rested on the chest of the man. Of all those Kandyans who stood under the tree, few or none escaped unwounded and most of them probably mortally. I think I am pretty accurate in stating that the panic-struck mob under the large tree did not use their fire-arms”. The official report mentioned the death of only a few Kandyans. But Governor Torrington had to admit the truth to Colonial Secretary Grey in London that ” it has since been ascertained that the total number killed and wounded amounted to little more than two hundred” (CO/54/250 Torrington to Grey 14th Aug. 1848)

However late it may be, the victims of those massacres deserve atonement and retribution especially from British politicians flaunting selective “tough talking” on Human Rights to humiliate Sri Lanka. Is there any compassion left in the still colonialist mind-set of these politicians? Your comments, please Prime Minister Cameron, on the above massacres by your ancestors.

Durand Appuhamy

Negombo