Detention of Vijaya Kumaratunga at Welikada Prison

Tuesday 19th February, 2008 11 with the plight of Vijaya. Sections 71 and 72 of the Prisons Ordinance and Section 227 of the Prison Rules vest all authority in respect of let- ters, visits, petitions and all corre- Detention of Vijaya spondence of prisoners with the Superintendent. Mrs. Chandika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga was permitted one visit a day. The visit was at 10.00 a.m. and allowed in an enclosure opposite the main office. A jailor Kumaratunga at supervised the visit and two CID officers, who were present at all visits, tape-recorded the conversation. Mrs. Kumaratunga was punctual at these visits and brought food for him for the day. Despite the stress, trauma and anxiety, she was going through she bore this predicament Welikada Prison with fortitude. The only other person who visited by Edither G. Perera Sirimavo Bandaranaike. Due to this Vijaya was Madam Sirimavo Dias Retired Superintendent situation I avoided the normal rou- Bandaranaike. When she came to the tine of an admission and instructed of Prison Welikada prison, I took her to my the staff to finalise all formalities office. The first question she asked me in the main office. was where is Lionel, an old faithful n 1982, I was in charge of As the ‘S’ Ward was being cleaned Welikada prisons. one day, dur- who was in charge of the Training I decided to locate Vijaya temporari- School for Youthful Offenders at Iing the latter part of the year, Hr. ly on the floor of ‘H’ Ward and took Wathupitiwela when Mr. S. W. R. D. L.P. Delgoda, Commissioner of precautions to keep the doors Prisons, telephoned at about 12.30 Bandaranaike passed away. locked, since he had to be held Her visit with Vijaya was allowed p.m. and told me that he was coming incommunicado. Felix Perera and to my office. in my office. She commented on the Ossie Abeygunasekera were already special conditions under which Vijaya When he came, he informed me at the Welikada Prison. At about that Vijaya Kumaratunga, who was was detained. Nonetheless she said: 4.00 p.m. Felix Perera was trans- “You are a government servant, you classified as a detainee, would be ferred to Colombo remand prison. brought, by the Army, to be held at have to carry out the instructions of At about 5.30 p.m. when the ‘S’ Ward the government.” Such was the mag- the Welikada prison and was to be was ready, Vijaya was taken to this kept incommunicado. He was not to nanimity of this lady. ward. Her visit, which was scheduled for be allowed to communicate with When I asked him whether he other prisoners. 9.00 a.m. commenced half an hour late wanted his dinner, he said no. He and this provided an opportunity for In a prison where there were over was somewhat apprehensive to have 3,000 persons, both convicted and her to speak to me on the ethnic issue. food served in the prisons. Vijaya Mrs. Bandaranaike, who is very par- un-convicted, this was a stupendous was tense when he was brought by task. After much discussion Mr. ticular in regard to punctuality, the Army, but in the prison he was admonished both CID officers for get- Delgoda and I decided to locate him relaxed. in ‘S’ Ward, which was situated ting late. He told me that he cold not sleep The press was critical pertaining to behind the young offenders’ section. when he was in Army custody and It had been renovated recently. The facilities for Vijaya at the Welikada he was disturbed since the Army prison. There was speculation and chief jailor was promptly instructed officers were constantly walking up to get this ward cleaned and ready. insinuations in this respect, which and down the corridor. were not correct. I was amused when I At 2.00 p.m., Mr. Delgoda Nevertheless, after a few days, I informed me that the army had read them. As a public servant, I observed that Vijaya was feeling the maintained a deafening silence. After brought Vijaya to Prison effects of solitary confinement. Headquarters and that he was to be about three months detention at the The government dubbed him a Welikada prison, Vijaya was released, sent to Welikada Prison. By the time Naxalite and issued a special gazette Vijaya was brought to the Welikada without any charges preferred against a special Gazette Notification, stat- him in Court. gate, the news had spread and both ing the following conditions of the staff at prison headquarters and the Secretary, Ministry of Defence. CID. The words of an eminent politician detention. 3. Approval had to be sought for Such draconian conditions have that; "the only thing he cannot do, is prisoners had congregated to see 1. He should be kept incommuni- this popular, charismatic film idol visits from the Secretary, Ministry never been implemented for any to make a man a woman or a woman a cado. of Defence. prisoner, including Rohana man,” could be aptly applied to the and politician with a bright future, 2. All incoming and outgoing let- who was the son-in-law of Madam 4. Conversation at visits was tape Wijeweera or Kuttimuni. incarceration of Vijaya ters had to be channeled through recorded by two officers from the Even the prisoners sympathised Kumaratunga..

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