Rani’ draws spotlight on Richard de Zoysa murder
Almost 35 years ago on February 18, 1990, the entire country was shocked to learn about the brutal killing of Richard Manik de Zoysa, well-known Sri Lankan journalist, author, human rights activist and actor, who was abducted and murdered. His murder caused widespread outrage within the country and is widely believed to have been carried out by a death squad linked to elements within the then government.
The murder of Richard has again come to the spotlight with the release of the movie ‘Rani’ by award winning film director Asoka Handagama, based on Richard’s mother Manorani Saravanamuttu’s quest for justice in the aftermath of the killing.
Richard de Zoysa’s killing was not an isolated incident during that time. Even before and after, there had been an evolving pattern of gross violations of human rights by the Ranasinghe Premadasa Government to counter the insurgency at that time.
Third World issues
Richard was the Colombo correspondent of Rome based IPS (Inter-Press Service) an international news agency focused on a Third World issues. His criticism and reporting on human rights violations committed during that time became a huge challenge for the government. There were strong rumors that Richard had helped produce a satirical play that was highly critical of Premadasa. The controversial play was called ‘Mei Kawuda, MokadaKaranne’ (who is he and what is he doing?) which was never staged for unknown reasons. The Producer of the play, Lakshman Perera also disappeared and believed to have been murdered.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake recently referred to several unsolved murders in the past and said some of them will be re-investigated by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID).
In 1993 this columnist wrote a book titled ‘Under Siege; Mass Media in Sri Lanka’ which was published by Segment Books in New Delhi and an entire chapter of the book was on the assassination of Richard de Zoysa. I reproduce that chapter to revive the facts on the brutal killing of the popular journalist and what had been the findings then.
“One of the major landmarks on the press curbs in Sri Lanka was the killing of journalist Richard de Zoysa in February 1990 by unidentified gunmen, believed by witnesses to include police personnel. The ghastly murder attracted international attention. Richard was a well-known journalist, broadcaster and actor and a correspondent for Inter Press Service (IPS), an international news agency based in Rome. On February 18, 1990, at about 3.00 a.m. six armed men arrived at his Rajagiriya house in suburban Colombo in a Pajero jeep, believed to have been a police vehicle. They threatened his mother, Dr Mrs. Manorani Saravanamuttu, when she asked to see their identity cards, stormed into the house and dragged out Richard from his bed. One or two abductors were in police uniform.
Inquiries
Immediately after the abduction, his relatives lodged a complaint at the nearby Rajagiriya Police station and informed the Police Superintendent of the area. When Mrs. Saravanamuttu telephoned the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Gamini Fonseka, a prominent politician belonging to the ruling United National Party (UNP), he promised to make inquiries. A few minutes later he had telephoned and said that he had learned that Richard was in custody. However, he said later that he had made a mistake.
Richard’s body was found on the following day on the beach off Koralawella, 12 miles south of Colombo. On May 16, 1990, Mrs. Sarvanamuttu informed the court that she had recognized two of the police officers who had abducted her son and named the Senior Superintendent of Police Ronnie Gunasinghe as one of them. The court directed the police to arrest the Police Superintendent and produce him before the court on June 11. The police neither arrested him nor produced him before the court. At the hearing on June 11, the police appeared before the Magistrate, Mrs. RohiniWalgama, and stated that they had not produced the suspect in court because – they claimed – there was insufficient evidence to make an arrest. Mr. Batty Weerakoon, the Counsel for Mrs. Saravanamuttu, applied for leave to lead the evidence against SSP Gunasinghe, so that the court could make its own determination as to the sufficiency of the evidence.
On July 5, the Magistrate allowed the application of Counsel for Mrs. Saravanamuttu, but before any evidence could be led, State Counsel intervened stating that in view of the importance of this case he would lead the evidence against Gunasinghe and asked for an adjournment. At the next hearing on July 16, State Counsel informed the court that it would be not necessary for him to lead any evidence, as he was satisfied that the police had obtained all relevant statements and that he had found that evidence was not sufficient to make an arrest.
On August 30, 1990, the Counsel for Mrs. Saravanamuttu applied for the proceedings to be discontinued, so as to enable his client and her supporters to lobby the government for an independent inquiry without running afoul of the law on contempt when a matter of sub-judice. The Magistrate then ordered discontinuance of the proceedings. However, the Magistrate refused to rescind her order against the police officer despite the decision of the Attorney-General not to proceed against the suspect.
Opposition resolution
Subsequently, Ronnie Gunasinghe filed a defamation case against Mrs. Saravanamuttu. State Minister for Defense, RanjanWijeratne informed the press and the Parliament that police was continuing investigations into the killing of Richard de Zoysa. But to date no case has been filed against any suspect. A number of organizations including the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, the Civil Rights Movement in Sri Lanka and many political parties requested the President to appoint an independent Commission of Inquiry. An opposition resolution in Parliament to appoint an independent commission to probe into Richard’s death was defeated by the ruling party. (Incidentally, Police Superintendent Ronnie Gunasinghe was killed in the bomb blast on May 1, 1993 at Armour Street in Colombo which had killed President Ranasinghe Premadasa).
Richard de Zoysa’s killing was linked by some observers to the disappearance on January 26, 1990 of Lakshman Perera, a member of the Mt. Lavinia Municipal Council representing UNP, who produced a political satire called ‘Who is this, What is he doing’ supposed to have been written by Richard de Zoysa. It was based on the main poster theme of Premadasa during the presidential election of December 1988. Other sources suggested Richard de Zoysa’s killing may have been directly linked to his reporting on human rights violations in Sri Lanka for IPS. (Amnesty International Report on Sri Lanka 1987-1990 published in 1991.)
In addition to the failure of the government to adequately investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of Richard, the case has two further disturbing features. First, on March 2, 1990, the state-owned Lankapuwath new agency and the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation reported that de Zoysa was an activist working for the Sinhala Marxist rebel movement, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), and that he used his position as a journalist with IPS to transmit false messages about human rights violations in Sri Lanka. The source of this was the police. Second, on May 16, 1990, the day after Mrs. Saravanamuttu’s claim that one of the suspects was SSP Gunasinghe, she received a death threat. Her lawyer too received a similar threat on June 1, 1990.
The case of Richard de Zoysa is important for a number of reasons. It is an unusual case in that his body was found and identified. In most cases of disappearances in Sri Lanka this has been impossible. Also, this is a case where there were witnesses who appeared to give evidence as to the identity of the abductors and the possible killers. (page 42-45, Under Siege; Mass Media in Sri Lanka).
One of the allegations contained in the resolution of impeachment against President Ranasinghe Premadasa is that he… “has failed to protect and intentionally and knowingly prevented the investigations and conduct of inquiry and/or to punish those responsible for the inhuman and cruel torture and murder of Richard de Soysa’.