Sri Lanka's Dark Past: Batalanda Commission Report Explained

COLOMBO (News 1st); In Sri Lanka, multiple parties are currently urging the government to present the Batalanda Commission Report to Parliament and to implement its recommendations.

This report, which investigates incidents that occurred during the 1988/90 period, has resurfaced in public discourse following former President Ranil Wickremesinghe's recent appearance on Al Jazeera's "Head to Head" program last Thursday (6), where he discussed related issues.

What is the Batalanda Commission Report?

In 1994, Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga was elected President of Sri Lanka, ending 17 years of United National Party (UNP) rule.

One of her key election promises was to seek justice for the human rights violations, murders and disappearances that occurred during the 1988/90 period.

Upon assuming office, President Kumaratunga established the Presidential Commission of Inquiry on September 21, 1995, to investigate these incidents.

This commission, known as the Batalanda Commission, was tasked with examining the illegal detention, torture, assassination and disappearances of individuals at the Batalanda Housing Scheme, which was under the purview of the State Fertilizer Manufacturing Corporation.

It was also tasked to identify those accountable, and make the necessary recommendations.

The commission was chaired by then Court of Appeal Judge D. Jayawickrama, with High Court Judge N.E. Dissanayake serving as a member.

A team of police officers was appointed to assist with the investigation, and the Attorney General's Department provided legal support, leading the evidence in the presence of the commission.

Notable figures such as current Supreme Court Judge Yasantha Kodagoda and current President's Counsel Sarath Jayamanne were part of this legal team.

The tenure of this Presidential Commission of Inquiry was extended on 12 separate occasions.

After nearly three years of gathering evidence, the commission submitted its report to President Kumaratunga on March 26, 1998.

What is Ranil Wickremesinghe's Connection To The Batalanda Commission?

Ranil Wickremesinghe, was the Minister of Industries at the time.

The Batalanda Housing Scheme, fell under the Ministry of Industries, and was allegedly used for illegal detentions and torture.

The report revealed that houses within the scheme, specifically units A 2/2, A 2/1, A 2/3, A 1/7, B2, B1, and B7, were utilized by Wickremesinghe.

The commission report also reported that a team of police officers led by then Peliyagoda Police Station Chief Douglas Peiris, were also given housing units.

Additionally, 13 houses were allocated to officers of the Kelaniya Anti-Subversive Unit.

One of the houses was reportedly used as Wickremesinghe's office, and the allocation of these houses was carried out under his directives.

The commission summoned Wickremesinghe to testify and provide explanations regarding these allegations.

After extensive investigations spanning across three years, the commission made several key recommendations, the most significant of which was to grant the Supreme Court the authority to revoke the civic rights of public representatives and police officers found guilty of severe human rights violations.

The commission's report highlighted that the individual representing the executive branch repeatedly violated the law without fear of facing any consequences.

What Happened to the Batalanda Report?

Despite being submitted to the then-President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, the recommendations of the Batalanda Commission Report were never implemented.

When questioned by journalists at the time, Mangala Samaraweera, a prominent government figure, provided the following response:

"The President has refused to present the report, stating that she does not want to subject her main political opponent, or the Leader of the Opposition, to the same treatment that the United National Party (UNP) subjected Sirimavo Bandaranaike to. She has decided not to present it until her term ends. However, we hope to present the full report to the public after the elections."

Although the Batalanda Commission Report has been a topic in election campaigns, it has yet to be presented for the sake of justice.

FSP Demands Batalanda Report Be Tabled in Parliament

Kumar Gunaratnam, General Secretary of the Frontline Socialist Party, has called for the Batalanda Commission Report to be officially tabled in Parliament.

Gunaratnam emphasized that the report, which has not yet been presented to Parliament, allows Ranil Wickremesinghe to claim that it was never officially recognized by Chandrika Kumaratunga's government.

Gunaratnam stressed the need for legal and political frameworks to ensure justice and prevent future occurrences of such incidents.

He urged the current government to table the report in Parliament and take further steps to achieve justice.

The Batalanda Commission Report highlights the promotion of Douglas Peiris to Assistant Superintendent of Police, bypassing 150 other candidates, claimed Gunaratnam adding that this promotion was facilitated by Ranil Wickremesinghe.

He said that the report also implicates Wickremesinghe in the assassination of Vijayadasa Liyanarachchi, a popular speaker at the 1982 presidential election platform of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP).