PLOTTERS OF COUP SENTENCED IN CEYLON
A verdict of guilty, handed down by a Colombo court April 6, in the case of eleven army, navy, police and government officials charged with plotting a coup d'état in Ceylon, served to remind the country that it is not immune to the danger of a military-police state.
~The coup d'état was plotted for January 27, 1962, but was exposed in time and a number of arrests were made.
In passing sentence, the court recalled the general political situation. A general strike had flared and the working class was pushing toward power. "That a critical state of affairs was imminent if not already existing, is obvious," said the judges.
"A Censorship was introduced; trade unions were restive at the failure of the Government to consider their demands and at the use of the Armed Services for work in the Port. Opposition M.P.s spoke of ‘arrangements with the Army and Navy to rule the country and to arrest even members on the Government side! and ‘that some-= body in the Government was preparing to set’ up a Military Dictator-
ship. Similar accusations were made in other public speeches. There was unfortunately a hook on which to hang these allegations. Mr, Felix Dias Bandaranaike had at a meeting some time earlier in reference to conditions in Russia, stated that a little bit of Totalitarjanism might be of benefit to Ceylon.!
"There is some evidence that in Army circles in Ceylon during this period suggestions were in fact being made that one solution of the current difficulties might be some form of arbitrary rule in which the Armed Services would be associated. The Defence position at this trial had been that Mr. Bandaranaike did in fact intend to set up a Military Dictatorship."
The eleven defendants were sentenced to ten years in prison. on each of three counts, the sentences to run concurrently, and confiscation of their property.