Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe has categorically rejected the Batalanda Commission report, stating that no one can accuse him of attempting to suppress it. Issuing a statement today, he emphasised that the report, which was a parliamentary session document in 2000, was never debated in Parliament—nor was such a debate requested by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), which was represented in Parliament at the time.
Wickremesinghe further asserted that there is no parliamentary tradition, either in Sri Lanka or anywhere in the world, of debating a session report 25 years after its release. He also noted that no political party that has come to power has sought to use the report for narrow political gain.
JVP’s Crimes in 1988-89 Unrest Highlighted
The former President pointed out that the third chapter of the Batalanda Commission report provides a detailed account of the terror spread by the JVP during the 1988-89 period. He reiterated that his actions at the time were in accordance with the responsibilities assigned to him by the government in power, aimed at restoring national security and rebuilding the economy.
Providing historical context, Wickremesinghe recalled the period following the Indo-Lanka Accord in 1987, when the JVP instigated a campaign of terror across the country. He stated that then-President J.R. Jayewardene had delegated powers to cabinet ministers to protect sensitive areas of the country, including Biyagama, which housed key economic infrastructure such as the oil refinery, a diesel power plant, and the Mahaweli-Colombo electricity supply centre.
To safeguard these crucial installations, security forces were deployed, and several abandoned buildings and houses belonging to the Ceylon Fertilizer Manufacturing Corporation were allocated for their accommodation. Wickremesinghe recounted that at the time, the Sapugaskanda police station was attacked, leading to the killing of the Officer-in-Charge (OIC). In response, then-Deputy Minister of Defence, Ranjan Wijeratne, requested him to ensure that vacant houses in the housing complex were made available for security personnel. Consequently, the liquidator at the time transferred the relevant houses to Kelaniya Superintendent of Police Nalin Delgoda.
Wickremesinghe stated that after 1994, President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga appointed a commission to investigate allegations of torture in the Batalanda area. He clarified that he was called only as a witness, as he was serving as the Leader of the Opposition at the time. He accused the commission of being politically motivated, claiming that its purpose was to tarnish his political reputation. However, he argued, this attempt was unsuccessful.
According to Wickremesinghe, the commission’s findings suggested that the Superintendent of Police should not have been responsible for allocating housing to officers and that such matters should have been handled by the Inspector General of Police (IGP). While the report indirectly held both him and Nalin Delgoda responsible for this, Wickremesinghe maintained that none of the other allegations in the report were relevant to him.
Refuting any claims of suppression, Wickremesinghe stated that the Batalanda Commission report had been included as a parliamentary session document in 2000, yet no political party—including the JVP—had requested a debate on it. He argued that the lack of parliamentary discussion on the report demonstrated that many did not consider it credible.
“The report was there as a session document, yet no steps were taken to debate it in Parliament. Not even the JVP requested such a debate. Many did not accept the report, which is why it was never pursued further,” he said.
He concluded by reiterating that no government has used the report for political advantage, further reinforcing his stance that it lacks credibility.
