Richard de Zoysa

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is currently subject to editing restrictions, following a dispute resolution consensus.
Before making any non-minor changes or before reverting changes, please report the issue at Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Sri Lanka Reconciliation#Issues.
Please do not remove this message until the restrictions have been removed.

Richard de Zoysa
Richard de Zoysa
Born	Richard de Zoysa Colombo, Sri Lanka
Died	1990 Sri Lanka

Richard de Zoysa was a well-known Sri Lankan journalist, author, human rights activist and actor, who was abducted and murdered on February 18, 1990.

1 Life and death
2 UN award in his memory
3 See also
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Life and death

[edit] Background

de Zoysa was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka. He was of mixed ethnicity, his father a majority Sinhalese and mother a prominent medical surgeon from the minority Sri Lankan Tamil community.

In 1983, de Zoysa starred in Lester James Peries's film Yuganthaya alongside Gamini Fonseka. The role of socialist Malin Kabalana in the movie closely mirrored de Zoysa's own beliefs.

[edit] Abduction

At the time of his abduction and murder, de Zoysa was the head of the Colombo office of the International Press Service^[1] He lived in the in the Welikadawatte housing estate with his mother, Manoranee Saravanamuttu and associate A. V. Karunaratne. ^[1] In the early morning of February 18, 1990, an armed group broke into their home, and forcibly removed de Zoysa and drove off without explanation. ^[1]

Sri Lankan Conflict
Background
Sri Lanka • History of Sri Lanka
Origins of the Civil War
Origins of the Civil War Black July • Riots and pogroms Human rights • Allegations of state terror Tamil militant groups
LTTE
LTTE • Attacks • Expulsion of Muslims from Jaffna
Current major figures
Mahinda Rajapaksa Velupillai Prabhakaran Karuna Amman Gotabaya Rajapaksa Sarath Fonseka
Indian Involvement
Operation Poomalai Indo-Sri Lanka Accord Indian Peace Keeping Force Rajiv Gandhi • RAW
See also
Military of Sri Lanka TMVP • EPDP Notable assassinations • Child soldiers This box: view • talk • edit

Saravanamuttu then hastily travelled to the Welikada police station and lodged a complaint. The following day, de Zoysa's lifeless body was found in the sea at Moratuwa, some 12 miles south of Colombo. He had been shot in the head and the throat, and his jaw had been broken. ^[1] His body was identified by his friend Taraki Sivaram who suffered a similar fate in 2006. ^[1]

[edit] Government response

At the inquest the following day, Dr. Saravanamuttu stated that she could identify two of the abductors. Three months later, she saw one of the abductors on television. He was a high-ranking police officer. She informed her lawyer who brought it to the notice of both the Magistrate conducting the inquiry into the incident and the police.^[1]

However, the suspect was not arrested and the lead was ignored. ^[1] Both Dr. Saravanamuttu and her lawyer, Batty Weerakoon, subsequently received death threats. ^[1] Police officers assigned to guard Batty Weerakoon have also received similar threats. ^[1] Dr. Saravanamuttu later became an activist for missing people and passed away in 2004.

In 2005, Assistant Superintendent of Police Lal Priyantha Darmasiri Ranchagoda, Officer in Charge Bodeniya Gamlath Gedara Devasurendra and Sergeant Mahawedikkarage Sarathchandra were indicted for de Zoysa's murder. ^[2] They were acquitted of all charges on November 9, 2005 by Colombo High Court Judge Rohini Perera; she stated that the evidence presented by the prosecution was "contradictory and not credible". ^[3]