Premawathie Manamperi

Premawathi was the eldest daughter of Hendrick Appuhamy, a watcher attached to the Department of Wildlife in Devatagama, Kataragama. She had ten brothers and sisters.[2] At that time she passed all the subjects in the GCE Ordinary Level examination of the college with distinction and was recognized among the residents of Kataragama as an educated and intelligent girl. Later, she faced the Dharmacharya examination and passed it with a distinction. Then she had the opportunity to work as a Dhamma Teacher at the Kataragama Dhamma School.[3]

In 1970 she was crowned the festival queen at that year's new year festival in Kataragama.[4] Crowned as the Princess of the Year, many men's eyes could not stop turning to her. The then OIC of the Kataragama Police greeted Premawathie on stage on New Year's Day with a greedy look. A few days after the ceremony, OIC met Premawathie insisted that he had a liking for her. Although he had been pressuring her to meet Premawathie for several days, she did not heed the Kataragama OIC. The OIC angrily left by saying that he will do something too soon.[3]

On 5 April 1971, JVP insurrection started and Kataragama was a center of insurgent activity. The small Kataragama police station, under Sub Inspector Udawatte was attacked several times by insurgents and the police withdrew from Kataragama. Colonel Derrick Nugawela was appointed military coordinating officer, Hambantota District on 11 April 1971, began organizing the military units in the area to counter the insurgents and reestablished government conrtole in the district. Having entered and established control of the town of Tissamaharama, a platoon of troops from the Gemunu Watch held by Lieutenant Alfred Wijesuriya, a volunteer officer moved on Kataragama on the 16 April under the orders of Colonel Nugawela. They entered Kataragama and established camp at the Kataragama Pilgrim's Rest with limited opposition. Inspector Udawatte and his policemen were ordered to move into the army camp, as the police station was damaged in the attacks. On the 16 April Inspector Udawatte and three police constables came in a jeep and arrested Premawathie at her home. That day several girls, including Premawathi, who were believed to be involved with the rebels were arrested.[4][5]

Premawathi was tortured through the night to no avail revealing nothing about her activities. Infuriated the lieutenant made Premawathi take off her clothes raised her hands and ordered to walk across the town nude while been beaten by him and another officer. She walked towards Kataragama town. Finally stopping near a post office, the officers opened fire on the girl and buried her alive. They returned on two separate occasions to finish her off. The lieutenant ordered the girl's body to be buried. That task was assigned to a man named Aladdin from Kataragama.[6]

At first, the soldiers refused to give water, but later they did. Sergeant Ratnayake came and shot her but she did not die. Aladdin, along with several other men, dug a hole and prepared to bury her, but she was not dead at the time and could not be buried alive. Recognizing Aladdin, Premawathie took off her earrings and asked her mother to give them to her sister. Shortly afterwards, a soldier approached her and shot her in the head. She ultimately died from a bullet to the head from a rifle of an unknown soldier.[4]

The body of Premawathie Manamperi was exhumed on May 24, 1971 and an inquest was held. The case was later referred to the Galle Criminal Court by the Hambantota Magistrate. Accordingly, the case was heard by a Supreme Court Judge, D.Q.M. Sirimanne.[3] The 22 years old Premawathie's murder suspects Lieutenant Alfred Wijesuriya and Amaradasa Ratnayake a member of the volunteer force were brought into trial and found guilty for attempted murder on the 17 April 1971 by shooting her with Sterling sub-machine guns, an un-identified soldier shot her head with a rifle to death. The two accused were sentenced to 16 years rigorous imprisonment in 1973.[7] Wijesuriya, who was serving a 16-year sentence, died of a heart attack a year later in prison. Later in 1988 Ratnayake was killed at his home in Devinuwara by the suspected JVP hit team at Matara as a punishment for the murder of Premawathie.[3]

Baila singer Anton Jones wrote and sang a song about Premawathi. In 2001 a film was made based on her story with Sangeetha Weeraratne play the role as Premawathi.

• Justice A.C. Alles (1979). Insurgency – 1971 : An Account of the April Insurrection in Sri Lanka (Third printing ed.). The Colombo Apothecaries' Co. Colombo.
• Gunaratna, Rohan (1990). Sri Lanka - A Lost Revolution? The Inside Story of the JVP. Institute of Fundamental Studies. ISBN 955-26-0004-9.