Nandana’s Substack

Nandana’s Substack

Discussion about this post

User's avatar
Rohitha Fernando's avatar
Rohitha Fernando
Jul 14

The historical record shows that Vidyodaya University (now the University of Sri Jayewardenepura) and Vidyalankara University (now the University of Kelaniya) were indeed taken over by the military and converted into massive, temporary detention and rehabilitation camps following the April 1971 JVP insurrection.

Official records from August 1971 show that these were two of the largest holding centers in the country, housing thousands of suspected JVP insurgents:

Vidyodaya Camp: Held 2,069 detainees

Vidyalankara Camp: Held 2,255 detainees

However, regarding the specific claims of a mass revolt within these camps, volunteer army intervention, and subsequent systematic massacres or extrajudicial executions of inmates inside these two camps-turned-detention-centers, the historical facts based on records tell a more nuanced story. Nandana, I am sure you have more resources to probe into these than many investigative journalists in Sri Lanka. The absence of historical facts based on records does not mean that it did not happen. It indeed happened, and those who witnessed it are either dying of old age or losing their memory.

1. Did Mass Shootings / Massacre Take Place Inside the Vidyodaya and Vidyalankara Camps? Yes, of course, several times. There are no verified historical or legal records of a mass shooting to subdue inmate revolt, or execution of inmates inside or outside (taken out and never returned)the Vidyodaya or Vidyalankara detention camps.

While the conditions in these camps were highly restrictive and heavily guarded by the military, these specific locations were primarily used as mass screening and "rehabilitation" centers. The Sirimavo Bandaranaike government utilized a strategy of long-term interrogation, categorization (separating hardline leaders from minor sympathizers or totally innocent people). So-called rehabilitation, led by local comedian Chandra Anagiratna to defuse the JVP's popularity, ended up as nothing but a wholesale comedy. It is also said that Gaddafi spent time inside on identification missions.

2. Where Did the "Volunteer Army Shooting Detainees" Narrative Originate? While the massacre did occur at Vidyodaya or Vidyalankara, the experience remains a legend among mainly two groups of people who witnessed it.

1. The Prison Guards performed the logistical functions, while the heavily armed volunteer army personnel guarded the open-air camps. The school teachers, turned cadet officers, turned volunteer Army officers, were known figures among CCC, the Ceylon Cadet Corps junior and senior cadet inmates.

2. The inmates who found so and so were missing after the operations were over, or directly saw fellow inmates falling. Blood was a common sight after the operation, with missing victims.

The Emergency Regulations and "Shoot-on-Sight" Orders (1971):

During the height of the 1971 insurrection, the government declared a state of emergency. The military and police (including volunteer reserve units) were given sweeping powers, which included the disposal of bodies without post-mortems or judicial inquiries. This led to widespread, well-documented extrajudicial killings in the field (outside of the formal camps) as the armed forces crushed the rebellion in rural areas. Also, the question remained unanswered as to what happened to the failed camp/jail breaks, and escapees who got caught in action or while on the run through dug-up tunnels.

Prison Riots and Jailbreaks (e.g., Anuradhapura) and Tunnel Digging:

There were several high-profile prison riots and armed jailbreaks involving JVP inmates. For example, in June 1972, Anuradhapura prison was raided to rescue detained members. Tunnels became very popular in seeking freedom, in open-air camps, especially when the detention camps became less crowded.

Sri Lanka's history is very rich in recorded and undocumented extensive extrajudicial killings associated with detention camps and prisons, the 1971 JVP insurrection-connected active combat operations, field surrenders, and localized arrests in rural districts, along with these two university-based holding camps.

Reply
Share
Nilantha's avatar
Nilantha
Jul 12

Very informative. Thanks

Reply
Share

No posts

Ready for more?

© 2026 Nandana weerarathne · Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start your SubstackGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture