Police veteran and former Senior Superintendent of police (SSP) Douglas Peiris will launch a book, based on his experiences during the JVP insurrection of 1987, named ‘Padada Deshapalanaya Batalanda’.
He told the Sunday Observer that readers could see a different view of the incidents that took place during the insurrection, that had not surfaced previously.
Considering the high profile of the author of this book, the Sunday Observer interviewed him to find out more about his book which will be published soon.
“I served my country during my long career in the police service. I was injured on many occasions but have relentlessly served the people. I successfully suppressed illegal JVP activities during that time in my area, which was Batalanda, Sapugaskanda and other areas that came under the Peliyagoda police division,” he said.
There is certain information that the people should know regarding these dark years, he said.
According to Peiris, this was an era where parties in power did whatever they wanted merely to gain political mileage and indulge in illegal activities and pass them through another’s account.
Many deaths such as those of Gonawala Sunil and Wijeydasa Liyanarachchi (a lawyer whose death created a huge uproar in the legal fraternity) are dealt with.
“Wijeydasa Liyanarachchi was arrested by the police in the South but I was asked to take him over by a high political authority. Arrangements were put in place to bring him to the Peliyagoda police. “However, once he was brought in we realised that he had been treated shabbily.
During the night he asked me to give him something to relieve him from his pain. But he did not survive the night and succumbed to his injuries.”
The book also reveals attempts made to obtained affidavits from him by high profiles politicians, to rescue themselves from any allegations of involvement.
He said that as part of his routine duties he was instructed to give updates of the situation to the security committee and Ministers in charge of the area.
Peiris promises his readers that these are only a few of the incidents dealt with in the book.
He laments that at many times his name was highlighted and connected to incidents creating a bad reputation for him.
“A case was filed against me and I was found guilty but I have appealed, and the appeal is still pending,” he said.
He said that not only himself, but his family too faced difficulties. He said that while his two sons were studying in Russia their dormitory was set ablaze and that they and several other students had to jump out of the windows. One student died.