CEYLON

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP85T00875R001100100015-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 14, 2006
• Sequence Number: 15
• Publication Date: April 7, 1971
• Content Type: IM

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OCX No. 0994/71
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
Directorate of Intelligence
7 April 1971
(Situation as of 1330 EST)
1r' F1
1. Despite government claims that the situa-
tion is under control, insurgent activity is apparently
continuing. On the night of 6 April, there were
simultaneous attacks on 13 police stations in Chilaw
District, about 50 miles north of Colombo, plus at-
tacks on a police patrol in Amparai District on the
east coast, and on a police station in rolonnaruwa,
in north-central Ceylon. Colombo itself was generall.;y
quiet yesterday, however.
2. In Colombo today a government spokesman
claimed that the armed forces had moved in yester-
day to clean up the remaining pockets of insurgent
activities. He noted that the "armored corps" had
cleared the Colombo-Kandy road and had reached
Kegalla in three hours, meeting no resistance along
the way. A plane had attacked insurgents who had
blocked one bridge, inflicting heavy casualties on
the revolutionaries and clearing the bridge for
all traffic. The spokesman added that newly re-
ported instances of insurgent activity were sporadic
and scattered.
3. Despite these claims, the US charge be-
lieves the revolutionaries still control the
Warakapola police station on the road between
Colombo and Kegalla. He also believes they con-
trol a r.nnsir1 able area between Kegalla and
Kandy, and that the road between'thess twi
locations is still blocked.
State Dept. review completed
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4. In addition, the charge reports that
the organization of and apparentlj widespread rural
support for the insurgents exceeds any expecta-
tion. The insurgents are young, dedicated, and
motivated by frustration over the government's
failure to provide needed economic reforms. In
areas which they control, the insurgents have
worn khaki uniforms and in many cases seemed to
be on friendly terms with local citizens. People
familiar with Ceylonese youth claim that a major-
ity of the young people are sympathetic with the
Peoples Liberation Front, the "Che Guevarist"
group singled out and proscribed by Prime Minister
Bandaranaike as responsible for the attacks.
5. The British high commissioner, who met
with Mrs. Bandaranaike at his request early today
to review the situation, told the US charge that
the prime minister was somber but in relatively
good spirits. He believed she was in full con-
trol of the situation, with the security force
chiefs reporting directly to her. He quoted her
as stating that th- insurgency movement, which
she characterized as "extreme leftist," was
"very extensive and highly organized" and that
there was a "mastermind--still at large-j-directing
the movement." The high commissioner received
the impression that she believed the North Koreans
were behind the movement and that the US had
nothing to do with it, despite what some members
of her governme?,it thought. He added his estimate
that the insurgents numbered in the thousands.
6. Ceylon's military forces, including the
11,500-man police force, are not well equipped
for handling island-wide insurgency. The "armored
corps" referred to by the government official to-
day consists of about 30 armored cars and scout
cars and was called the Reconnaissance Regiment
before today's briefing. The air force consists
of fou.. squadrons--transport, training, helicopter,
and tactical--with its capability for tactical air
support consisting primarily of three of f-he nine
armed T-51 Jet Provost trainers in its inventory.
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SECRET
5X1
8. The US charge believes that the in-
surgents will remain a large threat to the
stability of the present Ceylonese Government
even if their immediate effort fails. At pres-
ent, however, he thinks the security forces are
doing fairly well considering the surprising
capability of the insurgents. Many government
officials, on the other hand, appear to be
frightened or surprised into inept inactivity.
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