CEYLON CRISIS

Press, Volume C, Issue 29499, 28 April 1961, Page 13

CEYLON CRISIS

Secret Plan Alleged (N.Z.P. A.-Reuter—Copyright) COLOMBO, April 27 Ceylon yesterday ordered general mobilisation and called up reservists to counter what the Prime Minister (Mrs Bandaranaike) described as a secret plan to overthrow the lawful Government. Nine units of volunteers and Army. Navy. Air Force, and Home Guard reservists were placed on active service and told to report for duty immediately. By a proclamation on Tuesday night, the death penalty for looting and arson was extended to the whole island.

Hitherto, it had aoplied only to the troubled Tamilspeaking Northern and Eastern Provinces, where a civil disobedience campaign has been launched against the adoption of Sinhalese as the official language. The Prime Minister said In a broadcast yesterday that the Government had received information that various other organisations besides the re-cently-banned Opposition Federal Party were secretly planning to undermine the Government.

She called on “patriotic Ceylonese” to give their full support to the Government. The Prime Minister said certain union officials were using the bank clerks’ strike which has been in progress since April 4, to paralyse the economic life of the country “Another threat has come to the nation from the Tamil labour on the tea estates, which has associated Itself with the Federal Party movement,” Mrs Bandaranaike said.