The Rise And Fall Of The BSO: Crisis Management UNP Style
By maddening Hoole - April 18, 2014
Rajan Hoole
The 1990s: The Culture of Untruth and a Perilous Vacuum Part 3
Although Jayewardene’s style was described as patrician, his success was mainly as a juggler. Increasing disorder was the hallmark of his governance. He manipulated his ministers and balanced disorder cropping up in one place by creating disorder elsewhere. Periodic explosions were inevitable. He had no direct contact with the shock troops, but earlier he had them organised through Cyril Mathew and the JSS. Premadasa with his own shock troops was given the leeway to do his own thing, but no minister was allowed to take the upper hand. This arrangement undoubtedly got out of balance with Mathew’s departure and then the JVP insurgency. Things being as they were, as much as the people longed for it, there was absolutely no hope that Jayewardene would crack down on crime and corruption.
It fell to Ranjan Wijeratne, confident after his suppression of the JVP, but a novice to the ground rules of realpolitik under the UNP, to try his hand. The activities of his BSO (Bureau of Special Operations) could not help treading the toes of Colombo’s great and the good. After Wijeratne’s death, the BSO was harassed and eventually wound up and its head Udugampola had to go underground. The following is from Udugampola’s statement released from underground on 4th April 1992 which first appeared in the Attha and then in other papers (e.g. Island 6th April 1992):
“The attack on the BSO was not from human rights activists but from highly placed corrupt persons within the Police Force itself. When the BSO raided the Flamingo Club a long list of kick-backs to high police officers and other powerful or influential persons was discovered there. When Joe Sim’s establishments were raided there was incriminating evidence found there too. The late Mr. Ranjan Wijeratne was aware of all this and took his steps against Joe Sim after confidently showing the strength of his hand by making a public announcement in Parliament itself. It was unfortunate that Mr. Wijeratne was killed soon after this when he was working on other matters too which were unearthed by the BSO.
