1962 Ceylonese coup attempt
The 1962 Ceylonese coup d'état attempt (also known as the Colonels' coup ) was a failed military coup d'état planned in Ceylon (Sri Lanka). A group of Christian officers in the military and police planned to topple the government of Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike during the night of 27 January 1962. Organised by Colonel F. C. de Saram (Deputy Commandant, Ceylon Volunteer Force), Colonel Maurice De Mel, (Commandant, Ceylon Volunteer Force), Rear Admiral Royce de Mel (former Captain of the Royal Ceylon Navy), C.C. Dissanayake (DIG, Range I), Sydney de Zoysa (retired DIG) and Douglas Liyanage (deputy director of Land Development), it was to take place in the night of 27 January 1962, but was called off as the government gained information in the afternoon and initiated arrests of the suspected coup leaders before the coup was carried out.
| Attempted coup d'état of 1962 in Ceylon | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Government of Ceylon | Ceylonese Colonels | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Sirima Bandaranaike Felix Dias Bandaranaike S. A. Dissanayake |
F. C. de Saram Cyril Cyrus Dissanayake Maurice de Mel Royce de Mel Sydney de Zoysa | ||||||
| Units involved | |||||||
|
1st Battalion, Ceylon Light Infantry, Royal Ceylon Air Force |
3rd Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Volunteer Signals | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| Government-loyal armed forces and Ceylon Police Force | Elements in the armed forces and the Ceylon Police Force | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 1 died in prison | |||||||
The arrested conspirators were tried under a special law, convicted and jailed. Their sentences were overruled later on appeal as it found the new law violated the Ceylon constitution and denied fair trial. During the trial it was revealed that the coup had the backing of several former statesmen, and brought out the brewing conflict between the entrenched elites and the newly emerging elites in post-independence Sri Lanka.