Minister of Justice Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapaksa has submitted a recommendation to President Maithripala Sirisena to annul the Gazette notification, published by Governor Robert Brownrigg in January 1818, naming leaders including Keppetipola Adikaram who engaged in the 1818 upcountry rebellion as having committed treason.
When the Kanda-Udarata Agreement of 1815 was signed Sri Lanka became a colony of Britain and later in 1818, the upcountry Sinhala leaders launched a rebellion to save the nation and it was considered as treason against the British Crown.
Then British Governor Robert Brownrigg considered the main leaders of this national rebellion, Keppetipola Maha Adikaram and 19 other Sinhala leaders as turncoats who committed treason made it public in a gazette notification on 10.01.1818.
The Minister pointed out that by not annulling that gazette notification for a period of approximately 200 years, severe injustice has been done to those leaders.
Therefore Justice Minister Rajapaksa has submitted recommendations to the President to annul the label of treason which includes the names of these leaders who fought to save our motherland from the British and name them as national heroes instead.
The Minister has pointed out to the President the requirement and the importance of providing justice to the families of Sinhala heroes including Keppetipola Disawe, Kiwulegedera Mohottale, and Godagedera Rate Adikaram while appreciating the service they rendered to the country under British rule and the strong effort put into save the country at that time.
The Ministry of Justice requests the public to provide any relevant information to the Secretary of the Ministry regarding relatives who are descendants of these up country leaders' including that of Keppetipola Maha Adikaram who were involved in the rebellion.
