Stanley Senanayake - a tribute:

A man of honour and integrity

The late Stanley Senanayake was the Director of what was then known as the Police Training School, when I, with four other colleagues were enlisted, as Probationary Assistant Superintendents of Police, after completing our University studies, in January 1957. We went to the PTS for our six months course of training with trepidation, not being previously exposed to a police environment. We expected to see some tough looking and oppressive persons in the higher echelons of the Training School. On arrival at the school, much to our surprise and relief we were welcomed by the three top most officers of the school, who impressed us by their extremely courteous and understanding ways. Stanley Senanayake, the Director was the embodiment of civility and grace. F.H. de Saram, the Deputy Director, though small-made had a tough exterior but a heart of gold. The Assistant Director of Training, Fred Brohier a huge strapper was soft spoken and had a high sense of humour.

It was Stanley who gave enlightened leadership to his team, both at the senior and junior levels, which made the Training School a pleasant place, though the training program was rigorous and strenuous. Stanley was an exceptionally handsome young man with many social graces. He was an ideal head for any training institute. The trainees of all ranks and the staff of the school were proud to tell their friends, relations and acquaintances that Stanley is their Head.

He converted the Police Training School from being a quasi-military establishment to a civilian organization, where the values of service to the public, courtesy, justice and fair play were inculcated among all trainees. His wife Maya, a very charming, extremely intelligent and strong willed lady was a pillar of strength to him at all times, both in his official and private life. After his very successful tour of duty as Director of the PTS, Stanley proceeded on transfer as Superintendent of Police, in charge of the Colombo Division. It was during his posting as SP Colombo that he faced the greatest crisis in his life. His immediate Superior the late Mr. C.C. Dissanayake and several other colleagues with persons outside the Police, were deeply involved in the abortive-coup d’etat of 1962. The coup could not be staged without the active involvement of the Superintendent of Police - Colombo, i.e. Stanley Senanayake.

His patriotism and duty to the country prevailed more than his loyalty to his superiors. He not only refused to be a party to the conspiracy but alerted the government to the plan and thereby saved democracy in this country. He initially suffered some set back, but eventually was restored his due position and place in the Police Service. The three bench judges of the Supreme Court who heard the case, in their judgment convicting several persons involved in the coup, paid a glowing tribute to Stanley, not only for his truthful and forthright evidence, but for his courage and patriotism. A lesser human being would have wilted under pressure and the planned coup would have gone through.

From the time Stanley was a Superintendent of Police (there were not more than a dozen in this rank in the Police Service at that time) he was clearly identified among senior ranks, as a future Head of the Service and so it did happen in 1970. He did not steal a march over any seniors to get to this position. It was his legitimate due and place. During his stewardship of nine years as Inspector General of Police, he initiated a lot of reforms to transform the image of the Police from being a colonial relic to a people’s friendly service. If today the Police has lost this image and is seen as an oppressive arm of the party in power, what he achieved has been undone.

When a new government was elected to office in 1977 and the late J.R. Jayewardene was sworn in as Prime Minister, Stanley who was the IGP wanted me to accompany him to see the new Prime Minister, as I was then the Head of the Intelligence Division, in order to discuss with the PM matters concerning his personal security. In the course of his conversation with the Prime Minister, Stanley Senanayake informed the PM, that since he has been appointed as IGP by the previous government, the PM may wish to appoint another officer of his choice and he would like to step down. The prompt response of J.R. Jayewardene, the PM - an astute politician and proven administrator as a Cabinet Minister, in previous governments, was as follows;

“I trust my officers. When I lose confidence in them, I will ask them to leave.”

The Non Aligned Summit Conference held in Colombo in 1976 was a moment of crowning glory for the Sri Lanka Police. It was attended by delegates of over 100 countries, of which nearly 60 delegations were led by the Heads of States of those countries. Among the galaxy of the Heads of States attending the Summit in Colombo were colourful personalities in the Non Aligned Movement such as Marshall Tito - President of Yugoslavia, Indira Gandhi - Prime Minister of India, President Bourmadienne of Algeria, President Sadat of Egypt, President Kenneth Kaunda of Uganda, President Gadafi of Libya - not to mention our own Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike - the first woman Prime Minister in the world. Unless there was a guarantee of security for them by the Sri Lanka Government and they were satisfied that it would be, so many of these Heads may not have attended the conference.

A.C. Lawrence - Commissioner of Police, Colombo was appointed as Chairman of the Crowd Control Committee; Leo Perera - SP Traffic Colombo as Chairman of the Traffic Committee and I as Head of the National Intelligence Division - Chairman of the Security Committee.

Having assigned us these responsibilities he never interfered with our work but gave us every support and encouragement. On rare occasions when some VIPP tried to interfere with us, he stood by us very firmly. He gave credit to his officers who did their job well and did not claim credit for himself for what others did. Those were the qualities of leadership he displayed.

Although political interference in the Police then was not as rampant as it is today, leading to almost a state of lawlessness in society, Stanley Senanayake was able, by the virtue of his charm and inimitable style of relations with others, to insulate the Police from even minor instances of interference. At that time there was no interference in the investigation of serious crime committed by party supporters or government backing for miscreants who commit acts of an unlawful nature for narrow partisan political objectives of those in power. At most the interference was in respect of transfers and promotions of Police Officers. Even on such occasions Stanley Senanayake would ensure that the fundamental principles of justice and fair play would prevail, not by being abrupt with or abrasive towards those politicians attempting to interfere but by convincing them about his point of view by his charm and dignified demeanor. He was a gentleman in every sense of the word. May his memory live long in the Police Service.

Cyril Herath,

Retd. Inspector General of Police