Sarath Munasinghe
Encyclopedia
Major General
Sarath Munasinghe, RWP
, RSP
, USP
, ndc, psc, SLA
was a Sri Lanka
n General
and a politician
. He had served in the Sri Lanka Army, becoming Commander Security Forces Headquarter Jaffna
and went on to become the Deputy Speaker and Member of Parliament.
, Kurunegala
, Munasinghe joined the army as a cadet officer in 1970 and later was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant
in the Sri Lanka Artillery
. Severing for twenty nine years in the Army he held several senior commands such as; General Officer Commanding
51 Division SLA and 54 Division SLA; Commander 12 Brigade Group, Colombo
; Commander 15 Brigade Group, Mannar
; Commanding Officer
of 6th Regiment Sri Lanka Artillery; Coordinating Chief Batticalao, Ampara
, Polonnaruwa
Districts and Coordinating Officer Welioya. He was also the Army Director Psychological Operations and Director Media Operations Head Quarters, Ministry of Defense and Director Media Army Headquarters
whilst being the Army media spokesman. In 1998 he was promoted to the rank of Major General and in 1999 severed as Commander Security Forces Headquarter Jaffna, one of the most senior commands in the Sri Lankan military.
, representing the Kurunegala District and was made Deputy Speaker of Parliament, and in 2001 crossed over to the opposition and became a member of the United National Party
(UNP). He was not reelected in 2001. However he was appointed as the Chairman of the Building Materials Corporation. At the time of his death he was the UNP chief organizer for the Polgahawela
electorate. He died after a brief illness and his funeral took place in Kurunegala with full military honors.
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Sarath Munasinghe, RWP
Rana Wickrama Padakkama
The Rana Wickrama Padakkama medal and bar are presented to Sri Lankan military officers and other ranks as a reward for individual or allied acts of heroism in facing the enemy and performed of their own accord.-How medal awarded:It is ordained that the decoration shall be granted to all ranks of...
, RSP
Rana Sura Padakkama
The Rana Sura Padakkama is a medal presented to members of all ranks of the Military of Sri Lanka for individual and/or associated acts of heroism in facing the enemy and performed of their own accord. The decoration is presented by the President of Sri Lanka...
, USP
Uttama Seva Padakkama
The Uttama Seva Padakkama is presented to all ranks of the Regular Forces of the Sri Lankan military for valuable service and dedication to duty with the outstanding ability, merit and excellent conduct, given that they count not less than 15 years continuous and uninterrupted service and possess...
, ndc, psc, SLA
Sri Lanka Artillery
The Sri Lanka Artillery is a corps of the Sri Lanka Army. It is made up of 7 regular regiments and 2 volunteer regiments. The SLA is headquartered at Panagoda Cantonment, Panagoda.-History:...
was a Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
n General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
and a politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. He had served in the Sri Lanka Army, becoming Commander Security Forces Headquarter Jaffna
Jaffna
Jaffna is the capital city of the Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna district located on a peninsula of the same name. Jaffna is approximately six miles away from Kandarodai which served as a famous emporium in the Jaffna peninsula from classical...
and went on to become the Deputy Speaker and Member of Parliament.
Military career
Educated at Maliyadeva CollegeMaliyadeva College
Maliyadeva College, Kurunegala, is a government school established in 1888, by the Buddhist Theosophical Society led by Colonel Henry Steel Olcott. It is one of Sri Lanka's oldest schools and considered by many to be a leading Buddhist school in Sri Lanka.It is a National School and controlled by...
, Kurunegala
Kurunegala
Kurunegala , is the capital of the North Western Province, Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka and the Kurunegala District. Kurunegala was also an ancient royal capital for 50 years, from the end of the 13th century to the start of the 13th century. The town itself is a busy commercial and a transport hub...
, Munasinghe joined the army as a cadet officer in 1970 and later was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in the Sri Lanka Artillery
Sri Lanka Artillery
The Sri Lanka Artillery is a corps of the Sri Lanka Army. It is made up of 7 regular regiments and 2 volunteer regiments. The SLA is headquartered at Panagoda Cantonment, Panagoda.-History:...
. Severing for twenty nine years in the Army he held several senior commands such as; General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
51 Division SLA and 54 Division SLA; Commander 12 Brigade Group, Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
; Commander 15 Brigade Group, Mannar
Mannar, Sri Lanka
Mannar , formerly spelled Manar, is the capital of Mannar District, Sri Lanka. It is located on Mannar Island.Mannar is known for its baobab trees and for its fort, built by the Portuguese in 1560 and taken by the Dutch in 1658 and rebuilt; its ramparts and bastions are intact, though the interior...
; Commanding Officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
of 6th Regiment Sri Lanka Artillery; Coordinating Chief Batticalao, Ampara
Ampara
Ampara is a remote city on the East Coast of Sri Lanka, about 360 km from the capital city of Colombo. It belongs to the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka. It was a part of the domain of Kavantissa and was then known as "Ambaragama", which over the years changed to Ambara to Ampara...
, Polonnaruwa
Polonnaruwa
The second most ancient of Sri Lanka's kingdoms, was first declared the capital city by King Vijayabahu I, who defeated the Chola invaders in 1070 AD to reunite the country once more under a local leader.-History:While Vijayabahu's victory and shifting of Kingdoms to the more strategic Polonnaruwa...
Districts and Coordinating Officer Welioya. He was also the Army Director Psychological Operations and Director Media Operations Head Quarters, Ministry of Defense and Director Media Army Headquarters
Army Headquarters (Sri Lanka)
Army Headquarters refers to the military headquarters complex of the Sri Lanka Army. Situated next to Galle Face Green and long the Lower Lake Road, this complex also includes the Ministry of Defence. Apart from operational and administrative offices, it contains the regimental centers of several...
whilst being the Army media spokesman. In 1998 he was promoted to the rank of Major General and in 1999 severed as Commander Security Forces Headquarter Jaffna, one of the most senior commands in the Sri Lankan military.
Political career
Major General Munasinghe entered the Parliament in 2000 as a member of the Peoples AllianceSri Lanka Freedom Party
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party is one of the major political parties in Sri Lanka. It was founded by S.W.R.D Bandaranaike in 1951 and, since then, has been one of the two largest parties in the Sri Lankan political arena. It first came to power in 1956 and since then has been the predominant party in...
, representing the Kurunegala District and was made Deputy Speaker of Parliament, and in 2001 crossed over to the opposition and became a member of the United National Party
United National Party
The United National Party, often referred to as the UNP ), , is a political party in Sri Lanka. It currently is the main opposition party in Sri Lanka and is headed by Ranil Wickremesinghe...
(UNP). He was not reelected in 2001. However he was appointed as the Chairman of the Building Materials Corporation. At the time of his death he was the UNP chief organizer for the Polgahawela
Polgahawela
Polgahawela is a town in north western Sri Lanka. The town is most notable for a major railway accident that occurred in 2005. Polgahawela is a small city that belongs to the North Western Province of Sri Lanka, and situated at a distance of 80 km north-east from the capital city of Colombo; 50 km...
electorate. He died after a brief illness and his funeral took place in Kurunegala with full military honors.