https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Srilal_WeerasooriyaSrilal Weerasooriya - Revision history2026-08-18T19:54:00ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.43.6https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Srilal_Weerasooriya&diff=368187&oldid=prev123.231.86.185: robot: Create/upgrade articles. If there is a mistake please report on my talk page.2022-12-09T07:42:34Z<p>robot: Create/upgrade articles. If there is a mistake please report on my <a href="/wiki/User_talk:Bot" title="User talk:Bot">talk page</a>.</p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{short description|Sri Lankan senior army officer}}<br />
{{Cleanup bare URLs|date=September 2022}}<br />
{{BLP sources|date=May 2022}}<br />
{{Infobox military person<br />
| honorific_prefix = [[General]]<br />
| name = Srilal Weerasooriya<br />
| honorific_suffix = [[Rana Wickrama Padakkama|RWP]], [[Rana Sura Padakkama|RSP]], [[Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya|VSV]], [[Uttama Seva Padakkama|USP]]<br />
| native_name = <br />
| native_name_lang = <br />
| image = <br />
| image_size = <br />
| alt = <br />
| caption = <br />
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1943|12|22|df=yes}}<br />
| death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} death date first, then birth date --><br />
| birth_place = <br />
| death_place = <br />
| placeofburial = <br />
| placeofburial_label = <br />
| placeofburial_coordinates = <!-- {{Coord|LAT|LONG|display=inline,title}} --><br />
| alma_mater = * [[S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia|S. Thomas' College, Mt Lavinia]]<br />
* [[Pakistan Military Academy]]<br />
| nickname = <br />
| birth_name = Chandrika Srilal Weerasooriya<br />
| allegiance = {{flagicon|Sri Lanka}} [[Sri Lanka]]<br />
| serviceyears = 1963 - 2000<br />
| rank = [[File:Sri Lanka-army-OF-9.svg|10px]] [[General (Sri Lanka)|General]]<br />
| branch = {{army|Sri Lanka}}<br />
| servicenumber = <!--Do not use data from primary sources such as service records.--><br />
| unit = {{colorbox|Red}} {{colorbox|#00008B}} [[Sri Lanka Artillery]]<br />
| commands = [[Commander of the Army (Sri Lanka)|Commander of the Sri Lankan Army]]<br />
| battles = <br />
| battles_label = <br />
| awards =<br />
* [[File:Rana wickrama medal.svg|30px]] [[Rana Wickrama Padakkama]]<br />
* [[File:Rana sura medal.svg|30px]] [[Rana Sura Padakkama]]<br />
* [[File:Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya medal bar.svg|30px]] [[Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya]]<br />
* [[File:Uttama Seva ribbon bar.svg|30px]] [[Uttama Seva Padakkama]]<br />
* [[File:Order_of_Pakistan.png||border|30px]] [[Sitara-e-Pakistan]]<br />
| memorials = <br />
| spouse = Dilhani Weerasooriya<br />
| relations = <br />
| laterwork = Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Pakistan<br />
| signature = <br />
}}<br />
[[General]] '''Chandrika Srilal Weerasooriya''', [[Rana Wickrama Padakkama|RWP]], [[Rana Sura Padakkama|RSP]], [[Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya|VSV]], [[Uttama Seva Padakkama|USP]] was a senior [[Sri Lanka]]n army officer. He was the 15th [[Commander of the Army (Sri Lanka)|Commander of the Sri Lankan Army]] and a former [[Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Pakistan]].<ref>https://www.army.lk/news/government-pakistan-honours-former-commander-gen-srilal-weerasooriya</ref><br />
<br />
==Early life and education==<br />
Weerasooriya was educated at [[S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia]]. He is [[Arnolis Weerasooriya]]'s great-grand nephew and a member of the Weerasooriya family of [[Dodanduwa]] and [[Hikkaduwa]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=In celebration of 50 golden years of being a family… &#124; Daily FT|url=http://www.ft.lk/ft-lite/in-celebration-of-50-golden-years-of-being-a-family%e2%80%a6/6-56000|website=www.ft.lk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://archives.dailynews.lk/2004/05/18/fea04.html|title = Online edition of Daily News - Features}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Military career==<br />
He joined the Ceylon Army in 1963 as a Cadet officer and attended the [[Pakistan Military Academy]]. On his return to Ceylon in 1965, he was commissioned as a [[Second Lieutenant]] in the 4th Field Artillery Regiment, [[Ceylon Artillery]]. He later qualified as an Instructor Gunnery (IG). Promoted to [[Lieutenant Colonel]], he went on to serve as the [[commanding officer]], 4th Field Artillery Regiment from March 1985 to March 1987.<ref>{{cite web |title=4TH FIELD REGIMENT SRI LANKA ARTILLERY |url=http://www.gunner.lk/regiment.php?id=4 |publisher=Sri Lanka Artillery |access-date=22 May 2022}}</ref><br />
<br />
He was the Brigade Commander of the Artillery Brigade from November 1991 to December 1993. He attended the [[National Defence College, India]] and was promoted to the rank of [[Major General]] in 1994, serving as [[Security Forces Headquarters – Jaffna|Commander, Task Force 1]] from December 1994 to September 1995.<ref name=Ceylinco>[http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=4008 Ceylinco Insurance appoints Gen. Srilal Weerasooriya as independent director]</ref> He served as Colonel Commandant, Sri Lankan Artillery from 1997 to 1998. Having served in many commands and operations in the [[Sri Lanka Army]], including Operation Leap Forward, Director of Operations and [[Chief of Staff of the Army (Sri Lanka)|Chief of Staff of the Army]], he was appointed on 16 December 1998 as the Commander of the Sri Lankan Army with the rank of [[Lieutenant General]] and held the position until his retirement on 24 August 2000 following the [[Second Battle of Elephant Pass]]. He was promoted to the rank of [[General]] on retirement and was succeeded by [[L. P. Balagalle]].<ref name=Commandants>{{cite web|title=Commandants|url=http://ceylondatabase.net/military.html|publisher=ceylondatabase.net|access-date=21 March 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://gunner.lk/information.php?infoid=2|title = Gunner}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://gunner.lk/information.php?infoid=1|title = Gunner}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://alt.army.lk/gunner/fomer-commanders|title = Sri Lanka Artillery}}</ref><br />
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==Awards and decorations==<br />
He has received some of the highest awards in the Sri Lankan armed forces, which includes the [[Rana Wickrama Padakkama]], [[Uttama Seva Padakkama]] and the [[Rana Sura Padakkama]]. He was awarded the [[Civil decorations of Pakistan|Sitara-e-Pakistan]] (Star of Pakistan) by the Government of Pakistan.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://gunner.lk/information.php?infoid=2|title = Gunner}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://gunner.lk/information.php?infoid=1|title = Gunner}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://alt.army.lk/gunner/fomer-commanders|title = Sri Lanka Artillery}}</ref><br />
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<div class="center"><br />
[[File:Rana wickrama medal.svg|110px]]<br />
[[File:Rana sura medal.svg|110px]]<br />
[[File:Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya medal bar.svg|110px]]<br />
[[File:Uttama Seva ribbon bar.svg|110px]]<br />
<br />
[[File:Purna Bhumi Padakkama ribbon bar.svg|110px]]<br />
[[File:Vadamarachchi Operation Medal ribbon bar.svg|110px]]<br />
[[File:Republic of Sri Lanka Armed Services ribbon bar.svg|110px]]<br />
[[File:50th Independence Anniversary Commemoration Medal.svg|110px]]<br />
<br />
[[File:Sri Lanka Army 25th Anniversary Medal ribbon bar.svg|110px]]<br />
[[File:Sri Lanka Army 50th Anniversary Medal ribbon bar.svg|110px]]<br />
[[File:Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal ribbon bar.svg|110px]]<br />
[[File:President's Inauguration Medal.svg|110px]]<br />
<br />
</div><br />
<br />
==Later life==<br />
In 2000 he was appointed as Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Pakistan and served in this capacity for six years. He was awarded the [[Sitara-e-Pakistan]] the highest of civil decoration given by the Government of Pakistan in 2011.<ref>[http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=103868 From the Government of Pakistan Gen. Srilal Weerasuriya honored in recognition of receiving top civil award]</ref> Since his return to Sri Lanka he has served as an independent non-executive director of Ceylinco Life PLC since 2010.<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
<br />
{{s-start}}<br />
{{s-mil}}<br />
{{s-bef|before=Lieutenant General [[Rohan Daluwatte]]}}<br />
{{s-ttl|title=[[Commander of the Army (Sri Lanka)|Commander of the Sri Lankan Army]]|years=1998-2000}}<br />
{{s-aft|after=Lieutenant General [[Lionel Balagalle]]}}<br />
{{s-bef|before=Major General H.S. Hapuarachchi}}<br />
{{s-ttl|title=[[Chief of Staff of the Army (Sri Lanka)|Chief of Staff of the Sri Lankan Army]]|years=1998-1998}}<br />
{{s-aft|after=Major General Patrick Fernando}}<br />
{{s-end}}<br />
<br />
{{Commanders of the Sri Lankan Army}}<br />
<br />
{{DEFAULTSORT:Weerasooriya, Srilal}}<br />
[[Category:Commanders of the Sri Lanka Army]]<br />
[[Category:Sri Lankan full generals]]<br />
[[Category:Sinhalese military personnel]]<br />
[[Category:Pakistan Military Academy alumni]]<br />
[[Category:High Commissioners of Sri Lanka to Pakistan]]<br />
[[Category:Alumni of S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia]]<br />
[[Category:Sri Lankan Christians]]<br />
[[Category:Recipients of the Sitara-e-Pakistan]]<br />
[[Category:Sri Lanka Artillery officers]]<br />
[[Category:1943 births]]<br />
[[Category:Living people]]<br />
[[Category:National Defence College, India alumni]]</div>123.231.86.185