Ananda Weerasekara | |
|---|---|
| Born | 29 April 1943[1] |
| Died | 28 December 2021 (aged 78) |
| Allegiance | Sri Lanka |
| Service/ | Sri Lanka Army |
| Years of service | 1964 - 1998 |
| Rank | Major General |
| Unit | Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment |
| Battles/wars | 1971 Insurrection, Sri Lankan Civil War, 1987–1989 JVP insurrection |
| Awards | Rana Wickrama Padakkama, Uttama Seva Padakkama |
| Other work | Commissioner General for Rehabilitation Deputy Chairman of Airport and Aviation Services |
Major General Ananda G. Weerasekara, RWP, USP (29 April 1943 – 28 December 2021) was a Sri Lankan military officer and monk. He served as the Military Coordinating Officer of the North Central Province during the 1987–1989 JVP insurrection and Commissioner General for Rehabilitation.
Born to Mendis and Sumana Weerasekera, he was the eldest of six siblings which includes Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekara. He was educated at Nalanda College, Colombo and enlisted in the Ceylon Army in 1964 as a cadet officer and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the 1st Battalion, Ceylon Sinha Regiment following his basic training. He saw active service during the 1971 JVP Insurrection. In 1986, Lieutenant Colonel Weerasekara served as the commanding officer of the 4th Battalion, Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment. He then served as the first commanding officer of the newly formed 6th Battalion, Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment from 1987 to 1988.[2][3] During the 1987–1989 JVP insurrection, Weerasekara served as the Military Coordinating Officer for the North Central Province and in 1990 served as the Commissioner General for Rehabilitation. He was implicated in 1997 in the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the death of Lieutenant General Denzil Kobbekaduwa, Weerasekara along with Major General Vijaya Wimalaratne was accused of murdering Kobbekaduwa.[4] Following his retirement from the army in 1998 with the rank of Major General, he served as Deputy Chairman of Airport and Aviation Services and was active in local nationalist politics associated with Sinhala Veera Vidahana which had links to the Sihala Urumaya. In 2000 he was arrested by police on accusations torturer and murder of JVP suspects in 1989 in Anuradhapura.[5][6][7]
On 1 May 2007, he entered the Buddhist Order by the name of Buddangala Ananda.[8] Ven. Buddangala Ananda Thera died on 28 December 2021, at the age of 78.[9]
References
- ↑ "Major General Ananda Weerasekera Soldier in search of Supreme bliss". The Island. 2 March 2011. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
- ↑ "4 Sri lanka Sinha Regiment". army.lk. Sri Lanka Army. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
- ↑ "6th Battalion of the Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment". Sri Lanka Army. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
- ↑ Mudliyar. "Bandaranayake vs. Yapa 'Many wrong things have been done'". Sunday Times. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
- ↑ "Sri Lankan general protests innocence". BBC. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
- ↑ "President pays last respects to Ven. Buddhangala Ananda Thera". adaderana.lk. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
- ↑ Epasinghe. "A very strange transition From top military brass to Buddhist Order:". SundayO bserver. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
- ↑ "From battlefield to the Buddha?s path". lankanewspapers.com. 2 May 2007. Archived from the original on 11 September 2007. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
- ↑ "Ven. Buddangala Ananda Thero passes away". Sinhala News. 28 December 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
- "A very strange transition by Premasara Epasinghe". Sunday Observer. 13 May 2007. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
- "Buddhangala Aranyaya (Hermitage)". Buddhangala Hermitage. Archived from the original on 11 September 2011. Retrieved 16 April 2011.