Ranjan Wijeratne
Encyclopedia
General
Ranjan Wijeratne (April 4, 1931 - March 2, 1991) was the former Sri Lanka
n Cabinet Minister of foreign affairs
, Minister of State
for defense (deputy defense minister) and Minister of plantation industries from 1989 to 1991 in President Ranasinghe Premadasa
's cabinet
.
, Mt. Lavinia. Wijeratne began a career as a planter, holding many high positions in the tea plantation sector of Sri Lanka. In 1978 he was made Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Agricultural Development and Research and Chairman of the Agricultural Development Authority. In 1984 Ranjan Wijeratne was commissioned as Lieutenant Colonel
in the Sri Lanka Rifle Corps
with its formation, which was established to provide security to the plantation sector.
, he went on to become the General Secretary of the Party. Wijeratne was appointed from national list to parliament in 1989 and was appointed as cabinet minister of foreign affairs and minister of state
for defense by President Ranasinghe Premadasa
.
on March 2, 1991, by the LTTE organization using a remote controlled car bomb
while he was traveling to his office in Colombo
on Havelock Road
, during rush hour killing 19 people including the minister and five bodyguards and 13 civilian bystanders. He was known to have a hard line stance towards the LTTE
.
Lt. Colonel Ranjan Wijeratne was posthumously promoted to the rank of General
and Kotelawala Defence Academy (now Kotelawala Defence University) at its second convocation
, conferred an honorary degree
of Doctor of Law
(LLD) (Honoris Causa).
during the 1990 peace process.
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....
Ranjan Wijeratne (April 4, 1931 - March 2, 1991) was the former 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 Cabinet Minister of foreign affairs
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka
The Minister of Foreign Affairs is an appointment in the Cabinet of Sri Lanka. The post was created in 1978 when the former Ministry of External Affairs and Defence was separated into two ministries...
, Minister of State
Minister of State
Minister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a "minister of state" is a junior minister, who is assigned to assist a specific cabinet minister...
for defense (deputy defense minister) and Minister of plantation industries from 1989 to 1991 in President Ranasinghe Premadasa
Ranasinghe Premadasa
Ranasinghe Premadasa was the 3rd President of Sri Lanka from January 2, 1989 to May 1, 1993. Before that, he served as the Prime Minister in the government headed by J. R. Jayewardene from February 6, 1978 to January 1, 1989...
's cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
.
Early life
Born to Walpola Mudalige George Hercules Wijeratne and Rosalind Maria Senanayake he was educated at S. Thomas' College, Guruthalawa and S. Thomas' CollegeS. Thomas' College
The College of St Thomas the Apostle, popularly known as "S. Thomas' College", is a private Anglican school providing primary and secondary education in Sri Lanka...
, Mt. Lavinia. Wijeratne began a career as a planter, holding many high positions in the tea plantation sector of Sri Lanka. In 1978 he was made Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Agricultural Development and Research and Chairman of the Agricultural Development Authority. In 1984 Ranjan Wijeratne was commissioned as Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
in the Sri Lanka Rifle Corps
Sri Lanka Rifle Corps
The Sri Lanka Rifle Corps a regiment of the Sri Lanka Army. It is made up of two volunteer battalions. It has been formed with personnel from the central highlands and the many plantations in the Central Province of Sri Lanka...
with its formation, which was established to provide security to the plantation sector.
Political career
He resigned from all government posts and his commission when he went into active politics in 1988 when he was appointed Chairman of the United National PartyUnited 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...
, he went on to become the General Secretary of the Party. Wijeratne was appointed from national list to parliament in 1989 and was appointed as cabinet minister of foreign affairs and minister of state
Minister of State
Minister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a "minister of state" is a junior minister, who is assigned to assist a specific cabinet minister...
for defense by President Ranasinghe Premadasa
Ranasinghe Premadasa
Ranasinghe Premadasa was the 3rd President of Sri Lanka from January 2, 1989 to May 1, 1993. Before that, he served as the Prime Minister in the government headed by J. R. Jayewardene from February 6, 1978 to January 1, 1989...
.
Death
He was assassinatedAssassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
on March 2, 1991, by the LTTE organization using a remote controlled car bomb
Car bomb
A car bomb, or truck bomb also known as a Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device , is an improvised explosive device placed in a car or other vehicle and then detonated. It is commonly used as a weapon of assassination, terrorism, or guerrilla warfare, to kill the occupants of the vehicle,...
while he was traveling to his office in 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...
on Havelock Road
Havelock Road Bombing, 1991
The Havelock Road Bombing, 1991 was the detonation of a remote controlled car bomb on March 2, 1991, during rush hour in Thimbirigasyaya a suburb of Colombo, Sri Lanka...
, during rush hour killing 19 people including the minister and five bodyguards and 13 civilian bystanders. He was known to have a hard line stance towards the LTTE
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was a separatist militant organization formerly based in northern Sri Lanka. Founded in May 1976 by Vellupillai Prabhakaran, it waged a violent secessionist and nationalist campaign to create an independent state in the north and east of Sri Lanka for Tamil...
.
Lt. Colonel Ranjan Wijeratne was posthumously promoted to the rank of 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 Kotelawala Defence Academy (now Kotelawala Defence University) at its second convocation
Convocation
A Convocation is a group of people formally assembled for a special purpose.- University use :....
, conferred an honorary degree
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
of Doctor of Law
Doctor of law
Doctor of Law or Doctor of Laws is a doctoral degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country, and includes degrees such as the LL.D., Ph.D., J.D., J.S.D., and Dr. iur.-Argentina:...
(LLD) (Honoris Causa).
Accusation
In 2008, Tamil Tigers accused that Ranjan Wijeratne tried to kill their leader Velupillai PrabhakaranVelupillai Prabhakaran
Thiruvenkadam Velupillai Prabhakaran was the founder and leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , a militant organization that sought to create an independent Tamil state in the north and east of Sri Lanka...
during the 1990 peace process.
See also
- List of political families in Sri Lanka
- List of Sri Lankan non-career Permanent Secretaries
- Havelock Road Bombing, 1991Havelock Road Bombing, 1991The Havelock Road Bombing, 1991 was the detonation of a remote controlled car bomb on March 2, 1991, during rush hour in Thimbirigasyaya a suburb of Colombo, Sri Lanka...
- List of assassinations of the Sri Lankan Civil War
- List of attacks attributed to the LTTE
- Sri Lankan Civil WarSri Lankan civil warThe Sri Lankan Civil War was a conflict fought on the island of Sri Lanka. Beginning on July 23, 1983, there was an on-and-off insurgency against the government by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , a separatist militant organization which fought to create an independent Tamil state named Tamil...