Sri Lanka Armed Forces
Encyclopedia
The Sri Lanka Armed Forces is the overall unified military
of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka encompassing the Sri Lanka Army, the Sri Lanka Navy, the Sri Lanka Air Force which comes under preview of the Ministry of Defence
(MoD). The total strength of the three services numbers around 400,000 active personal who have voluntary joined, since military draft have never been imposed in Sri Lanka.
, Dutch
and British
established local militias to support their wars against the local Kingdoms. The British created the Ceylon Rifle Regiment
during the Kandyan wars
, although it had natives in its ranks majority of it was made up of Malays
. It was disbanded 1873.
The linage of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces dates back to 1881, when the British creates a volunteer reserve in the island named the Ceylon Light Infantry Volunteers. Created to supplement the British garrison in Ceylon in the event of an external threat, it gradually increased in size. In 1910 it was renamed the Ceylon Defence Force (CDF) and consisted of several regiments. The CDF mobilized for home defence in World War I
and again in World War II
when its units were deployed along with allied forces in Asia and Africa. At the end of the war it has grown in size of an independent brigade, but was de-mobilized in 1946 and disbanded in 1949. In 1937 the Ceylon Naval Volunteer Force was established (later renamed as the Ceylon Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (CRNVR)), it mobilized for war in 1939 and was taken into the Royal Navy
.
Following establishment of the Dominion of Ceylon with Britain granting Independence in 1948, work began to establish a regular military. The Army Act No. 17 of 1949 which was passed by Parliament on April 11, 1949 and formalized in Gazette Extraordinary No. 10028 of October 10, 1949 marked the creation of the Ceylon Army, as the CDF the CRNVR disbanded to make way for a regular navy when the December 9, 1950 the Royal Ceylon Navy (RCyN) was established with its personal. Final in 1951 as the Royal Ceylon Air Force (RCyAF) was established as the youngest of the three forces. From the out set Britain played a significant role in helping the Ceylon government in developing its armed forces.
The growth for the Ceylon Armed Forces were slow due to lack of foreign threat, since Ceylon maintained cordial relations with its powerful neighbor India
and the defence treaty with Britain. In the 1950s it was mainly employed in internal security
assisting the police. There was an attempted coup in 1962 by a group of reservist, which led to cuts in military spending and the disbandment of several regiments. This together with the lack of an intelligence agency
left it ill-prepared for the insurgency launched by the Marxist JVP
in April 1971.
The 1971 JVP Insurrection saw Ceylon Armed Forces mobilizing for combat operations for the first time and its size grew rapidly. The insurrection was brought under control in a few months. In 1972 Ceylon became a Republic and the Ceylon Armed Forces became the Sri Lanka Armed Forces.
By the early 1980s, the Sri Lanka Armed Forces mobilizing again as a new insurgency began by Tamil militant groups in the north of the island. This was the beginning of the Sri Lankan Civil War
. The size of the Armed Forces grew at a rapid rate in the 1980s. By the mid-1980s, the Armed Forces began launching operations in the like of conventional warfare
against the LTTE which had by then became the most powerful of the Tamil militant groups. This led to India intervening by breaching Sri Lankan air space to carry out food drops and shortly afterward the Indo-Sri Lankan Accord was signed and the Indian Peace Keeping Force
(IPKF) was sent to Sri Lanka to establish peace.
The military was redistricted to it bases and was soon heavily involved in another insurrection by the JVP in the south of the island from 1987 to 1989. In the north tension increased with the LTTE and the IPKF leading to open war with the two suffering heavy casualties. In 1990 the IPKF pulled out and the war commenced with the Sri Lanka Armed Forces and the LTTE.
In 1994, a brief ceasefire
came into place and peace talks began. But it broke down when the LTTE attacked several docked naval gunboats. The phase of the war that followed; known as Eelam War III
saw a conventional war taking place in the northern and eastern provinces of the island and terrorist attacks in other parts of the country. The Sri Lankan Army began deploying full divisions in offensive operations and Navy and Air Force increased it inventory to support the army.
In 2002, a new ceasefire was established with Norwegian mediation and Peace talks began. The SLMM was established to monitor the ceasefire and certain progress archived until the LTTE withdrew from the peace talks in 2003. Although the ceasefire continued no peace talks took place till 2005. In the mean time the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission
(SLMM) filed a report stating the LTTE had violated the ceasefire 3,471 since the signing of the cease fire which included matters like child recruiting, torture, abduction, firing of weapons, sabotage, carrying of arms in government-held areas, construction of new positions, movement of arms, ammunition and military equipment, families of detainees denied access and the obstruction of truce monitors. However the security forces violated the ceasefire only 162 times.
In April 2006 following the a suicide bomb attack on the Commander of the Army, air strikes began followed by skirmishers, however both the government and the LTTE claimed that the ceasefire was still in place. Offensive by the Armed Forces was launched when the LTTE closed the sluice gates of the Mavil Aru reservoir on July 21 and cut the water supply to 15,000 villages in government controlled areas. This led to several major attacks by the LTTE in the eastern province and the north. The Armed Forces went on the offensive successfully liberating LTTE control areas in the eastern province during 2007.
On the 3 January 2008 the government informed Norway of its decision to quit the ceasefire, with it the ceasefire officially ended on the 16 January 2008, following several bombings in the capital. Along with the ceasefire ended the operations of the SLMM.
During 2008 there were heavy fighting in the northern province where the Sri Lanka Armed Forces launched major offensives and succeeded in liberating LTTE controlled areas of the Mannar District
, the Vavuniya District
and moving in to the Mullaitivu District
and Kilinochchi District
. During December 2008, the Sri Lankan Armed Forces were engaged in offensives in all fronts, with heavy fighting around the Kilinochchi town
where the LTTE had their headquarters and close to the Mullaitivu town
.
In early 2009 the Armed Forces liberated in quick succession Kilinochchi town
and the strategically important Elephant Pass
. Thus establishing a land route to the government controlled Jaffna Peninsula
which had been supplied by sea and air for over 10 years after its liberation in 1995. Shortly thereafter Mullaitivu town
was liberated by the 59 Division
of the SLA. Boxed into a small land area north of Mullaitivu, the LTTE with its remaining carders and leadership was effectively trapped, with this land mass been slowly reduced until May 2009.
On 19 May 2009, Sri Lanka Armed Forces won its final battle against the LTTE with the death of several top LTTE leaders, including its head Velupillai Prabhakaran
while attempting to flee.
On 22 May 2009, Sri Lankan Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa
confirmed that 6,261 personnel of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces had lost their lives and 29,551 were wounded during Eelam War IV
since July 2006.
The Armed Forces have been accused of human rights violations during the war, particularly during the final stages. The Times
alleged that United Nations
reports indicate more than 20,000 civilians had died due to attacks carried out by the military. However, the UN disputed these figures but admitted that the death toll was unacceptably high. The Sri Lankan government strongly denied these figures. The Human Rights Watch
has also accused the military of "impeding the delivery of human aid" and carrying out indiscriminate attacks against civilians.
s in their rival quests for dominance of the Indian Ocean
; at one point these were the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. However, due to collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the external threats now involve future superpowers India
and China
. The signing of the Indo-Sri Lanka Peace Accord eased these concerns.
The military of Sri Lanka has received a significant amount of military aid from the People's Republic of China
. Throughout the period from 2005 onwards, as a symbol of goodwill and cooperation between the two countries in terms of security, China has supplied the Sri Lankan army with Chinese military equipment. Weapons provided by China include small arms, tanks, and howitzers, as well as mobile vehicles. This can be seen as China's attempt to gain leverage against other power blocs, mainly India, within the Indian Ocean. Sri Lanka also imports high-tech weapon systems from Israel
.
, the President of Sri Lanka
, is nominally the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. The National Security Council, chaired by the President is the authority charged with formulating and executing defence policy for the nation. The highest level of military headquarters is the Ministry of Defence
, since 1978 except for a few rare occasions the President retained the portfolio defence, thus being the Minister of Defence. The ministry and the armed forces have been controlled by the during these periods by either a Minister of State
, Deputy Minister for defence, and of recently the Permanent Secretary
to the Ministry of Defence. Prior to 1978 the Prime Minister
held the portfolio of Minister of Defence and External Affairs, and was supported by a Parliamentary Secretary
for Defence and External Affairs.
The Ministry of Defence is responsible for the management of the forces, while the planning and execution of combined operations
is the responsibility of the Joint Operations Command (JOC). The JOC is headed by the Chief of the Defence Staff
who is the most senior officer in the Armed Forces and is an appointment that can be held by an Air Chief Marshal
, Admiral
, or General
. The three services have their own respective professional chiefs: the Commander of the Army
, the Commander of the Navy
and the Commander of the Air Force
, who have much autonomy.
The Sri Lanka Army is the oldest and largest of Sri Lanka's three armed services. Established as the Royal Ceylon Army in 1949, it was renamed when Sri Lanka became a republic in 1972. The Army of approximately 203,000 regular and reserve personnel including 73,000 National Guardsmen
and is responsible for overseeing land-based military and humanitarian operations.
At present the army has deployed 12 divisions and forming 4 more in while carrying out combat operations. Since 2004 the Sri Lankan Army maintains a battalion and support units for 1000 personnel in the United Nations peacekeeping operations in Haiti
.
, who exercises his command from the Naval Headquarters in Colombo
. Established in 1950 as the Royal Ceylon Navy it was renamed as the Sri Lanka Navy in 1972.
In recent years it had played a key role it the Sri Lankan civil war
, conducting deep sea
, costal & inshore patrols, amphibious and supply operations. The navy has its own elite naval special forces
unit, the Special Boat Squadron
.
:
See also Paramilitary groups of Sri Lanka
, three Military Academies for the three armed services and many specialized training schools and centers members of the Sri Lanka armed forces have a high level training and professionalism.
The Sri Lankan military has received specialized training assistance from other nations such as Pakistan
, Australia
, the United Kingdom
, Israel
, the United States
, India
, and South Africa
.
Referring to the overseas military training given to Sri Lanka, the U.S. government's contribution at a higher level. The Foreign Military Financing (FMF) and International Military Education and Training (IMET) programs helping to standardizing and strengthening the country's military greatly.
, Pakistan
, Israel
, India
, Russia
, and the United States
indigenous weapon systems have been developed and produces within Sri Lanka to suit its requirements. Most of these have been produced by the armed forces.
Following are military hardware design and development in the country:
which is awarded to officers, soldiers, sailors and airmen who have shown individual gallantry in the face of danger and risk their own lives to save the lives of their comrades. The armed forces especially the Army
awards campaign medal
s for soldiers that have taken part in successful, very high-risk operations such as Operation Riviresa
.
(Tamil Tigers) during the Sri Lankan Civil War
, particularly during the final months of the conflict in 2009. The alleged war crimes include attacks on civilians and civilian buildings by both sides; executions of combatants and prisoners by both sides; enforced disappearances by the Sri Lankan military and paramilitary groups backed by them; acute shortages of food, medicine, and clean water for civilians trapped in the war zone; and child recruitment by the Tamil Tigers.
A United Nations expert panel
investigating violations of international human rights and humanitarian law during the final stages of the civil war found "credible allegations" which, if proven, indicated that war crimes and crimes against humanity were committed by the Sri Lankan military and the Tamil Tigers. The panel has called on the UN Secretary General to conduct an independent international inquiry into the alleged violations of international law. The Sri Lankan government has denied that its forces committed any war crimes and has strongly opposed any investigation.
In early 2011, as food prices soared, the Army bought vegetables from farmers and then sold them to the public at a below market prices. Some of the vegetables came from military farms. The Army also runs a travel agency called Air Travel Services (Pvt) Ltd selling air-tickets and foreign package holidays. In the war affected north of the country
, where the military presence is significantly higher than the rest of the country even after the end of the conflict, the military operates numerous small restaurants and shops catering mainly for tourists from the south. Most of the the roadside cafes along the the A9 highway are owned and operated by the Army. The Army runs a luxurious holiday resort called Thalsevana near Kankesanthurai
inside the Valikamam North High Security Zone where the residents were forcibly expelled in the early 1990s and have not been allowed to resettle despite the end of the civil war. The Army also runs two other holiday resorts, one in Kukuleganga and the other in Wadduwa
. In November 2011 it was announced that the Army would build a five star hotel in Colombo
. During 2010-11, whilst local government was suspended in Colombo using emergency regulations, the Army took over many of the functions of the Colombo Municipal Council
such as supervision of the collection of rubbish, demolition of low income housing and even decoration of the streets during festivals.
The Navy's Jetliner (A542) passenger ship is used as a recreational cruise ship providing onboard weddings, receptions, corporate events, parties and other social functions. The Navy's A543 vessel provides a whale and dolphin watching service for tourists. The Navy also provides a canal-boat service in Colombo from Wellawatta to Nawala
, a boat service to Adam's Bridge for tourists and a vegetable shop. Helitours
is the commercial arm of the Air Force established in the 1970s. It was inactive during the civil war but after its end the business has started functioning again, taking advantage of the country's booming tourism.
From 2011 all undergraduates are required to take part in compulsory leadership training
and the government has chosen the military to provide this training. In November 2011 it was announced that the miltary would take over the maintenance of the country's three international cricket stadiums from the financially troubled national cricket board
. The Army has taken over the Hambantota Cricket Stadium, the Navy Pallekele Cricket Stadium and the Air Force Premadasa Stadium.
Many senior military commanders have been appointed to senior positions in the diplomatic and civil services: Air Chief Marshal Jayalath Weerakkody
is the High Commissioner to Pakistan; Air Chief Marshal Donald Perera is the Ambassador to Israel; Major General Nanda Mallawaarachchi is the Ambassador to Indonesia; Major General Udaya Perera is the Deputy High Commissioner to Malaysia; Major General Jagath Dias is the Deputy Ambassador to Germany, Switzerland and the Vatican; Major General Shavendra Silva
is the Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN; Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda
is the Ambassador to Japan; Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe
is the High Commissioner to Australia; Major General Amal Karunasekara
is the charge d’affaires in Eritrea; Major General G. A. Chandrasiri is the Governor of Northern Province; Mohan Wijewickrema s the Governor of Eastern Province; Rohan Daluwatte is the Chairman of the National Gem and Jewellery Authority; and Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya
and Air Chief Marshal Roshan Goonetilleke are board members of the Water’s Edge Complex.
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka encompassing the Sri Lanka Army, the Sri Lanka Navy, the Sri Lanka Air Force which comes under preview of the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (Sri Lanka)
The Ministry of Defence, Public Security, Law & Order is the Sri Lankan government ministry responsible for implementation of government defence policy and the headquarters of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces....
(MoD). The total strength of the three services numbers around 400,000 active personal who have voluntary joined, since military draft have never been imposed in Sri Lanka.
History
Sri Lanka has a long military history going back 2000 years. The roots of the modern Sri Lanka military leads back to the colonial era when PortuguesePortugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
established local militias to support their wars against the local Kingdoms. The British created the Ceylon Rifle Regiment
Ceylon Rifle Regiment
Ceylon Rifle Regiment was a regular native regiment formed by the British in Ceylon. Its history goes back to 1795 when five independent companies of Malays where transferred from Dutch to HEIC service...
during the Kandyan wars
Kingdom of Kandy
Kingdom of Kandy was an important independent monarchy of Sri Lanka, located in the central and eastern portion of the island. It was founded in late 15th century and endured until the early 19th century...
, although it had natives in its ranks majority of it was made up of Malays
Sri Lankan Malays
The Malays of Sri Lanka originated in Southeast Asia and today consist of about 50,000 people...
. It was disbanded 1873.
The linage of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces dates back to 1881, when the British creates a volunteer reserve in the island named the Ceylon Light Infantry Volunteers. Created to supplement the British garrison in Ceylon in the event of an external threat, it gradually increased in size. In 1910 it was renamed the Ceylon Defence Force (CDF) and consisted of several regiments. The CDF mobilized for home defence in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and again in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
when its units were deployed along with allied forces in Asia and Africa. At the end of the war it has grown in size of an independent brigade, but was de-mobilized in 1946 and disbanded in 1949. In 1937 the Ceylon Naval Volunteer Force was established (later renamed as the Ceylon Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (CRNVR)), it mobilized for war in 1939 and was taken into the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
.
Following establishment of the Dominion of Ceylon with Britain granting Independence in 1948, work began to establish a regular military. The Army Act No. 17 of 1949 which was passed by Parliament on April 11, 1949 and formalized in Gazette Extraordinary No. 10028 of October 10, 1949 marked the creation of the Ceylon Army, as the CDF the CRNVR disbanded to make way for a regular navy when the December 9, 1950 the Royal Ceylon Navy (RCyN) was established with its personal. Final in 1951 as the Royal Ceylon Air Force (RCyAF) was established as the youngest of the three forces. From the out set Britain played a significant role in helping the Ceylon government in developing its armed forces.
The growth for the Ceylon Armed Forces were slow due to lack of foreign threat, since Ceylon maintained cordial relations with its powerful neighbor India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and the defence treaty with Britain. In the 1950s it was mainly employed in internal security
Internal security
Internal security, or IS, is the act of keeping peace within the borders of a sovereign state or other self-governing territories. generally by upholding the national law and defending against internal security threats...
assisting the police. There was an attempted coup in 1962 by a group of reservist, which led to cuts in military spending and the disbandment of several regiments. This together with the lack of an intelligence agency
Intelligence agency
An intelligence agency is a governmental agency that is devoted to information gathering for purposes of national security and defence. Means of information gathering may include espionage, communication interception, cryptanalysis, cooperation with other institutions, and evaluation of public...
left it ill-prepared for the insurgency launched by the Marxist JVP
Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna
The Janathā Vimukthi Peramuṇa is a Marxist-Leninist, Communist political party in Sri Lanka. The party was involved in two armed uprisings against the ruling governments in 1971 and 1987-89...
in April 1971.
The 1971 JVP Insurrection saw Ceylon Armed Forces mobilizing for combat operations for the first time and its size grew rapidly. The insurrection was brought under control in a few months. In 1972 Ceylon became a Republic and the Ceylon Armed Forces became the Sri Lanka Armed Forces.
By the early 1980s, the Sri Lanka Armed Forces mobilizing again as a new insurgency began by Tamil militant groups in the north of the island. This was the beginning of the Sri Lankan Civil War
Sri Lankan civil war
The 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...
. The size of the Armed Forces grew at a rapid rate in the 1980s. By the mid-1980s, the Armed Forces began launching operations in the like of conventional warfare
Conventional warfare
Conventional warfare is a form of warfare conducted byusing conventional military weapons and battlefield tactics between two or more states in open confrontation. The forces on each side are well-defined, and fight using weapons that primarily target the opposing army...
against the LTTE which had by then became the most powerful of the Tamil militant groups. This led to India intervening by breaching Sri Lankan air space to carry out food drops and shortly afterward the Indo-Sri Lankan Accord was signed and the Indian Peace Keeping Force
Indian Peace Keeping Force
Indian Peace Keeping Force was the Indian military contingent performing a peacekeeping operation in Sri Lanka between 1987 and 1990...
(IPKF) was sent to Sri Lanka to establish peace.
The military was redistricted to it bases and was soon heavily involved in another insurrection by the JVP in the south of the island from 1987 to 1989. In the north tension increased with the LTTE and the IPKF leading to open war with the two suffering heavy casualties. In 1990 the IPKF pulled out and the war commenced with the Sri Lanka Armed Forces and the LTTE.
In 1994, a brief ceasefire
Ceasefire
A ceasefire is a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be declared as part of a formal treaty, but they have also been called as part of an informal understanding between opposing forces...
came into place and peace talks began. But it broke down when the LTTE attacked several docked naval gunboats. The phase of the war that followed; known as Eelam War III
Eelam War III
Eelam War III is the name given to the third phase of armed conflict between Sri Lankan military and the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. After the period of 100 days cease-fire the hostilities broke out on the 19th of April 1995. The LTTE - Sea Tigers planted explosives in two gun...
saw a conventional war taking place in the northern and eastern provinces of the island and terrorist attacks in other parts of the country. The Sri Lankan Army began deploying full divisions in offensive operations and Navy and Air Force increased it inventory to support the army.
In 2002, a new ceasefire was established with Norwegian mediation and Peace talks began. The SLMM was established to monitor the ceasefire and certain progress archived until the LTTE withdrew from the peace talks in 2003. Although the ceasefire continued no peace talks took place till 2005. In the mean time the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission
Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission
The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission was established on 22 February 2002 under the terms of a ceasefire agreement signed by the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, as a body that would monitor the ceasefire and enquire into reported violations of the ceasefire agreement...
(SLMM) filed a report stating the LTTE had violated the ceasefire 3,471 since the signing of the cease fire which included matters like child recruiting, torture, abduction, firing of weapons, sabotage, carrying of arms in government-held areas, construction of new positions, movement of arms, ammunition and military equipment, families of detainees denied access and the obstruction of truce monitors. However the security forces violated the ceasefire only 162 times.
In April 2006 following the a suicide bomb attack on the Commander of the Army, air strikes began followed by skirmishers, however both the government and the LTTE claimed that the ceasefire was still in place. Offensive by the Armed Forces was launched when the LTTE closed the sluice gates of the Mavil Aru reservoir on July 21 and cut the water supply to 15,000 villages in government controlled areas. This led to several major attacks by the LTTE in the eastern province and the north. The Armed Forces went on the offensive successfully liberating LTTE control areas in the eastern province during 2007.
On the 3 January 2008 the government informed Norway of its decision to quit the ceasefire, with it the ceasefire officially ended on the 16 January 2008, following several bombings in the capital. Along with the ceasefire ended the operations of the SLMM.
During 2008 there were heavy fighting in the northern province where the Sri Lanka Armed Forces launched major offensives and succeeded in liberating LTTE controlled areas of the Mannar District
Mannar District
Mannar district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Mannar, Sri Lanka...
, the Vavuniya District
Vavuniya District
Vavuniya district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Vavuniya town...
and moving in to the Mullaitivu District
Mullaitivu District
Mullaitivu district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Mullaitivu town...
and Kilinochchi District
Kilinochchi District
Kilinochchi district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Kilinochchi town...
. During December 2008, the Sri Lankan Armed Forces were engaged in offensives in all fronts, with heavy fighting around the Kilinochchi town
Kilinochchi
Kilinochchi is a city in the Kilinochchi District, part of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. Kilinochchi is situated at the A9 road some south-east of Jaffna...
where the LTTE had their headquarters and close to the Mullaitivu town
Mullaitivu
Mullaitivu is a small town on the north-eastern coast of Sri Lanka. It is the capital of Mullaitivu District in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. A largely fishing settlement, the town in the early 20th century grew as an anchoring harbour of the small sailing vessels transporting goods between...
.
In early 2009 the Armed Forces liberated in quick succession Kilinochchi town
Kilinochchi
Kilinochchi is a city in the Kilinochchi District, part of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. Kilinochchi is situated at the A9 road some south-east of Jaffna...
and the strategically important Elephant Pass
Elephant Pass
Elephant Pass, Northern Province, Sri Lanka is an important military base and formerly the island's largest salt field, located in the gateway of Jaffna Peninsula. It has thus regularly been the site of battles during the civil war....
. Thus establishing a land route to the government controlled Jaffna Peninsula
Jaffna Peninsula
The Jaffna Peninsula is an area in Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It is home to the capital city of the province, Jaffna and comprises much of the former land mass of the ancient Tamil kingdoms of the Nagas and the medieval Jaffna kingdom. The peninsula is mostly surrounded by water, connected to...
which had been supplied by sea and air for over 10 years after its liberation in 1995. Shortly thereafter Mullaitivu town
Mullaitivu
Mullaitivu is a small town on the north-eastern coast of Sri Lanka. It is the capital of Mullaitivu District in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. A largely fishing settlement, the town in the early 20th century grew as an anchoring harbour of the small sailing vessels transporting goods between...
was liberated by the 59 Division
59 Division (Sri Lanka)
The 59 Division is an infantry division of the Sri Lanka Army formed in 2007. A principal offensive division it is currently deployed for combat operations in the Wanni region.-Operations:...
of the SLA. Boxed into a small land area north of Mullaitivu, the LTTE with its remaining carders and leadership was effectively trapped, with this land mass been slowly reduced until May 2009.
On 19 May 2009, Sri Lanka Armed Forces won its final battle against the LTTE with the death of several top LTTE leaders, including its head Velupillai Prabhakaran
Velupillai 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...
while attempting to flee.
On 22 May 2009, Sri Lankan Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa
Gotabhaya Rajapaksa
Lieutenant Colonel Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa, RWP, RSP, psc, GR is a retired officer of the Sri Lanka Army and the current Defence Secretary of Sri Lanka. After serving through the early parts of the country's civil war with Tamil Tiger rebels, he retired from the Army in 1992...
confirmed that 6,261 personnel of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces had lost their lives and 29,551 were wounded during Eelam War IV
Eelam War IV
Eelam War IV is the name given to the fourth phase of armed conflict between the Sri Lankan military and the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, which is currently proscribed as a terrorist organisation by 32 countries . Renewed hostilities began on the July 26, 2006 when Sri Lanka Air...
since July 2006.
The Armed Forces have been accused of human rights violations during the war, particularly during the final stages. The Times
Times
The Times is a UK daily newspaper, the original English language newspaper titled "Times". Times may also refer to:In newspapers:*The Times , went defunct in 2005*The Times *The Times of Northwest Indiana...
alleged that United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
reports indicate more than 20,000 civilians had died due to attacks carried out by the military. However, the UN disputed these figures but admitted that the death toll was unacceptably high. The Sri Lankan government strongly denied these figures. The Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
has also accused the military of "impeding the delivery of human aid" and carrying out indiscriminate attacks against civilians.
Strategic Importance
The posture of the military has been defensive due to the nature of the strategic threats to Sri Lanka. In the short-term, internal security is considered the main threat to the nation's future. In the long-term, the threat is seen as primarily external from current and future superpowerSuperpower
A superpower is a state with a dominant position in the international system which has the ability to influence events and its own interests and project power on a worldwide scale to protect those interests...
s in their rival quests for dominance of the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
; at one point these were the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. However, due to collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the external threats now involve future superpowers India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. The signing of the Indo-Sri Lanka Peace Accord eased these concerns.
The military of Sri Lanka has received a significant amount of military aid from the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. Throughout the period from 2005 onwards, as a symbol of goodwill and cooperation between the two countries in terms of security, China has supplied the Sri Lankan army with Chinese military equipment. Weapons provided by China include small arms, tanks, and howitzers, as well as mobile vehicles. This can be seen as China's attempt to gain leverage against other power blocs, mainly India, within the Indian Ocean. Sri Lanka also imports high-tech weapon systems from Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
.
Command organization
As head of stateHead of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
, the President of Sri Lanka
President of Sri Lanka
The President of Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is the elected head of state and the head of government. The President is a dominant political figure in Sri Lanka. The office was created in 1978 but has grown so powerful there have been calls to restrict or even eliminate its power...
, is nominally the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. The National Security Council, chaired by the President is the authority charged with formulating and executing defence policy for the nation. The highest level of military headquarters is the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (Sri Lanka)
The Ministry of Defence, Public Security, Law & Order is the Sri Lankan government ministry responsible for implementation of government defence policy and the headquarters of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces....
, since 1978 except for a few rare occasions the President retained the portfolio defence, thus being the Minister of Defence. The ministry and the armed forces have been controlled by the during these periods by either a 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...
, Deputy Minister for defence, and of recently the Permanent Secretary
Permanent Secretary
The Permanent secretary, in most departments officially titled the permanent under-secretary of state , is the most senior civil servant of a British Government ministry, charged with running the department on a day-to-day basis...
to the Ministry of Defence. Prior to 1978 the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Sri Lanka
The Prime Minister of Sri Lanka is the functional head of the Cabinet of Sri Lanka. However, the President is both head of state and head of government in Sri Lanka...
held the portfolio of Minister of Defence and External Affairs, and was supported by a Parliamentary Secretary
Parliamentary Secretary
A Parliamentary Secretary is a member of a Parliament in the Westminster system who assists a more senior minister with his or her duties.In the parliamentary systems of several Commonwealth countries, such as the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, it is customary for the prime minister to...
for Defence and External Affairs.
The Ministry of Defence is responsible for the management of the forces, while the planning and execution of combined operations
Combined operations
In military use, combined operations , also known as joint operations, or interoperability capability, are either operations conducted by forces of two or more allied nations acting together for the accomplishment of a common strategy, a strategic and operational and sometimes tactical cooperation...
is the responsibility of the Joint Operations Command (JOC). The JOC is headed by the Chief of the Defence Staff
Chief of the Defence Staff (Sri Lanka)
The Chief of the Defence Staff is the highest ranking military officer in the Sri Lankan Armed Forces. The Chairman outranks all respective heads of each service branch but does not have operational command authority over them or their service branches, however overseas inter service corporations...
who is the most senior officer in the Armed Forces and is an appointment that can be held by an Air Chief Marshal
Air Chief Marshal
Air chief marshal is a senior 4-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
, Admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
, or 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....
. The three services have their own respective professional chiefs: the Commander of the Army
Commander of the Army (Sri Lanka)
Commander of the Army is the title of the professional head of the Sri Lanka Army. The current Commander of the Army is Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya...
, the Commander of the Navy
Commander of the Navy (Sri Lanka)
The Commander of the Navy is the professional head of the Sri Lanka Navy. The current Commander of the Navy is Vice Admiral D.W.S. Dissanayake...
and the Commander of the Air Force
Commander of the Air Force (Sri Lanka)
The Commander of the Air Force is the professional head of the Sri Lanka Air Force. The current Commander of the Air Force is Air Marshal Harsha Abeywickrama since 2011...
, who have much autonomy.
Army
Sri Lanka National Guard
The Sri Lanka National Guard is the largest regiment in the Sri Lanka Army. It is a Volunteer Regiment made up of 32 battalions coming under the Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force.-History:The Sri Lanka National Guard was founded by Lt. Col. D.W...
and is responsible for overseeing land-based military and humanitarian operations.
At present the army has deployed 12 divisions and forming 4 more in while carrying out combat operations. Since 2004 the Sri Lankan Army maintains a battalion and support units for 1000 personnel in the United Nations peacekeeping operations in Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
.
Navy
The Sri Lankan Navy with approximately 48,000 personal is the key maritime division of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces and is classed as the most vital defence force of Sri Lanka. It conducts maritime operations at sea for the defence of the Sri Lankan nation and its interests. The professional head of the navy is the Commander of the navyCommander of the Navy (Sri Lanka)
The Commander of the Navy is the professional head of the Sri Lanka Navy. The current Commander of the Navy is Vice Admiral D.W.S. Dissanayake...
, who exercises his command from the Naval Headquarters 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...
. Established in 1950 as the Royal Ceylon Navy it was renamed as the Sri Lanka Navy in 1972.
In recent years it had played a key role it the Sri Lankan civil war
Sri Lankan civil war
The 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...
, conducting deep sea
Deep sea
The deep sea, or deep layer, is the lowest layer in the ocean, existing below the thermocline and above the seabed, at a depth of 1000 fathoms or more. Little or no light penetrates this part of the ocean and most of the organisms that live there rely for subsistence on falling organic matter...
, costal & inshore patrols, amphibious and supply operations. The navy has its own elite naval special forces
Special forces
Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
unit, the Special Boat Squadron
Special Boat Squadron
The Special Boat Squadron is the Sri Lanka Navy's elite special forces unit. It forms part of the Sri Lanka Special Forces, alongside the Commando Regiment , Special Forces Regiment, and SLAF Special Forces...
.
Air Force
The Sri Lanka Air Force with approximately 28,700 personal is the aerial defense division and the youngest of the Sri Lankan Tri Forces. Founded in 1951 as the Royal Ceylon Air Force, it relied on the British Royal Air Force for its earliest equipment, training, and leadership. The Air Force is playing a major role in the ongoing war against Tamil separatists. Although Sri Lanka is only a small island state, its Air Force has proven highly capable and efficient. In recent times the air force has expanded to specialize mainly in providing air-support to ground forces and landing troops and carrying airstrikes on rebel held areas in the Northern and Eastern provinces.Paramilitary Forces
There are three official paramilitary forces under the command of the Ministry of DefenceMinistry of Defence (Sri Lanka)
The Ministry of Defence, Public Security, Law & Order is the Sri Lankan government ministry responsible for implementation of government defence policy and the headquarters of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces....
:
- The Special Task ForceSpecial Task ForceThe Special Task Force is an elite special forces unit of the Sri Lanka Police Service specializing in Counter-Terrorist and Counter-Insurgency operations. It was formed in 1983 not as a military force but rather as a highly specialised police unit...
comes under the control of the Sri Lanka Police which in turn is under the command of the Ministry of Defence. It undertakes counter-terrorist operations and VIPVery Important PersonA Very Important Person, or VIP is a person who is accorded special privileges due to his or her status or importance.Examples include celebrities, heads of state/heads of government, major employers, high rollers, politicians, high-level corporate officers, wealthy individuals, or any other...
protection. - The Sri Lanka Civil Defence Force, which is under direct command of the Ministry of Defence.
- The Sri Lanka Coast GuardSri Lanka Coast GuardThe Sri Lanka Coast Guard, officially the Department of Coast Guard, is a Sri Lankan non-ministerial government department tasked with Coast guard duties within the territorial waters of Sri Lanka. It comes under the purview of the Ministry of Defence and be staffed by civilian personal...
, which is under direct command of the Ministry of Defence.
See also Paramilitary groups of Sri Lanka
Training
Today the training of all armed services are carried out in Sri Lanka. With a Defence University, a Staff CollegeStaff college
Staff colleges train military officers in the administrative, staff and policy aspects of their profession. It is usual for such training to occur at several levels in a career...
, three Military Academies for the three armed services and many specialized training schools and centers members of the Sri Lanka armed forces have a high level training and professionalism.
- General Sir John Kotelawala Defence UniversityGeneral Sir John Kotelawala Defence UniversityGeneral Sir John Kotelawala Defence University located at Kandawala, Ratmalana, Colombo, is a joint services academy where cadets of the three wings Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy and Sri Lanka Air Force are trained before they go for their pre-commission training to their academies...
, ColomboColomboColombo 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... - Defence Services Command and Staff CollegeDefence Services Command and Staff CollegeThe Defence Services Command and Staff College is situated at Batalanda, Makola 12 Kilometers away from Colombo and its aim to develop the professional knowledge and understanding of experienced officers of the Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy & the Sri Lanka Air Force to prepare them for the ranks...
- Sri Lanka Military AcademySri Lanka Military AcademyThe Sri Lanka Military Academy , commonly known simply as Diyatalawa, is the Sri Lanka Army's officer initial training centre located in the garrison town of Diyatalawa in the central highlands of Sri Lanka....
, DiyatalawaDiyatalawaDiyatalawa is a garrison town in the central highlands of Sri Lanka, in the Badulla District of Uva Province. It is at an altitude of and has become a popular destination for local holiday makers... - Naval and Maritime AcademyNaval and Maritime AcademyNaval and Maritime Academy , Trincomalee, is the location of initial officer training in the Sri Lanka Navy, and is located within SLN Dockyard, Trincomalee. It received university status in 2001...
, TrincomaleeTrincomaleeTrincomalee is a port city in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka and lies on the east coast of the island, about 113 miles south of Jaffna. It has a population of approximately 100,000 . The city is built on a peninsula, which divides the inner and outer harbours. Overlooking the Kottiyar Bay,... - Air Force Academy, SLAF China BaySLAF China BaySLAF China Bay is a Sri Lanka Air Force base located at China Bay, Trincomalee. The airbase is situated close to the coast and has a long runway which is believed to be able to handle most modern aircraft...
, TrincomaleeTrincomaleeTrincomalee is a port city in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka and lies on the east coast of the island, about 113 miles south of Jaffna. It has a population of approximately 100,000 . The city is built on a peninsula, which divides the inner and outer harbours. Overlooking the Kottiyar Bay,...
The Sri Lankan military has received specialized training assistance from other nations such as Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
Referring to the overseas military training given to Sri Lanka, the U.S. government's contribution at a higher level. The Foreign Military Financing (FMF) and International Military Education and Training (IMET) programs helping to standardizing and strengthening the country's military greatly.
Development
Although much of the current military hardware used by the Sri Lanka Armed Forces is acquired from ChinaChina
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
indigenous weapon systems have been developed and produces within Sri Lanka to suit its requirements. Most of these have been produced by the armed forces.
Following are military hardware design and development in the country:
- UnibuffelUnibuffelThe Unibuffel is a mine-protected wheeled APC used by the Sri Lankan military.-Production history:Although similar to the South African Buffel, it is built entirely by the Sri Lanka Electrical and Mechanical Engineers...
Mine-protected armoured personnel carrierArmoured personnel carrierAn armoured personnel carrier is an armoured fighting vehicle designed to transport infantry to the battlefield.APCs are usually armed with only a machine gun although variants carry recoilless rifles, anti-tank guided missiles , or mortars... - UnicornUnicorn classThe Unicorn is a mine-protected wheeled APC used by the Sri Lankan military.-Production history:Initial research into producing a "Blast Protected Vehicle" armoured personnel carrier was begun in 1983 by a lone Infantry Major named Jayantha de Silva who was concerned by the destruction wrought by...
Mine-protected armoured personnel carrierArmoured personnel carrierAn armoured personnel carrier is an armoured fighting vehicle designed to transport infantry to the battlefield.APCs are usually armed with only a machine gun although variants carry recoilless rifles, anti-tank guided missiles , or mortars... - Jayasagara classJayasagara class patrol craftThe Jayasagara class is a class of Offshore patrol vessels that are part of the Sri Lankan Navy and have been locally built.-History:Built by Colombo Dockyard Limited for the Sri Lankan Navy in the early 1980s, these were the first warships built in Sri Lanka in modern times...
Fast gun boat - 29 M Landing Craft29 M Landing CraftThe 29 M Landing Craft is a landing craft, utility developed by the Colombo Dockyard Limited for the Sri Lanka Navy. Two ships of this class have been built and both have been used in several amphibious operations....
- Colombo classUltra Fast Attack CraftThe Ultra Fast Attack Craft, commonly known as the Colombo Class, is an ultra high-speed class of patrol boats meant for a variety of naval missions from typical off-shore coastal patrol mission profiles to high-speed, high-maneuver littoral warfare...
Fast attack craft - Arrow classArrow boatArrow is a series of fast patrol/assault speed boat made by the Sri Lanka Navy for use by its littoral warfare units, the elite Special Boat Squadron and the Rapid Action Boat Squadron . The boat is capable of achieving high speeds and is highly maneuverable, meeting the requirements of these...
combat speed boat
Awards & Decorations
The most prestigious decoration is Parama Weera VibhushanayaParama Weera Vibhushanaya
Parama Weera Vibhushanaya , is the highest Sri Lankan military decoration equivalent to the British Victoria Cross , or the United States Medal of Honor, that's awarded as a reward for all ranks of the tri services individual acts of gallantry...
which is awarded to officers, soldiers, sailors and airmen who have shown individual gallantry in the face of danger and risk their own lives to save the lives of their comrades. The armed forces especially the Army
Sri Lankan Army
The Sri Lanka Army is the oldest and largest of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces and is responsible for land-based military and humanitarian operations. Established as the Ceylon Army in 1949, it was renamed when Sri Lanka became a republic in 1972...
awards campaign medal
Campaign medal
A campaign medal is a military decoration which is awarded to a member of the military who serves in a designated military operation or performs duty in a geographical theater...
s for soldiers that have taken part in successful, very high-risk operations such as Operation Riviresa
Operation Riviresa
Operation Riviresa , was a combined military operation launched by the Sri Lankan Armed Forces in Jaffna. Starting on the 17 October 1995, the primary objective of the operation was the capture of the town of Jaffna and rest of the Jaffna peninsula from the LTTE...
.
War crimes
There are allegations that war crimes were committed by the Sri Lankan military and the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil EelamLiberation 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...
(Tamil Tigers) during the Sri Lankan Civil War
Sri Lankan civil war
The 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...
, particularly during the final months of the conflict in 2009. The alleged war crimes include attacks on civilians and civilian buildings by both sides; executions of combatants and prisoners by both sides; enforced disappearances by the Sri Lankan military and paramilitary groups backed by them; acute shortages of food, medicine, and clean water for civilians trapped in the war zone; and child recruitment by the Tamil Tigers.
A United Nations expert panel
Report of the Secretary-General's Panel of Experts on Accountability in Sri Lanka
The Report of the Secretary-General's Panel of Experts on Accountability in Sri Lanka was a report produced by a panel of experts appointed by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to advise him accountability in Sri Lanka following the end of the three decade old Sri Lankan Civil War which is...
investigating violations of international human rights and humanitarian law during the final stages of the civil war found "credible allegations" which, if proven, indicated that war crimes and crimes against humanity were committed by the Sri Lankan military and the Tamil Tigers. The panel has called on the UN Secretary General to conduct an independent international inquiry into the alleged violations of international law. The Sri Lankan government has denied that its forces committed any war crimes and has strongly opposed any investigation.
Non-military activities
Since the end of the civil war in May 2009 Sri Lanka's 300,000 strong military has increased its non-military activities, leading to accusations of militarisation and even military rule. The military is involved in everything from large scale property developments to the running of roadside cafes. The military has built roads, bridges, houses and stadiums. The Urban Development Authority, which spends hundreds billions of rupees a year, was taken over by the Ministry of Defence in 2010. A year later the ministry was renamed Ministry of Defence and Urban Development. The ministry will have a budget of 229.9 billion rupees ($2.1 billion) in 2012, the largest of any government ministry.In early 2011, as food prices soared, the Army bought vegetables from farmers and then sold them to the public at a below market prices. Some of the vegetables came from military farms. The Army also runs a travel agency called Air Travel Services (Pvt) Ltd selling air-tickets and foreign package holidays. In the war affected north of the country
Northern Province, Sri Lanka
The Northern Province is one of the 9 provinces of Sri Lanka. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but did not have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils. Between 1988 and 2006 the province was...
, where the military presence is significantly higher than the rest of the country even after the end of the conflict, the military operates numerous small restaurants and shops catering mainly for tourists from the south. Most of the the roadside cafes along the the A9 highway are owned and operated by the Army. The Army runs a luxurious holiday resort called Thalsevana near Kankesanthurai
Kankesanthurai
Kankesanthurai or KKS , is a town with a harbour in the northern Sri Lankan city of Jaffna. It is the location of the Sri Lanka Navy naval base, SLNS Uttara. At present it is in the High Security Zone declared by the security forces of Sri Lanka. India helps in port's restoration...
inside the Valikamam North High Security Zone where the residents were forcibly expelled in the early 1990s and have not been allowed to resettle despite the end of the civil war. The Army also runs two other holiday resorts, one in Kukuleganga and the other in Wadduwa
Wadduwa
Wadduwa is a town situated in the western coast of Sri Lanka about 33km south of Colombo.It spans from within the 30-36 km area along the Galle Road and sideways for the land side too.It is a very popular tourist attraction in Sri Lanka. It is also famous for its rich cultivation of coconut palms...
. In November 2011 it was announced that the Army would build a five star hotel 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...
. During 2010-11, whilst local government was suspended in Colombo using emergency regulations, the Army took over many of the functions of the Colombo Municipal Council
Colombo Municipal Council
The Colombo Municipal Council is the local council for Colombo, the largest city and financial centre in Sri Lanka. The council was formed in 1865 and first met in 1866. The municipal council is the oldest and the largest local government authority in Sri Lanka and, as of 2001, covers a resident...
such as supervision of the collection of rubbish, demolition of low income housing and even decoration of the streets during festivals.
The Navy's Jetliner (A542) passenger ship is used as a recreational cruise ship providing onboard weddings, receptions, corporate events, parties and other social functions. The Navy's A543 vessel provides a whale and dolphin watching service for tourists. The Navy also provides a canal-boat service in Colombo from Wellawatta to Nawala
Nawala
Nawala is a Suburb of Colombo near Rajagiriya, within the Kotte municipality in the western province of Sri Lanka.An up-market residential area, Nawala lies between the Commercial Capital Colombo and the Administrative Capital of Kotte. It is considered to be a part of Rajagiriya and is bordered by...
, a boat service to Adam's Bridge for tourists and a vegetable shop. Helitours
Helitours
Helitours is a domestic airline in Sri Lanka operated by the Sri Lanka Air Force with aircraft not required for operational use.- History :The service started in 1972 as an idea of Air Martial Mendis to cater to the tourist. By the end of 1972 Helitours was flying to Male also...
is the commercial arm of the Air Force established in the 1970s. It was inactive during the civil war but after its end the business has started functioning again, taking advantage of the country's booming tourism.
From 2011 all undergraduates are required to take part in compulsory leadership training
Compulsory leadership training for undergraduates
Compulsory leadership training for undergraduates in Sri Lanka is a mandatory program introduced in 2011 by the Sri Lankan Government for all students select for undergraduate courses in state universities to undergo residential three week leadership training and positive thinking development at...
and the government has chosen the military to provide this training. In November 2011 it was announced that the miltary would take over the maintenance of the country's three international cricket stadiums from the financially troubled national cricket board
Sri Lanka Cricket
Sri Lanka Cricket, formerly the Board for Cricket Control in Sri Lanka , is the controlling body for cricket in Sri Lanka. It operates the Sri Lankan cricket team and first-class cricket within Sri Lanka....
. The Army has taken over the Hambantota Cricket Stadium, the Navy Pallekele Cricket Stadium and the Air Force Premadasa Stadium.
Many senior military commanders have been appointed to senior positions in the diplomatic and civil services: Air Chief Marshal Jayalath Weerakkody
Jayalath Weerakkody
Air Chief Marshal Jayalath Weerakkody RWP, VSV, USP, ndc, psc, SLAF is a retired Sri Lanka Air Force air officer who served as commander of the Air Force from 1998 to 2002....
is the High Commissioner to Pakistan; Air Chief Marshal Donald Perera is the Ambassador to Israel; Major General Nanda Mallawaarachchi is the Ambassador to Indonesia; Major General Udaya Perera is the Deputy High Commissioner to Malaysia; Major General Jagath Dias is the Deputy Ambassador to Germany, Switzerland and the Vatican; Major General Shavendra Silva
Shavendra Silva
Major General Shavendra Silva, WWV, RWP, RSP, USP, psc, CR is a Sri Lankan general and diplomat. The current Sri Lankan Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, he was the former Director of Operations, Sri Lanka Army and the General Officer Commanding, 58 Division during...
is the Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN; Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda
Wasantha Karannagoda
Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda RSP, VSV, USP, MBA, MSc, ndc, psc, DISS, PISS, MRIN, MNI, SLN was the Commander of the Sri Lankan Navy and current Sri Lankan Ambassador to Japan. Before serving as the Commander of the Navy he commanded four Operational Naval Commands on seven occasions...
is the Ambassador to Japan; Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe
Thisara Samarasinghe
Admiral Thisara Sugeeshwara Gunasekara Samarasinghe, RSP, VSV, USP, ndc, psc, DISS, MNI, SLN is a Sri Lankan naval officer and diplomat...
is the High Commissioner to Australia; Major General Amal Karunasekara
Amal Karunasekara
Major General Amal Karunasekara RSP, USP, psc is the Commander of 53 Division and Director Military Intelligence and Infantry of the Sri Lanka Army.Major General Amal is a product of Nalanda College Colombo...
is the charge d’affaires in Eritrea; Major General G. A. Chandrasiri is the Governor of Northern Province; Mohan Wijewickrema s the Governor of Eastern Province; Rohan Daluwatte is the Chairman of the National Gem and Jewellery Authority; and Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya
Jagath Jayasuriya
Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya, VSV, USP, ndc, psc, SLAC is a Sri Lankan military officer and is the current Commander of the Sri Lankan Army...
and Air Chief Marshal Roshan Goonetilleke are board members of the Water’s Edge Complex.
External links
- Ministry of Defence, Public Security, Law & Order - Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
- The official web site of the Government of Sri Lanka
- Sri Lanka Army
- Sri Lanka Navy
- Sri Lanka Air Force
- General Sir John Kotelawala Defence Academy
- Media Center for National Security
- The Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations Office at Geneva
- Library of Congress
- Library of Congress Foreign Military Relations
- Peace in Sri Lanka
- Full-scale fighting flares in Sri Lanka Extract from article about recent fighting, August 2006