20 Facts About Janaka Perera

Major General Janaka Perera, RWP, RSP, VSV, USP, VSP was a Sri Lankan General and politician.

Janaka Perera served as the Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army and is considered one of the most distinguished generals in Sri Lankan history.

Janaka Perera was the opposition leader of the North Central Provincial Council until he and his wife were killed on 6 October 2008 by a suicide bomber.

General Perera was educated at St John's College, Panadura and after St Joseph's College, Colombo.

Janaka Perera was accepted to University of Ceylon to study geology at the Peradeniya campus before quitting to join the Sri Lanka Army in 1966 as an Officer Cadet.

Janaka Perera received his training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in England.

Janaka Perera first saw action during the 1971 JVP Insurrection as Lieutenant and was promoted to captain in 1973.

Janaka Perera was promoted to Major in 1977, Lieutenant Colonel in 1986 and Colonel in 1988; serving as the Commanding Officer, 5 Field Engineer Regiment; Chief Instructor, Sri Lanka Military Academy and Military Liaison Officer, Ministry of Defence.

Janaka Perera was the Provincial Commander of the North-Western Province as well as being in charge of the special operations of the Operation Combine in Colombo which led to the capture of the JVP leader Rohana Wijeweera.

In 1995, Brigadier Janaka Perera was Brigade Commander of the Independent "Special Forces" Brigade when he was transferred to Weli Oya as the Brigade Commander, 6th Brigade in May 1995.

Janaka Perera served as General Officer Commanding of the 53 Division, 51 Division, 23 Division.

Major General Janaka Perera was appointed as Chief of Staff of the army in 2000 but retired in 2001 when he was overlooked for promotion to Army Commander, causing him to retire in 2001.

Janaka Perera had the unique distinction of being the colonel commandant of the Commando Regiment, Special Forces Regiment and the Corps of Sri Lanka Engineers.

Janaka Perera married Vajira de Silva, who was one of the first six officers to join the Sri Lanka Army Women's Corps in 1982.

Janaka and Vajira Perera had three children together: Janukshi, Shehara and Ashanka.

The government has been blamed by Wikremesinghe and others for not providing adequate security for General Janaka Perera, who had to ask the Supreme Court for protection during the provincial council election when the government candidate was given security and he was not.

Two weeks prior to the assassination, Janaka Perera had complaint to the Superintendent of Police - Anuradhapura for security having received information on a threat to his life.

Janaka Perera had cited that he had received a detail of seven police officers prior to the provincial elections on a Supreme Court order and had been withdrawn by the government.

Janaka Perera's lawyers had been preparing a fundamental rights petition in the Supreme Court the week he was assassinated.

On 11 October 2008, the coffins were taken by procession to the Colombo General Cemetery, where the coffin of Major General Janaka Perera was transfers to a gun carriage of the Sri Lanka Artillery and final rites carried out with full military honors.