18 Facts About Wasantha Karannagoda

Admiral of the Fleet Wasantha Kumar Jayadeva Karannagoda, RSP, VSV, USP, MRIN, MNI was born on November 22,1952 and is a Sri Lankan naval officer.

Wasantha Karannagoda served as the Commander of the Sri Lankan Navy during the last phase of the Sri Lankan Civil War and Governor of North Western Province, Sri Lanka from 2021 to 2023.

Wasantha Karannagoda supported Gotabaya Rajapaksa's presidential campaign and was appointed Governor of North Western Province in 2021 by President Rajapaksa.

Wasantha Karannagoda, he was educated at Ananda College, where he was contemporaries of Sarath Fonseka and Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Wasantha Karannagoda then served as Flag Lieutenant to Commander of the Navy, Admiral Basil Gunasekara.

In 1987, Lieutenant Commander Wasantha Karannagoda attended the naval command and staff course at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich.

Wasantha Karannagoda had served as the Commandant of the Naval and Maritime Academy, Deputy Area Commander, Deputy Area Commander and Deputy Area Commander.

Wasantha Karannagoda gained a Master of Business Administration from the University of Colombo in 1996 and followed a course on International Relations, Law of the Sea and Energy Resources in the United States in 1997.

Rear Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda served as the first Director General at Naval Headquarters and then went on to command four naval commands, Northern, Eastern, Western and North Central Commands, be for appointment as Commander of the Navy with promotion to the rank of Vice Admiral on 1 September 2005.

Wasantha Karannagoda was thereafter appointed Sri Lankan Ambassador to Japan in 2011, serving till 2015.

Wasantha Karannagoda was promoted to the honorary rank of Admiral of the Fleet by President Maithripala Sirisena on 19 September 2019 for his service as the Commander of the Navy during the final stage of the Sri Lankan Civil War.

Wasantha Karannagoda is the first and to-date the only person to hold the rank and second person to be appointed to a Five star rank in Sri Lanka.

Wasantha Karannagoda is one of the accused in the abduction and killing of 11 mostly Tamil youths between late 2008 and mid 2009.

Wasantha Karannagoda had responded accusing the UK government of hypocrisy, claiming that it failed to address atrocities during British colonial rule in India and Sri Lanka as well as the UK government's silence in the ongoing conflicts in Gaza, Syria, Afghanistan, and Libya.

Wasantha Karannagoda claimed that that LTTE sympathizers are active in the UK, the US, Canada, Australia, and Europe attempting to establish a separate state in Sri Lanka by collecting funds to influence politicians in these countries to "impose sanctions on Sri Lankan military leaders who played a key role in defeating the LTTE".

Wasantha Karannagoda accused the British Prime Minister, a former human rights lawyer using this issue to gain votes.

Wasantha Karannagoda urged the Sri Lankan government to stand by its military leaders and be firm against such sanctions.

Wasantha Karannagoda had gained the Surface Warfare Badge and the Commendation Badge.