Wanni heroes rewarded

Brigadier Prasanna de Silva, the illustrious Special Forces officer has been appointed Director General of Joint Training in the soon to be Office of the Chief of Defence Staff headed by 4-star General Sarath Fonseka.

The 47-year old officer could also receive a promotion as a Major General. Another little-known (by the general public) but equally brilliant officer appointed the Director General of Joint Planning and Development is Major General Mahesh Senanayake also of the Special Forces.

Other notable leaders in the Wanni battle like Major General Jagath "Chula" Dias, Major General Kamal Gunaratne and Brigadier Shevendra Silva have also received new postings.

Maj. General Dias was appointed Deputy Ambassador to Germany and was set to embark on that 2-year assignment when he met with an accident resulting in a broken hip. He was traveling alone without an escort after an unofficial trip. Claims by certain media of a conspiracy to assassinate the Maj. General is completely false.

Major General Kamal Gunaratne was appointed by Army Commander Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasooriya the SF Commander Wanni. He is also the Colonel Commandant of the Special Forces Brigade which functioned independently under General Fonseka until the end of the war. Major General Gunaratne is also to receive a foreign diplomatic assignment while still in service.

Brigadier Shevendra Silva has been appointed Director Operations at Army Headquarters Colombo. These officers will each receive a diplomatic assignment on a rotating basis.

Together these valiant officers will carry forward the farsighted reformations put forward by General Fonseka.