Priyanka Fernando

Major General Priyanka Fernando, RWP, USP, is a former senior Sri Lanka Army general. He has served as the Director General of General Staff (DGGS);[1] General officer commanding (GOC), 58 Division; Commandant of the Ranaviru (veterans) Resource Centre; Director of Rehabilitation; and the Director of Real Estate and Quartering. He served as the Colonel of the Regiment of the Mechanized Infantry Regiment and was the Sri Lankan Minister Counsellor (Defence) in London.

Major General

Priyanka Fernando

RWP, USP
Native name
ප්‍රියංක ප්‍රනාන්දු
BornColombo, Sri Lanka
AllegianceSri Lanka
Service/branch Sri Lanka Army
Years of service1986 - 2021
Rank Major general
UnitGemunu Watch
Commands held58 Division,

651 Brigade,
511 Brigade,
221 Brigade,

11th Battalion, Gemunu Watch
Battles/wars
Sri Lankan Civil War
Eelam War IV
Awards RWP

USP

Desha Putra Sammanaya
Alma materD. S. Senanayake College

Early life and education

Fernando was educated at D. S. Senanayake College.[2]

Military career

Early career

Fernando enlisted the Sri Lanka Army regular force as a cadet officer on 27 October 1986, receiving his basic training at the Sri Lanka Military Academy, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Gemunu Watch on 23 July 1987. He served with the 5th Battalion, Gemunu Watch which was part of the elite Air Mobile Brigade. He was a course instructor of the Sri Lanka Military Academy.

Field command

Fernando was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel and served as the commanding officer of the 11th Battalion, Gemunu Watch, from October 2007 until December 2008.[3] He was attached to the 59 Division and which was commanded by Major General Nandana Udawatta during the Sri Lankan Civil War. Thereafter, he was promoted to colonel and served as officiating Brigade Commander of the 651 Brigade from August 2009 to February 2010, and from October 2014 to January 2016.[4] After being a young Brigade Commander, he was appointed as the Centre Commandant of the Gemunu Watch.[5]

Staff duties

Fernando was appointed as a brigade commander on two other occasions, first in the 511 Brigade and then in the 221 Brigade. Brigadier Fernando was appointed as Minister Counsellor (Defence) to the High Commission of Sri Lanka, London, on 5 August 2017 and served until 28 February 2018. Following his return, Fernando took a Brigade Commander course in China. He then served as the commandant, Ranaviru Sevana (Veteran services), from September 2018 to January 2019, and commandant of Ranaviru Resources Centre from January 2019 to December 2019. He served as director real estate and quartering at the Army Headquarters from 24 January 2019 to 18 December 2019.[6]

Higher command

In March 2020, Fernando was appointed general officer commanding of the 58 Division.[7] On 18 May 2020, Fernando was promoted to the rank of major general.[8][9][10][11] After serving as GOC, 58 Division, he was appointed as the Director General General Staff (DGGS) at the army headquarters in January 2021. He was the Parade Commander in the 73rd Independence Day (2021) of Sri Lanka.[12] On the 21 July 2021, Fernando served as the 12th Colonel of the Regiment of the Mechanized Infantry Regiment (MIR).[13] He retired from the army in December 2021.[14]

Awards and decorations

Fernando's decorations are the Rana Wickrama Padakkama and bar, the Uttama Seva Padakkama, the Northern Humanitarian Operations Medal, the Eastern Humanitarian operations Medal, the North and East Operations Medal, the Riviresa Campaign Services Medal, the Sevabhimani Padakkama, the Sewa padakkama, the Sri Lanka Army 50th Anniversary Medal, the Purna Bhumi padakkama, the 50th Independence Anniversary Commemoration Medal, and the Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal.[15]

Controversy

During his tenure as the Minister Counsellor (Defence) of the High Commission of Sri Lanka in London, Fernando gained media attention for making throat-slitting gestures towards LTTE protesters outside the Sri Lankan High Commission in London on 4 February 2018 (Sri Lanka's independence Day), for which he was fined £2,400 by the Westminster Magistrates' Court, which ruled Fernando "is not protected by diplomatic immunity".[16][17][18][19][20][21][22]

In March 2020, the Westminster Magistrates’ Court ruling was overturned on appeal by Fernando to the High Court of Justice, which quashed his conviction, upholding his diplomatic immunity as per the Vienna Convention, to which Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom are parties. The High Court judges ruled the Chief Magistrate of Westminster Magistrates’ Court was incorrect in her decision Fernando was not covered by residual immunity at the time.[23]

See also

References
  1. "Major General Priyanka Fernando, New DGGS Assumes Office | Sri Lanka Army". www.army.lk. Retrieved 2021-08-13.
  2. "Unknown facts about Brig Fernando" (in Sinhala). hirunews.lk. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  3. 11th Battalion, Gemunu Watch
  4. "651 BRIGADE". army.lk. Sri Lanka Army. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  5. "The Gemunu Watch". alt.army.lk. Retrieved 2021-08-11.
  6. "Brig Priyanka Fernando, New Director Real Estate & Quartering Assumes Office". army.lk. Sri Lanka Army. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  7. "New 58 Div GOC Assumes & Former GOC Relinquishes". army.lk. Sri Lanka Army. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  8. "177 Army officers including Brig. Priyanka Fernando promoted". Adaderana. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  9. "HISTORIC PROMOTION OF 14,617 ARMY OTHER RANKS COINCIDES WITH NATIONAL WAR HEROES' DAY". www.news.lk. Retrieved 2021-08-11.
  10. "Sri Lanka : Sri Lanka President promotes over 4700 Army Officers & Other Ranks marking 12th anniversary of war victory". www.colombopage.com. Retrieved 2021-08-11.
  11. "177 Army officers promoted". CeylonToday. Retrieved 2021-08-11.
  12. "73rd Independence Day Spirits Grip on Self-Reliance of the Nation". Sri Lanka Army. 4 February 2021. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
  13. "Mechanized Infantry Regiment". alt.army.lk. Retrieved 2021-08-11.
  14. "Major General Priyanka Fernando Receives Best Wishes of the Army Chief before Retirement". Sri Lanka Army. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  15. "Medals | Sri Lanka Army". www.army.lk. Retrieved 2021-08-11.
  16. Brown, David (4 March 2019). "Sri Lankan envoy convicted over threats to protesters". Thetimes.co.uk. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  17. Bowcott, Owen; Taylor, Diane (1 February 2019). "UK arrest warrant for Sri Lanka attache over throat-cut gestures revoked". Theguardian.com. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  18. "UK court finds Sri Lankan Brigadier Priyanka Fernando guilty". Colombogazette.com. 21 January 2019. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  19. "Brig. Priyanka Fernando Found Guilty On Three Offences Under Public Order Act: Arrest Warrant Issued". Colombotelegraph.com. 21 January 2019. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  20. "Brig. Priyanka Fernando to China". Dailymirror.lk. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  21. Sri Lanka envoy suspended over throat-slitting gesture. Catherine Philp & Phil Miller, The Times, 7 February 2018. Retrieved 5 March 2019. (subscription required)
  22. "£2,400 fine for 'throat-slit' gesture : UK Court Finds Brig Priyanka Fernando Guilty". CeylonToday. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
  23. "UK High Court rules in favor of Major Gen Priyanka Fernando". NewsFirst. Retrieved 5 May 2021.


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