Parami Kulatunga

This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (April 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Deputy Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army
Battles/wars	Sri Lankan Civil War
Awards	Rana Sura Padakkama Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya Uttama Seva Padakkama Desha Putra Sammanaya

Tamil Tiger suicide bomber who drove an explosives laden motorbike into his staff car as it was driving to a military base at Pannipitiya

near Colombo.

Early life and education

Born in Lewella, Kandy, to Lionel and Leela Kulatunga. He was the youngest of four siblings, Lumbini, Samantha and Indu. Kulatunga was educated at Trinity College, Kandy, where he played rugby and became the Senior Regimental Sergeant Major of the Senior Cadet Platoon.^[2]

Military career

Early career

Having joined the

Major General Tissa Weeratunga and active service in the northern province with the Gemunu Watch with the on set of the Sri Lankan Civil War, participating in the Vadamarachchi Operation in 1987.^[2]^[3]

Staff officer

On March 24, 1989, he was appointed as

General Sir John Kotelawala Defence Academy at Ratmalana on November 31, 1993, and took over as assistant military secretary at the Ministry of Defence June 10, 1994. Kulatunga had attended the Senior Command Course at the Army War College, Mhow; the Advanced Intelligence Course in Singapore and the Intelligence Staff Officers’ Course at the Military Intelligence Training School in Pune.^[2]^[3]

Higher command

On December 12, 1994, he was promoted to

Varani. On May 5, 2000, he was promoted to the rank of major general and appointed as GOC of the 11th Division in the Panagoda Cantonment

In 2003, he attended the

Colonel of the Regiment of the Gemunu Watch from July 17, 2003. He had represented Sri Lanka in a number of international symposiums, including the Special Operations conference in the US, South Asia Peace Keeping Operations Seminar in Bangladesh, Pacific Armies Management seminar in Malaysia, Senior Military Officers’ Seminar in United Kingdom and United Nations medal awarding parade in Haiti

Assassination

On the morning of June 26, 2006, Major General Kulatunga was killed along with two other military personnel of his detail, Staff Sergeant Gomes and Corporal Buddhika and a civilian bystander, by a

suicide bomber who drove an explosives-laden motorbike into his Peugeot 406 staff car at Panipitiya as it was driving to army headquarters from his official quarters at the Panagoda Cantonment. He was age 55 at the time of his death. The government did not retaliate in force due to international press.^[4]^[5]

Threats

The

Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka was severely wounded by an LTTE suicide bomb attack on his unarmored staff car at the army headquarters. Fonseka was transferred to Singapore for medical treatment. Major General Nanda Mallawaarachchi, Chief of Staff of the Army, took over temporary command of the army and Major General Kulatunga became the second in command effectively. Having received warnings, Kulatunga had requested quarters within the Army Headquarters, however this request was turned down. This forced Kulatunga to commute 28 km daily to his office at Army Headquarters from his quarters in the Panagoda Cantonment in his unarmored staff car.^[4]

Funeral

Major General Kulatunga was posthumously promoted to the rank of

U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania

on October 11, 2006. [6]^[7]

Investigation

Police Criminal Investigation Department investigations into the attacks on Fonseka and Kulatunga, discovered LTTE links with organized crime groups in Colombo and military personnel who had collaborated with the LTTE for money. Major Manamendra Dassanayake was convicted of aiding and abetting the LTTE in the assassinations of Lieutenant General Parami Kulathunga and Colone Tuan Nizam Muthaliff, while Major Piyasiri Perera who was sentenced to death by a Court Marshall for treason was also implicated in the assassination.^[8]^[9]^[10]

Awards and decorations

Kulatunga had received Rana Sura Padakkama (RSP) for gallantry, Uttama Seva Padakkama (USP), Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal, Riviresa Campaign Services Medal, Purna Bhumi Padakkama, North and East Operations Medal, Desha Putra Sammanaya amongst others. In 2008 he was posthumously awarded the Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya.^[11]

Rana Sura Padakkama	Uttama Seva Padakkama	Desha Putra Sammanaya	Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya
Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal	Riviresa Campaign Services Medal	Purna Bhumi Padakkama	North and East Operations Medal

References

^ Lt.Gen. Parami Kulatunga, an epitome of military heroism
^ ^a ^b ^c "Lt. Gen. Parami Kulatunga, An Appreciation". The Island. 24 June 2018. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
^ ^a ^b ^c Weerasooriya, C. S. "Appreciations". Sunday Times. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
^ ^a ^b "Who kept Kulatunga out of Army HQ". Sunday Times. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
^ Parami killing: Police on trail of Tiger spy
^ "Sri Lanka general killed in blast". BBC News. 26 June 2006.
^ Assassination of Major General Prami Kulathunge
^ Police seek public support to catch commando extortionist
^ LTTE assassinations: Cracking the network
^ A case of mistaken identity Ice Manju still WANTED
^ Highest Service Medal VSV Conferred on Commander^{[permanent dead link]}