Ranjan Wijeratne
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| General The Honourable Ranjan Wijeratne |
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| In office 1988 – 1991 |
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| Born | April 4, 1931 Sri Lanka |
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| Died | March 2, 1991 Colombo, Sri Lanka |
| Nationality | Sri Lankan |
| Political party | United National Party |
| Spouse | Delande Surya Bandara |
| Children | Rohan Wijeratne |
| Alma mater | St Thomas' College |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Profession | Planter |
| Religion | Buddhist |
| Website | www.ranjanwijeratnefoundation.org |
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| Allegiance | Sri Lanka |
| Service/branch | Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force |
| Years of service | (1984-1988) |
| Rank | General (posthumous) |
| Unit | Sri Lanka Riffle Corps |
General Ranjan Wijeratne (April 4, 1931 - March 2, 1991) was Sri Lanka's minister of foreign affairs, minister of state for defense[1] (deputy defense minister) and minister of plantation industries from 1989 to 1991[2] in President Ranasinghe Premadasa's cabinet.
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[edit] Early life
Born to Walpola Mudalige George Hercules Wijeratne and Rosalind Maria Senanayake he was educated at St. Thomas' College, Gurutalawa and St Thomas' College, Mt. Lavinia. Wijeratne began a career as a planter, holding many high positions in the tea plantation sector of Sri Lanka. In 1978 he was made Secretary to the Ministry of Agricultural Development and Research and Chairman of the Agricultural Development Authority. In 1984 Ranjan Wijeratne was commissioned as Lieutenant Colonel in the Sri Lanka Riffle Corps with its formation, which was established to provide security to the plantation sector.
[edit] Political career
He resigned from all government posts and his commission when he went into active politics in 1988 when he was appointed Chairman of the United National Party, he went on to become the General Secretary of the Party. Wijeratne was elected to parliament in the general elections of 1989 and was appointed foreign minister and minister of state for defense by President Ranasinghe Premadasa.
[edit] Death
He was assassinated on March 2, 1991, by the LTTE organization using a remote controlled car bomb[3] while he was traveling to his office in Colombo, during rush hour killing 19 people including the minister and five bodyguards and 13 civilian bysatnaders[4][1]. He was known to have a hard line stance towards the LTTE[5].
Lt. Colonel Ranjan Wijeratne was posthumously promoted to the rank of General and Kotelawala Defence Academy (now Kotelawala Defence University) at its second convocation, conferred an honorary degree of Doctor of Law (LLD) (Honoris Causa).
[edit] See also
- Assassinations attributed to the LTTE
- Terrorist attacks carried out by the LTTE
- Sri Lankan Civil War
[edit] Reference
[edit] External links
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by Abdul Cader Shahul Hameed |
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka 1989–1993 |
Succeeded by Abdul Cader Shahul Hameed |
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