Sarath Weerasekara

Weerasekara had served as First Squadron Commander Fast Attack Craft, Commanding Officer Surveillance ship SLNS Edithara, Commander Northern Naval Area, Commander Eastern Naval Area, Commander Southern Naval Area, Director General Project and Plans, Director General Welfare, Director General Operations and Deputy Chief of Staff of the Navy. Appointed as Commander Northern Naval Area during LTTE ‘unceasing wave’ operation. He managed to bring Army's MBRL's to KKS harbor in midnight which were used to deter the terrorists advance to Jaffna Peninsula. LTTE ships carrying weapons to the country were destroyed in mid sea during his tenure as Director General Operations at Naval Headquarters. He retired from the Navy in 2006. Then President Mahinda Rajapaksa, on advise of the then Secretary of Defence Gotabaya Rajapaksa appointed him as the first Director General of the Civil Security Force. He was instrumental in the reorganizing the Home Guard into the Civil Defence Force with better training and equipment to effectively counter LTTE attacks on board villages during the last stages of the Sri Lankan Civil War. As such he became on the service commanders felicitated by the government at the end of the war.

In 2002, when the government signed the peace accord with LTTE, he was the Commander Northern Naval Area . The LTTE was given full freedom to enter any Army, Navy camp but Admiral Weerasekera never allowed LTTE to enter Mandativu island which was a very important military strategic location. He also never allowed LTTE to come in wearing the cyanide capsule and he was categorized and warned by the government as " anti peace element" in the peace process. In 2003 when he was the Commander Eastern Naval Area, during the " Peace Accord" , the LTTE vehemently protested to the placing of a Buddha statute in Trincomalee town on Vesak day by the Sinhalese. The terrorists brought the entire town to a standstill by forcibly closing all shops, fuel stations, public transport and tried to destroy the Buddha statue by throwing grenades. When the police and the Army were under orders not to interfere as it was peace time, on the third day Rear Admiral Weerasekera, on his own initiative, took charge of the situation, proceeded to the town with naval troops, guarded the Buddha statue and brought back the town to normal. Within two days, at the demand of the LTTE, the then President Chandrika Bandaranayaka removed him from the Eastern Naval Commander appointment, and brought him to Colombo. However, after few days, a new post was created at NHQ as Deputy Chief of Staff and posted appointed him in it.

When the Yahapalana government co sponsored the 30/1 resolution in Geneva UNHRC Admiral Weerasekera attended the Geneva Human Right Council on his own initiative and submitted documents and the rebuttal prepared by local patriotic intellectuals proving that all the war crime allegations levelled against SL troops were false.

From 2017 he consistently attended all UNHRC sessions in Geneva and challenged the false allegations of the pro LTTE NGOs. In March 2019 at UNHRC, when the UK alleged violations of HR in Sri Lanka, Admiral Weerasekera, in his speech said, that before the UK try to teach Sri Lankans about HR, they should tender a public apology to Sri Lankans for the atrocities they committed in 1818 and return all the Ola leaf books looted from Sri Lanka. He harnessed all the Nationalistic organizations in the country as the convener against the government's activities detrimental to the nation. He is the convener of the National War Heroes Front. He is a pioneer member of Viyathmaga and Eliya organisations inaugurated by Gotabhaya Rajapaksha.

Out of the 225, he was the only Parliamentarian who opposed to the controversial 19th amendment in the parliament. He was the only parliamentarian who opposed to the National Anthem being sung in Tamil in parliament proving that it is a violation of the constitution.

He directed his first film Gamani in 2011, which is about the LTTE terrorist attack of Gonagala massacre in 1999. The film was critically acclaimed and also won many awards. Director, script writer and songwriter of the film Gamani which won 17 Derana film awards and 5 OCIC film awards including the best Director, best Script Writer, best song and best film of the year.

He participated either writing the script or directing "Girikula Pamula" teledrama in 1990s.

Obtained MA and M phil degrees in Buddhist Philosophy. Author of three books:

• සාගරය සහ ගැහැනිය
• නූතන පරෙවි සංදේශය
• තොටගමුවේ ශ්‍රී රාහුල හිමි