Lt. Gen. Shavendra Silva new Army Cdr. | Daily News

Lt. Gen. Shavendra Silva new Army Cdr.

Lt. General Shavendra Silva received the appointment letter as the 23rd Commander of the Sri Lanka Army from President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday. Secretary to the President Udaya R. Seneviratne and Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Major Gen. Shantha Kottegoda were also present. Picture by Sudath Silva (President’s Media Division)

Lt. General Shavendra Silva received the appointment letter as the 23rd Commander of the Sri Lanka Army from President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday. Secretary to the President Udaya R. Seneviratne and Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Major Gen. Shantha Kottegoda were also present. Picture by Sudath Silva (President’s Media Division)  

Lt. General Shavendra Silva was appointed as the 23rd Commander of the Sri Lanka Army yesterday. He succeeds Lt. General Mahesh Senanayake, who retired on Sunday.

Lt. Gen. Silva received his letter of appointment from President Maithripala Sirisena last morning.

Joining the Sri Lanka Army as a Cadet Officer in 1984, Lt. General Silva held the position of Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army prior to this appointment.

He led the Army’s 58th Division in the war against the LTTE and served as the Army Chief of Staff since January this year.

“During his exemplary career of more than 34 years, he has held a number of key appointments in the organization and has made a name for himself as one of the few battle-hardened Army warriors who was at the front of the battlefield and defended the country’s territorial integrity, together with his troops before May 2009.

He is also one of the few to be awarded one of the highest gallantry medals, Weera Wickrama Vibushanaya (WWV) in recognition of his contribution to the war for peace,” says the Sri Lanka Army official website about their new commander.

Lt. General Silva was the Ambassador and the Deputy Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in New York during 2010-2015. He was the Alternative Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations Special Political and Decolonization Committee from 2010 to 2015. He was also the Advisor of the Sri Lankan delegation to the United Nations Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Affairs Committee. Being a Member of the Official Sri Lanka Delegation for the 66th, 67th, 68th and 69th United Nations General Assembly, Lt. General Silva participated in many rounds of bilateral and multilateral consultations.

“He also has held all Command appointments that an infantry Officer could hold ranging from that of a platoon commander to the General Officer Commanding of an Infantry Division.

He has also been the Head of the Presidential Security Army Unit at the President’s House in 1987 to former President late J.R. Jayewardene.

He commanded the 58th Division and the Commando Brigade during the Humanitarian Operations and he also commanded the 53rd Division which is the Reserve Strike Force and also commanded the Air Mobile Brigade,” the Sri Lanka Army website said.

He is a graduate from the Harvard University in the United States and holds an MSc in Philosophy and in Defence and Strategic Studies in India.

He has been trained and qualified in psychological operations by the United States Army.

He is a graduate of the Defence Services Command and Staff College and holds a Diploma in personnel management.

He is also an instructor to the International Humanitarian Law Course and a qualified physical training instructor.

Lt. General Silva is an author of the book, titled “Sri Lankan Identity since 2600 years”, which was written to mark the 2600th Anniversary of the Buddha’s Enlightenment.

In appreciation of his service, rendered to the nation, Lt. General Shavendra Silva was also awarded the “Sri Lankeshwara Aparadha Meheyum Visharadha Jothikadhaja Veeraparthapa Deshamanya Jathika Gourawanama Sammana Upadhi Sannas Pathraya”, and the “Veera Gajendra Sangramasuri Jathika Gourawanama Sannaspathraya” & “ Weerawickrama Deshabhani Wishwa Keerthi Sri Ranashura” (the most prestigious awards that a lay-person can receive) by all three sects of the Sri Lankan Buddhist order for true devotion to preserve the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of the motherland. Further, he was recently named and honoured as the “Mederata Abhimanaya” (Pride of the Upcountry) by eminent personalities in the central hill country of Sri Lanka. Lt. General Shavendra Silva is a past pupil of St Thomas College, Matale.

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Major General Shavendra Silva appointed as new Army Chief (13:31)

Major General Shavendra Silva was appointed as the 23rd Commander of the Sri Lanka Army today.

He received his letter of appointment from President Maithripala Sirisena this morning, stated the President’s Media Division.

Joined the Sri Lanka Army as a Cadet Officer in 1984, Major General Silva held the position of Chief of Staff of Sri Lanka Army prior to this appointment.

Secretary to the President Udaya R. Seneviratne, Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Major Gen. Shantha Kottegoda were among the gathering.


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