View source for Sarath Munasinghe

{{Short description|Sri Lankan army general}}
{{More footnotes|date=February 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox MP
| honorific-prefix    =[[The Honourable|Hon.]] [[Major General]] 
| name = Sarath Munasinghe
| honorific-suffix    = [[Rana Wickrama Padakkama|RWP]], [[Rana Sura Padakkama|RSP]], [[Uttama Seva Padakkama|USP]]
| image = 
| caption             =
| constituency_MP     =[[Kurunegala District]]
| parliament = Sri Lanka
| majority            =<!-- Can be repeated up to eight times by adding a number -->
| term_start          =2000<!-- Can be repeated up to eight times by adding a number -->
| term_end            =2004<!-- Can be repeated up to eight times by adding a number -->
| predecessor         =<!-- Can be repeated up to eight times by adding a number -->
| successor           =<!-- Can be repeated up to eight times by adding a number -->
| birth_date = 1949
| birth_place = [[Kurunegala]], [[Dominion of Ceylon]]
| death_date = 17 March 2008
| death_place = [[Colombo]], [[Sri Lanka]]
| nationality = [[Sri Lanka]]n
| party = [[United National Party]]
| otherparty = [[Sri Lanka Freedom Party]] (2000–2001)
| spouse = 
| partner = <!--For those with a domestic partner and not married -->
| relations           =
| children            =
| residence           =
| alma_mater          =
| occupation          =[[Politician]]
| profession          =[[Military]]
| period = 
| rank     = [[Major General]] 
| branch   = [[Sri Lanka Army]]
| commands = [[Security Forces Headquarters – Jaffna]],<br> 51 Division,<br> 54 Division SLA,<br> 12 Brigade Group,<br> 15 Brigade Group
| unit     = [[Sri Lanka Artillery]]
| allegiance = [[Sri Lanka]]
| serviceyears = (1970–1999)
| battles = [[1971 Insurrection]],<br> [[Sri Lankan civil war|Sri Lankan Civil War]]
| awards              =[[Rana Wickrama Padakkama]],<br> [[Rana Sura Padakkama]],<br>[[Uttama Seva Padakkama]]                   
| signature           =
| website             =
| footnotes           =
}}

[[Major General]] '''Sarath Munasinghe''', {{postnominals|country=SRI|size=100%|sep=,|RWP|RSP|USP}} was a senior [[Sri Lanka Army]] [[Officer (armed forces)|officer]] and [[politician]]. He had served [[Security Forces Headquarters – Jaffna|Commander Security Forces Headquarters Jaffna]] and following his retirement, went on to be elected as [[Member of Parliament (Sri Lanka)|Member of Parliament]] of [[Kurunegala District]] and [[Deputy speaker and chairman of committees of the Parliament of Sri Lanka]].

== Early life and education ==
Born in Polgahawela in [[Kurunegala]], he was educated at [[Maliyadeva College]], [[Kurunegala]].<ref name="DN1">{{cite news |title=Major General Sarath Munasinghe passes away |url=http://archives.dailynews.lk/2008/03/18/news12.asp |access-date=21 February 2021 |work=Daily News}}</ref>

==Military career==
Munasinghe joined the [[Sri Lankan Army]] as a [[cadet officer]] on 5 February 1970 and following his basic officer training at the [[Army Training Centre, Diyatalawa]] in its 3rd intake, he was commissioned as a [[second lieutenant]] in the 4th Artillery Regiment, [[Sri Lanka Artillery]] on 1 June 1971, soon after the [[1971 JVP insurrection]].<ref name="DN1"/> Munasinghe served as an [[artillery|artillery officer]] and attended the artillery young officer's course at the [[Indian Army]] School of Artillery in [[Deolali]] in 1975. In 1977, having reached the rank of captain, he was sent to the intelligence staff officer's course at the [[Military Intelligence Training School and Depot]] in [[Pune]] and on his return was posted to the [[Army Headquarters (Sri Lanka)|Army Headquarters]] as [[Staff_(military)#British_Army_staff|General Staff Officer]] (Grade 3) - intelligence from January 1978. In January 1979 he was sent by Brigadier [[Cyril Ranatunga]] to Jaffna to set up an intelligence unit for the army with the increase in [[Sri Lankan Tamil militant groups|Tamil militant groups]]. He returned army headquarters in December 1979. Promoted to the rank of [[Major (Sri Lanka)|major]], he was posted as the battery commander of the 9 Field Battery, 4th Artillery Regiment with which he served in Manner. Between December 1980 and April 1981 he attended the junior command course at the [[Army War College, Mhow]]. Returning to his command, the 9 Field Battery was deployed to Jaffna in June 1981. In 1982, he was posted as an intelligence officer attached to the [[Security Forces Headquarters – Jaffna|Northern Command]]. Major Munasinghe was one of the first on the seen following the ambush of the army patrol [[Four Four Bravo]]. In February 1984, he was posted as an officer instructor at the [[General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University|Kotelawala Defence Academy]] after which he served as a [[staff officer]] at Army headquarters in Colombo. Following a military training in the United States in 1988, he was posted as the senior intelligence officer to the [[Directorate of Military Intelligence (Sri Lanka)|Directorate of Military Intelligence]] with the rank of [[lieutenant colonel]]. From February 1990 to November 1990, Munasinghe served as the [[commanding officer]] of the 6th Field Regiment, Sri Lanka Artillery.<ref>{{cite web |title=6TH FIELD REGIMENT OF SRI LANKA ARTILLERY |url=https://alt.army.lk/gunner/6-sla |website=army.lk |publisher=Sri Lanka Army |access-date=21 February 2021}}</ref>

Serving for 29 years in the army, he held several senior commands such as; [[general officer commanding]] 51 Division SLA and 54 Division SLA; commander 12 Brigade Group, [[Colombo]]; commander 15 Brigade Group, [[Mannar, Sri Lanka|Mannar]]; [[commanding officer]] of 6th Regiment Sri Lanka Artillery; coordinating chief [[Batticalao]], [[Ampara]], [[Polonnaruwa]] Districts and coordinating officer [[Welioya]]. He was also the Army Director Psychological Operations and Director Media Operations Headquarters, Ministry of Defense and Director Media [[Army Headquarters (Sri Lanka)|Army Headquarters]] whilst being the army media spokesman. In 1998 he was promoted to the rank of major general and in 1999 served as Commander Security Forces Headquarters Jaffna, one of the most senior commands in the Sri Lankan military.

==Political career==
Major General Munasinghe entered the [[Parliament of Sri Lanka]] in 2000 as a member of the [[Sri Lanka Freedom Party|Peoples Alliance]], representing the Kurunegala District and was made [[Deputy speaker and chairman of committees of the Parliament of Sri Lanka]], and in 2001 crossed over to the opposition and became a member of the [[United National Party]] (UNP). He was not reelected in 2001. However he was appointed as the chairman of the Building Materials Corporation. At the time of his death he was the UNP chief organizer for the [[Polgahawela]] electorate. He died after a brief illness and his funeral took place in Kurunegala with full military honors.{{fact|date=April 2025}}

==Family==
He was married and had two sons.{{fact|date=April 2025}}

==References==

{{reflist}}

==External links & sources==
*[http://www.lankaeverything.com/vinews/srilanka/20080317055501.php Sri Lanka - Major General Sarath Munasinghe dies]
*[http://www.island.lk/2008/03/18/news2.html Major Gen. Sarath Munasinghe dead]

{{Members of the Sri Lankan Parliament from Kurunegala}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Munasinghe, Sarath}}
[[Category:1949 births]]
[[Category:2008 deaths]]
[[Category:Sri Lankan major generals]]
[[Category:Sinhalese military personnel]]
[[Category:United National Party politicians]]
[[Category:Sri Lankan Buddhists]]
[[Category:Members of the 11th Parliament of Sri Lanka]]
[[Category:Sri Lanka Military Academy graduates]]
[[Category:Alumni of Maliyadeva College]]
[[Category:Deputy speakers and chairmen of committees of the Parliament of Sri Lanka]]
[[Category:Sri Lanka Artillery officers]]
[[Category:Army War College, Mhow alumni]]