Sri Lanka's 'death threat' brigadier rewarded with new military post

An infamous Sri Lankan brigadier has been rewarded with a new post in the military, just days after a British court ruling found him guilty of threatening Tamil protestors in London.

Brigadier Priyanka Fernando was appointed as the new Director of Real Estate and Quartering at the Sri Lankan Army Headquarters on Monday.

A Buddhist religious ceremony was held, with the brigadier praying before a Buddha statue, before he signed documents acknowledging his official taking up of the post.

The Westminster Magistrate’s Court found Fernando guilty of violating the Public Order Act, after he motioned death threats to Tamil protestors in London last year, upholding a previous ruling that stated he was not protected by diplomatic immunity.

Initially, an arrest warrant was produced for Fernando’s arrest, whilst in Sri Lanka he was received as a hero and praised by senior political leaders.

As part of the military offensive in 2009, Brigadier Fernando also fought in Weli Oya and Janakapura for the 11 Gemunu Watch Battalion as part of the 59 Division of the Sri Lankan Army, implicating himself in war crimes.The United Nations OHCHR Investigation into Sri Lanka detailed multiple incidents, implicating the 59 Division in the shelling of hospitals south of Mullaitivu.