Janaka Perera assassinated, blast kills 28 in Anuradhapura

Maj. Gen (retd.) Janaka Perera and his wife, Vajira, a former Sri Lanka Army officer, were killed in a bomb blast in Anuradhapura Monday morning around 8:45.

Around 28 persons were killed and 80 wounded in the blast, which the Sri Lankan government blamed on the LTTE.

An attacker, strapped with hidden explosives, embraced the former commander killing himself and several others, initial reports said.

Maj. Gen. (retd.) Perera was the Opposition Leader of the United National Party (UNP) in North Central Province.

He had been the UNP candidate for the Chief Minister post in 2008 Provincial Elections in North Central Province, which was marred by violence.

In recent months, the celebrated General was a vocal critic of the military strategy pursued by the government and favoured a judicious mix of political initiatives with military manoeuvres to resolve the ethnic strife.

He joined the UNP just before the August provincial election and was declared its chief ministerial candidate.

However, the ruling combine led by President Rajapaksa secured majority and Maj. Gen. (retd.) Perera became the Leader of the Opposition.

Anuradhapura district organiser Dr. Rajah Johnpulle, a Tamil UNP activist whose home and dispensary were set on fire by UPFA supporters in August, his wife, and several UNP activists were also killed in the blast.

A journalist covering the ceremony was also killed in the blast.

TV journalist Rashmi Mohamed, a provincial correspondent of Sirasa TV, was covering the opening ceremony of the UNP office in Anuradhapura.

Five media organisations expressed their deep sorrow over his death.

At least fifteen of the 80 wounded were in critical condition, according to medical sources. Over 300 participants were at the site of the blast.

Maj. Gen. (retd.) Perara was participating in an opening ceremony of a new UNP office close to the old bus stand in the town.

During Eelam War III, Maj. Gen. Janaka Perera played a major role in Jaffna and in Manalaaru (Weli Oya).

After the fall of Elephant Pass Base, he was appointed Overall Operations Commander (OOC) when Major Sarath Fonseka (now Lt. Gen.) was Security Forces Commander in Jaffna.

He retired from the military after being sidelined from becoming the Commander of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and appointed as the High Commissioner for Sri Lanka, first in Australia, and then in Indonesia, following his retirement.

His appointment as the envoy to Australia in June 2001 sparked protest demonstrations in Sydney.

More than 300 Tamils protested outside the Australian parliament accusing Gen Perera of "war crimes".

Sri Lanka was forced to withdraw his controversial posting to Sri Lankan High Commission in Canada, following diplomatic pressure on Colombo on his poor record on Human Rights in his career.

The Tamil community accused him of being responsible for hundreds of deaths and the torture of Tamils in the region during the period.

More than 600 Tamils were forcefully disappeared during his tenure as Overall Commander of the Sri Lankan forces in Jaffna.

The human rights group Amnesty International raised similar concerns.

A Tamil village, Mankindi-malai in Manalaaru region, was renamed Janakapura, after the SLA evicted Tamils from their village in 1984 and established Sinhala colonies there.

Maj. Gen. (ret) Perera (then a brigadier) was posted for two years in Janakapura as the commander of the SLA's Special Forces with a key camp at Janakapura.

Janaka Perera, one of the SLA's most celebrated officers, was barred from entering SLA camps in April 2008 by the military hierarchy after he criticized the present SLA Commander and the Rajapaksa government for their conduct of war with unrealistic deadlines.

Mr Perera had three children – two daughters and a son – studying in Canberra, Australia.