Kamal Gunaratne

He was born to a family of teachers; his father was a school principal. Educated at Dharmapala Vidyalaya and Ananda College, he joined the army in 1981 as a cadet officer, undergoing basic officer training at the Sri Lanka Military Academy.{{cite web |title=General G.D.H. Kamal Gunaratne (Retd) |url=https://www.defence.lk/Profile/secretary_defence |website=defence.lk |publisher=Ministry of Defence |access-date=18 August 2021}}

After completing his basic training and a commando course, he was commissioned into the Rajarata Rifles as a second lieutenant. Following the disbandment of the Rajarata Rifles, he was one of the initial officers of the newly formed Gajaba Regiment, attached to the 1st Battalion, Gajaba Regiment (1GR) under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Vijaya Wimalaratne and Major Gotabaya Rajapaksa. 1GR was deployed to the Jaffna peninsula between 1983 and 1984 and again 1985 with the escalation of the Sri Lankan Civil War. Serving as a platoon commander, company commander in the Gajaba Regiment, he was promoted to the ranks of lieutenant and captain. In 1987 he took part in the Vadamarachchi Operation and thereafter was deployed to Colombo for internal security duties. He attended the Infantry Young Officers’ Course at the School of Infantry and tactics, Pakistan in 1988 and the Junior Command Course at the College of Combat (now the Army War College, Mhow) in 1990. In 1990, he was the officer commanding the Mankulam Army Camp when it came under intense LTTE attack and under orders from the Wanni Headquarters made a successful withdrawal from the besieged camp. In 1991, he was promoted to the rank of major and was appointed Second in Command of the 6th Battalion, GR. He was the officer commanding the Silawathura Army Camp when it came under siege by the LTTE, holding off the LTTE attack for several days until 6GR was relieved by reinforcements. During the siege he was wounded. Following deployment to Weli Oya he was once again seriously wounded. After returning to operational duties, he was transferred to Army Headquarters as a Grade II Staff Officer in the Directorate of Logistics.

In 1994, having been promoted to lieutenant colonel he took command of the 6GR, taking part in the Operation Riviresa until 1997. Thereafter, he served as Commandant at Infantry Training Centre, Grade I Staff Officer at Joint Services Operational Headquarters coordinating the Operation Jayasikurui. In 1999, he attended the Senior Command Course at the College of Combat (now the Army War College, Mhow), where he gained a MPhil at the University of Madras and thereafter attended the Command and Staff Course at the Command and Staff College, Quetta, gaining his psc qualification and Masters in Art and Science of Warfare from the University of Balochistan. As a colonel he was Brigade Commander of the Air Mobile Brigade at the onset of the Eelam War IV and was promoted to the rank of brigadier, he went on to take command of the 55 Division and 53 Division and was promoted to the rank of major general. 53 Division took part in many major battles leading to the final battle at Nandikadal, leading to the death of LTTE Leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.

Some NGO accused 53 Division under Kamal Gunaratne for executions of LTTE cadres, during the heat of the war near Nandikadal in May 2009.{{cite web |title=Sri Lanka: Army Unit Linked to Executions |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2010/12/08/sri-lanka-army-unit-linked-executions |publisher=Human Rights Watch |accessdate=2 September 2018 |location=New York, U.S.A. |date=8 December 2010}}

Following the war Gunaratne Defence and Strategic Studies Course at the National Defence College, India (2011) National Defence College, New Delhi, gaining his ndc qualification. He served as adjutant general, Security Forces Headquarters – Wanni, Deputy Ambassador to Brazil and Master General Ordnance at the Army Headquarters from 16 February 2015 to 4 September 2016 before his retirement in 2016.{{cite web | url=http://www.ft.lk/article/391545/SL-Army-announces-several-key-appointments--relinquishments | title=SL Army announces several key appointments | publisher=Financial Times}} He was also the Colonel of the Regiment of the Mechanized Infantry Regiment and the Gajaba Regiment.[http://www.army.lk/news/major-general-kamal-gunaratne-honoured-mir-military-parade Major General Kamal Gunaratne Honoured in MIR Military Parade]

He authored an autobiography named Road to Nandikadal{{cite web | url=http://www.vijithayapa.com/product/view/30600 | title=Road to Nandikadal | publisher=Vijitha yapa}} on the war against LTTE,{{cite web|url=http://www.cfr.org/publication/9242 |title=Council on Foreign Relations |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100526145855/http://www.cfr.org/publication/9242/ |archivedate=26 May 2010 }}{{cite web|url=http://www.tkb.org/Group.jsp?groupID=3623 |title=MIPT Terrorism Knowledge Base |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819102855/http://www.tkb.org/Group.jsp?groupID=3623 |archivedate=19 August 2014 }} which was the best-selling book of the 2016 Colombo International Book Fair.{{cite news|title=Road To Nandikadal 'Could Be Sri Lanka's Record Best Seller'|url=http://www.asianmirror.lk/news/item/19305-road-to-nandikadal-could-be-sri-lanka-s-record-best-seller|accessdate=4 August 2017|archive-date=4 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170804214137/http://www.asianmirror.lk/news/item/19305-road-to-nandikadal-could-be-sri-lanka-s-record-best-seller|url-status=dead}} Post-retirement, Gunaratne became an active supporter of former Defence Secretary Lieutenant Colonel Gotabhaya Rajapaksa in his presidential campaign during the 2019 Presidential election.[https://srilankamirror.com/news/9436-gotabhaya-is-the-leader-needed-by-the-country-kamal-gunaratne Gotabhaya is the leader needed by the country – Kamal Gunaratne] Following the election, President Rajapaksa appointed Major General Gunaratne as Defense Secretary succeeding General Shantha Kottegoda on 19 November 2019.{{cite news |title=Kamal Gunaratne appointed new Defence Secretary |url=http://www.adaderana.lk/news_intensedebate.php?nid=59146 |accessdate=19 November 2019 |publisher=Adaderana}} In December 2020, he was elevated to the rank of general by President Rajapaksa.{{cite news |title=Defense Secretary Kamal Gunaratne elevated to rank of General |url=http://www.adaderana.lk/news/70308/defense-secretary-kamal-gunaratne-elevated-to-rank-of-general |access-date=28 December 2020 |publisher=Adaderana}}

General Gunaratne has received some of the highest awards in the Sri Lankan armed forces, which includes the Weera Wickrama Vibhushanaya, Rana Wickrama Padakkama and the Rana Sura Padakkama. He was awarded the Command and Staff College, Quetta Centenary Medal by the Government of Pakistan in 2020.{{cite news |title=Sri Lanka, Pakistan defense relations are getting stronger |url=http://www.colombopage.com/archive_20B/Jul22_1595428626CH.php |access-date=18 August 2021 |publisher=colombopage.com}}

• Road to Nandikadal - Sinhala and English translation.
• Kadol Aththu
• Uthara Devi
• Gotabhaya - Sinhala and English translation.
• Pathalayoo

• List of Sri Lankan non-career Permanent Secretaries

{{reflist}}

• [http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=162171 Major General’s book becomes war crime dossier: FM] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170705172009/http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=162171 |date=5 July 2017 }}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gunaratne, Kamal}}

Category:Sri Lankan full generals

Category:Sinhalese military personnel

Category:Permanent secretaries of Sri Lanka

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Category:Alumni of Ananda College

Category:Living people

Category:Sri Lanka Military Academy graduates

Category:Graduates of the Staff College, Quetta

Category:National Defence College, India alumni

Category:University of Madras alumni

Category:Sri Lankan diplomats

Category:Gajaba Regiment officers

Category:Army War College, Mhow alumni