The 9th General Deshamanya Denis Perera Oration was held on September 15 at the Kotelawala Defence University Auditorium.
This oration is an annual event conducted by the Association of Retired Flag Rank Officers (ARFRO).
The oration was attended by Mrs Ranjini Perera, wife of the Late General Deshamanya Denis Perera, Chief of Defence Staff General Shavendra Silva, Vice Admiral Priyantha Perera Commander of the Navy, Air Marshal Udeni Rajapaksa Commander of the Air Force, Retired Service Commanders, Past Presidents of ARFRO, Vice Chancellor KDU, family and friends of General Perera, and Members of ARFRO to celebrate the life and times of a legendary Army chief, diplomat and a top corporate icon.
At the oration, the august audience was reminded of Deshamanya General Denis Perera’s contribution towards establishing the KDU.
It was the late General who initiated and converted the famous ‘Kandawala Estate’ owned by Sir John Kotelawala into the esteemed military university it is today. The oration was truly an inspiring event celebrating the life of a giant soldier who had a profound impact on the lives of many, both in the armed forces and civilian life in many ways.
Vice Admiral Priyantha Perera, the 25th Commander of the Navy delivered the oration. It is of significance to mention that he is the first KDU alumni who has been elevated to command any service in the country.
The title of the oration was “Grey Zone Maritime Conflict”. Grey Zone conflict, also known as Hybrid Warfare or ambiguous warfare, refers to a type of conflict that falls below the threshold of conventional warfare but goes beyond routine diplomacy and competition.
In grey zone conflicts, state and non-state actors use a combination of instruments of power, military, economic, political, and informational means to achieve their objectives without engaging in open, large-scale combat. The orator was able to reflect deeply and did justice to the topic in an extremely professional manner.
The event was graced by former Service Chiefs namely, General Sri Lal Weerasuriya, General Jagath Jayasuriya, General Daya Ratnayake, Admiral Daya Sandagiri, Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe and Admiral Ravindra Wijayagunaratne, some of whom were past Presidents of ARFRO as well.
Past Presidents of ARFRO Major General Lohan Gunawardena and Rear Admiral Sarath Rathnakeerthi and the Present President Air Chief Marshal Gagan Bulathsinghala also graced the occasion along with many members of the ARFRO. The event was also attended by serving tri-service officers, family and friends of General Deshamanya Denis Perera, and distinguished guests including members of the diplomatic corps.
The oration was conducted under the auspices of the Association of Retired Flag Rank Officers (ARFRO) which was inaugurated by General Deshamanya Dennis Perera way back in 1996.
ARFRO is also a member of the Organization of Professionals Association (OPA). The organizing committee was headed by Air Vice Marshal Kishan Yahampath.
ARFRO will continue to support the planned programmes of its welfare arm - the Ranaviru Family Counselling & Support Services (RFCSS), to reach out to the families of those fallen heroes.
ARFRO believes that the well-being of these families is a bounden responsibility of one and all.
May the Late Deshamanya General Dennis Perera be remembered by the future generation for his vision, knowledge, magnanimity, professionalism, and excellence in soldiering!