The following lists notable events that occurred during
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
in
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
.
Incumbents
*
President –
Maithripala Sirisena
*
Prime Minister –
Ranil Wickremesinghe
*
Chief Justice –
K. Sripavan
Justice Kanagasabapathy J. Sripavan ( ta, கனகசபாபதி சிறீபவன் ''Kaṉakacapāpati Ciṟīpavaṉ'', si, කනකසපාපති ශ්රීපවන් ; born 29 February 1952) is a Sri Lankan Tamil lawyer ...
Governors
*
Central Province –
Surangani Ellawala
Surangani Visaka Ellawala (1939 – 14 March 2016) was a Sri Lankan politician who was a member of parliament (2000-2001) and served as the 9th Governor of the Central Province (2015-2016).
She was the wife of Nanda Ellawala, who was the membe ...
(until 14 March);
Niluka Ekanayake
Niluka Ekanayake is a Sri Lankan politician and astrologer. She was appointed by President Maithripala Sirisena from 17 March 2016 to 11 April 2018 as the 10th Governor of Central Province. She was also appointed as the 9th Governor of Sabarag ...
(starting 14 March)
*
Eastern Province –
Austin Fernando
Kalupage Austin Fernando is a Sri Lankan civil servant and the current Sri Lankan High Commissioner to India. He had previously served as Secretary to the President of Sri Lanka, Defence Secretary and Governor of the Eastern Province.
Early l ...
*
North Central Province –
P. B. Dissanayake
Punchi Banda Dissanayake is a Sri Lankan politician and was the 12th Governor of the Central Province (April – December 2018). In 2018 he also served as the acting Governor of Uva Province
Uva Province ( si, ඌව පළාත, Uva Pa ...
*
Northern Province –
H. M. G. S. Palihakkara
Hewa Matara Gamage Siripala Palihakkara (born 1947) is a Sri Lankan civil servant, diplomat and former Governor of Northern Province.
Early life and family
Palihakkara was born in 1947. After school he joined the University of Ceylon, Peradeniya f ...
(until 16 February);
Reginald Cooray
Reginald Cooray (12 November 1947 – 13 January 2023) was a Sri Lankan teacher and politician. He was a provincial chief minister, a government minister, and governor of the Northern Province. He was briefly governor of the Central Province ...
(starting 16 February)
*
North Western Province –
Amara Piyaseeli Ratnayake
*
Sabaragamuwa Province
The Sabaragamuwa Province ( si, සබරගමුව පළාත ''Sabaragamuwa Paḷāta'', ta, சபரகமுவ மாகாணம் ''Sabaragamuwa Mākāṇam'') is one of the nine provinces of Sri Lanka, the first level administrati ...
–
Marshal Perera
Bodiyabaduge Marshal Anslem Romanis Perera (1930/1931 – 30 May 2020) ( PC) was a Sri Lankan politician and governor of Uva, Sabaragamuwa and Southern Provinces. He served as Governor of Sabaragamuwa Province, in office between January 2 ...
*
Southern Province –
Hemakumara Nanayakkara
Hemakumara Wickramathilaka Nanayakkara is a Sri Lankan politician and was the 7th Governor of the Western Province of Sri Lanka, in office since 12 April 2018. He has also been a Governor of the Southern Province, a former member of the Parliam ...
*
Uva Province
Uva Province ( si, ඌව පළාත, Uva Paḷāta, ta, ஊவா மாகாணம், Uvā Mākāṇam) is Sri Lanka's second least populated Provinces of Sri Lanka, province, with 1,259,880 people, created in 1896. It consists of two dis ...
–
M. P. Jayasinghe
*
Western Province –
K. C. Logeswaran
Kanapathipillai Cathiravelpillai Logeswaran ( ta, கணபதிப்பிள்ளை கதிரவேல்பிள்ளை லோகேசுவரன் ''Kaṇapatippiḷḷai Katiravēlpiḷḷai Lōkēcuvaraṉ'') is a Sri Lankan civi ...
Chief Ministers
*
Central Province –
Sarath Ekanayake
Sarath Ekanayake is the former Chief Minister of the Central Province of Sri Lanka. He previously served as the 2nd, 4th and 7th Chief Minister of Central Province between April and June 1999, November 2000 and April 2002 and 2004 till 2015. He ...
*
Eastern Province –
Ahamed Nazeer Zainulabdeen
Naseer Ahamed Zainulabdeen, MP, (Tamil:பொம்பாய் மண்டையன்), ( Sinhala:නසීර් අහමඩ්), (born 16 April 1961) is a Sri Lankan politician, Cabinet Minister and a member of the Sri Lankan parliament. ...
*
North Central Province –
Peshala Jayarathne
Sudasinghe Mudiyanselage Peshala Jayarathne Bandara is a Sri Lankan politician and is the former Chief Minister
A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance ...
*
Northern Province –
C. V. Vigneswaran
Canagasabapathy Visuvalingam Vigneswaran, President's Counsel, PC ( ta, கனகசபாபதி விசுவலிங்கம் விக்னேஸ்வரன், translit=Kaṉakacapāpati Vicuvaliṅkam Vikṉēsvaraṉ; si, ක ...
*
North Western Province –
Dharmasiri Dassanayake
Dharmasiri Dassanayake is a Sri Lankan politician who is the current Chief Minister
A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivis ...
*
Sabaragamuwa Province
The Sabaragamuwa Province ( si, සබරගමුව පළාත ''Sabaragamuwa Paḷāta'', ta, சபரகமுவ மாகாணம் ''Sabaragamuwa Mākāṇam'') is one of the nine provinces of Sri Lanka, the first level administrati ...
–
Maheepala Herath
Maheepala Herath is a Sri Lankan politician. The current Governor of the North Central Province, he was the former Chief Minister of Sabaragamuwa Province of Sri Lanka. He belongs to the Sri Lanka Freedom Party and part of the United People ...
*
Southern Province –
Shan Wijayalal De Silva
Shan Wijayalal De Silva is a Sri Lankan politician. He is a Member of Parliament (MP) for Galle District since 2020. He belongs to the Sri Lanka Freedom Party and part of the United People's Freedom Alliance
The United People's Freedom Allia ...
*
Uva Province
Uva Province ( si, ඌව පළාත, Uva Paḷāta, ta, ஊவா மாகாணம், Uvā Mākāṇam) is Sri Lanka's second least populated Provinces of Sri Lanka, province, with 1,259,880 people, created in 1896. It consists of two dis ...
–
Chamara Sampath Dassanayake
Chamara Sampath Dasanayaka (born 31 August 1971) is a Sri Lankan politician and the former Chief Minister of Uva, Chief Minister of Uva Province in Sri Lanka.
Dassanayake was first elected to Uva Provincial Council at the 1994 Sri Lankan provinc ...
*
Western Province –
Isura Devapriya
Isura Devapriya is a Sri Lankan politician who was the Chief Minister of the Western Province. He was appointed to the position on 8 September 2015, following the election of his predecessor, Prasanna Ranatunga, to parliament
In m ...
Events
January
* 13 January – Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption investigations: Former MP
Duminda Silva
Arumadura Lawrence Romelo Duminda Silva (born 3 December 1974: as Sinhala :දුමින්ද සිල්වා), popularly as Duminda Silva or R. Dumindha Silva, is a Sri Lankan politician and a former Member of Parliament. He is the brothe ...
, who had been arrested for failing declare assets in 2011, 2012 and 2013, is released on bail.
* 19 January –
United National Front for Good Governance (UNFGG)
National List MP A. R. A. Hafeez resigns from
Parliament.
* 21 January –
investigations:
Nalaka Godahewa
Nalaka Godahewa, Member of Parliament, MP (Sinhala language, Sinhala: නාලක ගොඩහේවා, Tamil language, Tamil: நாலக கொடஹேவா, born 7 June 1965) is a Sri Lankan politician, former Cabinet Minister, and form ...
, R. Ibrahim and Dhammika Manjira Perera, who had been arrested in December 2015 in connection with misappropriation of funds at the Securities and Exchange Commission, are released on bail.
* 25 January –
Murder of K. Tharshan: Six year old K. Tharshan is raped and murdered in
Sampur.
* 26 January –
M. S. Thowfeek
Mohamed Shariff Thowfeek ( ta, முகம்மது சரிப் தௌஃபீக், translit=Mukam'matu Carip Tauḥpīk; born 7 January 1971) is a Sri Lankan politician, former provincial councillor, former deputy minister and Member ...
is sworn in as a UNFGG National List MP, replacing
A. R. A. Hafeez who resigned on 19 January 2016.
* 30 January –
investigations:
Carlton Sports Network (CSN) directors
Yoshitha Rajapaksa
Lieutenant Commander Yoshitha Rajapaksa (born 12 June 1988) is a Sri Lankan sportsman and former naval officer. He is the son of the sixth president of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa and served as the Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister of ...
,
Nishantha Ranatunga
Nishantha Ranatunga (born 22 January 1966) is a former Sri Lankan cricketer who played two One Day Internationals in 1993. An all-rounder of note in domestic cricket, he is the brother of former Sri Lanka captain Arjuna Ranatunga, Sanjeeva Ran ...
, Kaushal Dissanayake, Ravinath Fernando and Rohan Welivita are arrested in connection with
money laundering
Money laundering is the process of concealing the origin of money, obtained from illicit activities such as drug trafficking, corruption, embezzlement or gambling, by converting it into a legitimate source. It is a crime in many jurisdictions ...
at CSN.
February
* 9 February –
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
leader
Sarath Fonseka is sworn in as a UNFGG National List MP, replacing minister
M. K. A. D. S. Gunawardana
Munasinghe Kariyawasam Appuhamilage Don Somadasa Gunawardana (6 March 1947 – 19 January 2016) was a Sri Lankan politician and a former member of Parliament and government minister.
Early life
Gunawardana was born 6 March 1947. He was educated a ...
who died on 19 January 2016.
* 16 February – Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption investigations: Former minister
Kumara Welgama, who had been arrested in connection with financial irregularities at the
Sri Lanka Transport Board
The Sri Lanka Transport Board (Sinhala language, Sinhala: ශ්රී ලංකා ගමනාගමන මණ්ඩලය ''Shri Lanka Gamanāgamana Mandalaya'')(formerly: Ceylon Transport Board, CTB) is a bus service provider in Sri Lanka. ...
, is released on bail.
* 25 February – Democratic Party leader
Sarath Fonseka is appointed to the
Cabinet
Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to:
Furniture
* Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers
* Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets
* Filing ...
.
March
* 10 March –
investigations: Former minister
Basil Rajapaksa
Basil Rajapaksa (born 27 April 1951) is a Sri Lankan-American politician. He is a former Minister of Finance and Member of Parliament for the national list.
He was also a member of the Sri Lankan Parliament from 2007 to 2015. During the period ...
and former director general of the Divi Neguma Department R. R. K. Ranawaka, who had been arrested in connection with
misappropriation of state funds, are released on bail.
* 14 March –
investigations:
Yoshitha Rajapaksa
Lieutenant Commander Yoshitha Rajapaksa (born 12 June 1988) is a Sri Lankan sportsman and former naval officer. He is the son of the sixth president of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa and served as the Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister of ...
, Kaushal Dissanayake, Ravinath Fernando and Rohan Welivita, who had been arrested in January 2016 in connection with money laundering at CSN, are released on bail.
* 16 March –
investigations:
Nishantha Ranatunga
Nishantha Ranatunga (born 22 January 1966) is a former Sri Lankan cricketer who played two One Day Internationals in 1993. An all-rounder of note in domestic cricket, he is the brother of former Sri Lanka captain Arjuna Ranatunga, Sanjeeva Ran ...
, who had been arrested in January 2016 in connection with money laundering at CSN, is released on bail.
* 29 March – A suicide kit, mines, explosives and ammunition are discovered at a house in Maravanpulavu near
Chavakachcheri.
* 30 March – Former
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE; ta, தமிழீழ விடுதலைப் புலிகள், translit=Tamiḻīḻa viṭutalaip pulikaḷ, si, දෙමළ ඊළාම් විමුක්ති කොටි, t ...
(LTTE) cadre Ramesh (Edward Julian) is arrested in Iluppaikkadavai in connection with the Chavakachcheri explosives find.
April
* 11 April
** A further state minister and two deputy ministers are appointed.
** A 59-year-old woman and her 33-year-old daughter are killed when the
autorickshaw they are traveling in is hit by a speeding military vehicle near Vigneswara College in
Trincomalee.
* 20 April –
Murder of Wasim Thajudeen: The former crime
OIC of the
Narahenpita
Narahenpita is a municipal ward of Colombo. Located at the South-Eastern corner and served by the Kelani Valley Railway Line
The Kelani Valley railway line in Sri Lanka, covering the breadth of Colombo District. The line is owned, maintained, ...
Police,
IP Sumith Champika, is arrested by the
Criminal Investigation Department in connection with Wasim Thajudeen's murder.
* 22 April – Former president
Mahinda Rajapaksa
Mahinda Rajapaksa ( si, මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ, ta, மஹிந்த ராஜபக்ஷ; born Percy Mahendra Rajapaksa; 18 November 1945) is a Sri Lankan politician. He served as the President of Sri Lanka from 2005 to ...
and former minister
G. L. Peiris meet
Udayanga Weeratunga
Udayanga Weeratunga is a Sri Lankan businessman who was the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka to the Russian Federation from 2006 to 2015. Weeratunga is a first cousin of President ...
, who is wanted in
Ukraine in connection with supplying arms to pro-Russian rebels, in
Udon Thani,
Thailand.
* 23 April – Former LTTE cadre Damotharan Jayakanth is arrested by the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) for not having undergone "rehabilitation".
* 24 April – Colonel Ram (Ethirmannasingham Harichandran), the LTTE's former commander for
Ampara District, is abducted from his home in Thampiluvil by three unidentified men in a blue van. The abductors are later identified as the police's TID.
* 25 April –
Holy Family Convent, Bambalapitiya students Yasara Perera and Sharon Schuilling are killed as they cross the railway line in
Dehiwala.
* 26 April – Lieutenant Colonel Kalaiarasan (Ganeshapillai Arivalahan), the LTTE's chief of intelligence for
Trincomalee District
Trincomalee District ( ta, திருக்கோணமலை மாவட்டம் ''Tirukōṇamalai Māvaṭṭam;'' si, ත්රිකුණාමළය දිස්ත්රික්කය ''Trikuṇāmalaya distrikkaya'') is one ...
, is arrested in Trincomalee by the TID in connection with the Chavakachcheri explosives find.
* 27 April
** V. S. Sivakaran, the leader of the
Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi's youth wing and editor of the ''Puthiyavan'', is arrested in
Mannar Mannar may refer to the following places:
India
* Mannar, Alappuzha, a town in Chengannur Taluk, Kerala
Sri Lanka
* Mannar District, one of 25 districts in Sri Lanka
** Mannar Island, an island within the district
**Mannar Bridge, a bridge connect ...
by the TID in connection with the Chavakachcheri explosives find. He is released on bail the following day.
** Lieutenant Colonel Nagulan (Kanapathipillai Sivamoorthy), the former commander of the LTTE's
Charles Anthony Brigade
The Charles Antony Special Regiment, was an elite infantry unit and the first conventional fighting formation created by the LTTE. It was founded on 10 April 1991, and was initially trained under the leadership of Brigadier Balraj. It was the ol ...
, who was thought to have been killed by the military in 2007, is arrested in
Kopay by the TID.
[
]
May
* 2 May – Lieutenant Colonel Praba (Krishnapillai Kalainesan), the LTTE's chief of intelligence for Batticaloa District, is arrested in Eravur.
* 3 May – A brawl in Parliament between Joint Opposition and government MPs results in UNFGG MP Sandith Samarasinghe being hospitalised.
* 14 May – Cyclone Roanu
Cyclonic Storm Roanu was a relatively weak tropical cyclone that caused severe flooding in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh during May 2016. It is the first tropical cyclone of the 2016 North Indian Ocean cyclone season, annual cyclone season. Roanu ...
: Beginning of days of torrential rain across Sri Lanka which cause floods and landslides affecting half a million people, killing at least 82 and leaving more than 100 missing.
* 21 May – Jayanthi Kuru-Utumpala
Jayanthi Kuru-Utumpala ( si, ජයන්ති කුරු උතුම්පාල, born 3 September 1979) is a Sri Lankan adventurer, professional rock climber, motivational speaker, and LGBT and women's rights activist. She is the first pers ...
becomes the first Sri Lankan to reach the summit of Mount Everest.
June
* 2 June – British citizen Velauthapillai Renukaruban is assaulted and tortured after being detained by the police in Jaffna.
* 5 June – A fire at the Salawa army camp near Kosgama causes a series of explosions which results in the death of one soldier and the evacuation of thousands living nearby.
* 9 June – Pradeep Kumara Perera kills himself and two women (Walpola Mudiyanselage Buddhika Neelanyani and Sirimathi Walpola) using a hand grenade.
* 11 June – Murali (Sivarasa Sivakulan), a government backed paramilitary operative and close confidant of former Janna Commander Major General Mahinda Hathurusinghe, is arrested by the TID in connection with the Chavakachcheri explosives find.
* 30 June – Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
leader Sarath Fonseka joins the United National Party.
July
* 11 July – investigations: MP Namal Rajapaksa is arrested in connection with laundering Rs. 70 million given by Indian property development company Krrish Group for rugby development.
* 16 July – Violent clashes between Sinhalese and Tamil students at the University of Jaffna
The University of Jaffna ( ta, யாழ்ப்பாணப் பல்கலைக்கழகம், translit=Yāḻppāṇap Palkalaikkaḻakam; si, යාපනය විශ්වවිද්යාලය, ''Yāpanaya Viśvavidyālaya''; ...
leads to the evacuation of all Sinhalese students and closure of the university.
* 18 July – investigations: Former minister Basil Rajapaksa
Basil Rajapaksa (born 27 April 1951) is a Sri Lankan-American politician. He is a former Minister of Finance and Member of Parliament for the national list.
He was also a member of the Sri Lankan Parliament from 2007 to 2015. During the period ...
is arrested in connection with misappropriation of state funds from the Divi Neguma Department.
* 28 July – A protest march by the Joint Opposition (Jana Satana Pada Yatra) from Kandy to Colombo begins.
August
* 5–21 August – 2 athletes from Sri Lanka compete at the 2016 Summer Olympics
The 2016 Summer Olympics ( pt, Jogos Olímpicos de Verão de 2016), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad ( pt, Jogos da XXXI Olimpíada) and also known as Rio 2016, was an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 20 ...
in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
* 12 August – President of the Galle Cricket Association, Halambage Premasiri is murdered around Friday night by two individuals who were arrived in a white motor car near the residence of him at Manimulla area in Ambalangoda. Premasiri was shot dead by the unknown suspects while he was driving home with his 12-year old son.
* 15 August – investigations: MP Namal Rajapaksa is arrested in connection with laundering Rs. 45 million through two companies he owns (NR Consultation Private Limited and Gowers Corporation Private Limited) and using it to buy shares in Hello Corp Private Limited.
September
* 8 September – Kolonnawa shootings: Sarath Bandara, Withanalage Anura Thushara de Mel, Janaka Bandara Galagoda, Chaminda Ravi Jayanath (Dematagoda Chaminda) and former MP Duminda Silva
Arumadura Lawrence Romelo Duminda Silva (born 3 December 1974: as Sinhala :දුමින්ද සිල්වා), popularly as Duminda Silva or R. Dumindha Silva, is a Sri Lankan politician and a former Member of Parliament. He is the brothe ...
are convicted of the murder of Mohamed Azmi, Dharshana Jayathilake, Manivel Kumaraswamy and former MP Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra
Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra ( Sinhala: භාරත ලක්ෂ්මන් ප්රේමචන්ද්ර) (26 January 1956 – 8 October 2011) also known as "Lucky Aiya", was a Sri Lankan politician, a former member of the Parliam ...
in October 2011 and sentenced to death.
* 9 September – Sri Lankan cricketer Tillakaratne Dilshan retires from all international cricket. He ends his 17-year career as 11th highest ODI scorer and 2nd highest T20I scorer of all time.
October
* 20 October – University of Jaffna
The University of Jaffna ( ta, யாழ்ப்பாணப் பல்கலைக்கழகம், translit=Yāḻppāṇap Palkalaikkaḻakam; si, යාපනය විශ්වවිද්යාලය, ''Yāpanaya Viśvavidyālaya''; ...
students V. Sulakshan and N. Gajan are shot dead by police in Kokkuvil.
December
* 8 December – President Sirisena revokes and annuls the proclamation by Governor Robert Brownrigg on 10 January 1818 declaring the 19 leaders of the Uva Wellassa Rebellion to be traitors.
* 17 December – 11 people are killed and several injured in a head collision between a van and a bus in Sangathani near Chavakachcheri.
* 24 December – Assassination of Nadarajah Raviraj: All five defendants are acquitted by the all-Sinhala jury.
Deaths
January
* 1 January – Ian Pieris, 82 (cricketer).
* 13 January – Sarath Silva, (actor)
* 15 January
** Chandrasiri Kodithuwakku
Kodithuwakku Arachchige Chandrasiri (born 27 December 1949 – died 15 January 2016 as චන්ද්රසිරි කොඩිතුවක්කු) inhala, popularly known as Chandrasiri Kodithuwakku, was an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, ...
, 66 (actor)
** Shantha Deshabandu, 64 (lyricist)
* 19 January – M. K. A. D. S. Gunawardana
Munasinghe Kariyawasam Appuhamilage Don Somadasa Gunawardana (6 March 1947 – 19 January 2016) was a Sri Lankan politician and a former member of Parliament and government minister.
Early life
Gunawardana was born 6 March 1947. He was educated a ...
, 68 (politician).
* 20 January
** Eileen Siriwardena, (author)
** Athulasoma Atigala, (actor)
February
* 1 February – Susila Kuragama
Kala Bhushana Susila Kuragama ( සුසිලා කූරගම, inhala 14 October 1943 – 1 February 2016), was an actress in Sri Lankan cinema, stage drama and television. She became very popular with the role "Ensina" she played in the t ...
, 72 (actress)
* 12 February – Tissasiri Perera (musician)
* 20 February – H. D. S. Jayasekara, (musician)
* 21 February – Anton Jones
Anton Jones ( Sinhala: ඇන්ටන් ජෝන්ස්; 3 June 1937 – 21 February 2016) was a Sri Lankan singer and songwriter. Considered as a prominent Baila singer in Sri Lanka, Jones had several hits, including ''Mini Gawuma'' and ''U ...
, 78 (musician).
* 24 February – Dharmapala Abeywardena, (film producer)
* 27 February
** Ajantha Ranasinghe
Ranasinghe Arachchilage Ajantha Sarath Kumara Ranasinghe (30 May 1940 – 27 February 2016), popularly as Ajantha Ranasinghe, was an award winning Sri Lankan journalist, lyricist, poet, and novelist. Considered one of the most iconic and prolific ...
, 74 (composer)
** Wiswa Warnapala, 79 (politician).
* 28 February – Sengai Aaliyan, 75 (author).
* 29 February – Dotty Jayasekara (actress)
March
* 9 March – Galagama Sri Aththadassi Thera, 94 (Buddhist monk).
* 10 March – Nanda Mahawatta, (actress)
* 11 March – Prof. Susantha Mahaulpatha (author)
* 14 March
** Surangani Ellawala
Surangani Visaka Ellawala (1939 – 14 March 2016) was a Sri Lankan politician who was a member of parliament (2000-2001) and served as the 9th Governor of the Central Province (2015-2016).
She was the wife of Nanda Ellawala, who was the membe ...
, 76 (politician).
** Suranimala Rajapaksha
Rajapakse Mohottige Don Suranimala Rajapaksha ( Sinhala:සුරනිමල රාජපක්ෂ) (5 January 1949 – 14 March 2016) was a Sri Lankan politician. Rajapaksha was first elected to the Parliament of Sri Lanka in 1994 and h ...
, 67 (politician).
* 15 March – K. A. Wijeratne, (filmmaker)
* 22 March – Tissa Udangamuwa, (actor)
* 30 March – Prasad Gunawardena, (journalist)
April
* 8 April – Albert Fernando, (singer)
* 11 April – A. R. Surendran
Arumugam Ratnavadivel "A. R." Surendran (died 11 April 2016) was a Sri Lankan Tamil lawyer and President's Counsel.
Early life and family
Surendran was the son of Arumugam Ratnavadivel. He was educated at Jaffna Central College between 1963 a ...
, (lawyer).
* 12 April – Somapala Hewakapuge, (actor)
* 13 April – Ranjith Dayananda, (actor)
* 14 April – Mahinda Makalanda, (writer)
* 15 April – Sumana Saparamadu, (journalist)
* 19 April – Nalaka Adhikari, (program producer)
* 21 April – D. B. Nihalsinghe
Dr. Diongu Badaturuge Nihalsingha (known as ''D. B. Nihalsinghe'', 27 May 1939 – 21 April 2016) was an accomplished Sri Lankan film director, cinematographer, editor, producer. He was noted for his versatility : as a film cameraman, as a fil ...
, 76 (filmmaker).
* 24 April – G. H. Stanley Perera (theater actor)
* 26 April – M. H. Mohamed
Mohamed Haniffa Mohamed (15 June 1921 – 26 April 2016) was a Sri Lankan politician. Mohamed served as the 14th Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka as well as being a former member of Parliament and government minister. Mohamed was the fir ...
, 94 (politician).
May
* 6 May – Dayaratne Ranepura, (poet)
* 9 May – Meegala Mudiyanse, (journalist)
* 15 May – Dr. Ashley Halpe, (author)
* 19 May – Wasantha Kumara Kethhena, (journalist)
* 24 May – Ishani Ranganath, (musician)
June
* 12 June – U. B. Wijekoon, 79 (politician).
* 15 June
** Somawansa Amarasinghe, 73 (politician).
** Alavi Moulana, 84 (politician).
* 23 June – Gamini Malwannage, (radio announcer)
* 25 June – M. S. Ananda, (musician)
* 28 June – Asoka Wanniarachchi, (journalist)
* 30 June – Dushyayantha Samarasena, 61 (journalist)
July
* 13 July – Rohana Dandeniya, (director)
* 19 July – Nimal Jayamuni, (actor)
* 22 July – Mangala Moonesinghe
Mangala Nath Moonesinghe (27 July 1931 – 23 July 2016) was a Sri Lankan lawyer and politician. He served as a Member of Parliament for Bulathsinhala electorate between 1965 and 1977, and the Kalutara electorate between 1989 and 1994. He w ...
, 84 (politician).
August
* 1 August – Mervyn Benz, 76 (sound administrator)
* 2 August – Chinthana Jayasena, 68 (journalist)
* 8 August – Vijaya Nandasiri
Ilukpitiya Mudiyanselage Vijaya Nandasiri (born 6 May 1944 – died 8 August 2016 as විජය නන්දසිරි) was an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, stage drama and television. Considered a leading dramatist in Sri Lankan cinema, ...
, 69 (dramatist).
* 10 August – Elmo Fernando
Elmo Fernando (died 11 August 2016) was a popular announcer with Radio Ceylon and subsequently the Ceylon Broadcasting Corporation. Fernando was an excellent reader of the news. He joined Radio Ceylon, the oldest radio station in South Asia at a t ...
, 75 (broadcaster).
* 11 August – Sri Lal Gomez, 61 (photographer)
* 12 August – Halambage Premasiri, 52 (cricket administrator)
* 15 August – Sarath de Abrew, 63 (judge).
September
* 4 September – Cyril C. Perera
Cyril C. Perera (3 June 1923 – 4 September 2016) was a Sri Lankan author of Sri Lankan literature, Sinhala literature who was well known for his translations of world literature into Sinhalese language, Sinhalese. His translations included novel ...
, 93 (translator).
* 6 September – Nauyane Ariyadhamma Mahathera
Most Ven. Nauyane Ariyadhamma Maha Thera ( si, අතිපූජ්යය නා උයනේ අරියධම්ම මහා ථේර, 24 April 1939 – 6 September 2016) was a Sri Lankan ''bhikkhu
A ''bhikkhu'' (Pali: भ ...
, 77 (Buddhist monk).
* 22 September – Sujatha Thotawatte, (editor)
October
* 1 October – Anton Jeyanathan
Mariyampillai Antony Jeyanathan ( ta, மரியம்பிள்ளை அன்ரனி ஜெகநாதன்; 11 May 1948 – 1 October 2016) was a Sri Lankan Tamil teacher, politician and provincial councillor.
Jeyanathan was bo ...
, 68 (politician).
* 16 October – Kaveesha Ayeshani, 23 (actress)
* 26 October – Vijaya Ramanayake, 71 (film producer)
November
* 3 November – W. D. Amaradeva, 88 (musician).
* 16 November – Siri Kularatne (filmmaker, lyricist)
* 17 November – Langani Abeydira, (author)
* 20 November – Wimal Kumara de Costa, 68 (dramatist).
December
* 7 December – Sunil Dayananda Konara, 64 (musician)
* 17 December – Anne Ranasinghe
Anne Ranasinghe (born Anneliese Katz; 2 October 1925 – 17 December 2016) was a History of the Jews in Germany, Jewish-German born Sri Lankan English-language poet. She is considered one of Sri Lanka's leading English-language poets, having won ...
, 91 (author).
* 21 December – Nandana S. Kommalage, (photographer)
* 26 December – Milina Sumathipala, 81 (film producer)
* 27 December – Ratnasiri Wickremanayake
Ratnasiri Wickremanayake ( si, රත්නසිරි වික්රමනායක, ta, ரத்னசிறி விக்கிரமநாயக்க; 5 May 1933 – 27 December 2016) was a Sri Lankan politician who was Prime Mi ...
, 83 (Former prime minister).
* 29 December – Sunil Wimalaweera (lyricist)
References
External links
{{Year in Asia, 2016
2010s in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
Years of the 21st century in Sri Lanka