# Parama Weera Vibhushanaya

The Parama Weera Vibhushanaya (PWV) (Sinhala: පරම වීර වීභූෂණය parama vīra vibhūṣaṇaya; Tamil: பரம வீர விபுஷனைய) is Sri Lanka's highest military decoration, awarded for acts of exceptional valour in wartime. Parama Weera Vibhushanaya translates as the "Order of the Supreme Valour", and the award is granted for "individual acts of gallantry and conspicuous bravery of the most exceptional order in the face of the enemy". Corporal Gamini Kularatne, was the first recipient. As of January 2021, the medal has been awarded 31 times, of which all were posthumous and arose from actions in the Sri Lankan Civil War. Of the 31 awardees, 28 have been from the Sri Lanka Army, two have been from the Sri Lanka Navy and one has been from the Sri Lanka Air Force.
Ceylon used the British awards system and continued post-independence until 1956, when British imperial honours were suspended. New awards were instituted in 1981. PWV is equivalent to the Victoria Cross in the United Kingdom, the Medal of Honor in the United States and Param Vir Chakra in India.

## History

From its formation the Ceylon Defence Force used British military decorations. The practice was continued after Ceylon gained independence in 1948 and the formation of the Ceylon Army in 1949, the Royal Ceylon Navy in 1950, and the Royal Ceylon Air Force in 1951. Following up on his election promise, S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike suspended imperial honours. This meant only service medals such as the Ceylon Armed Services Long Service Medal, the Efficiency Decoration (Ceylon) and the Efficiency Medal (Ceylon) were awarded. No gallantry medals were award during the 1971 JVP Insurrection. In 1972, Ceylon became a republic as the Republic of Sri Lanka. On 1 September 1981, President J. R. Jayewardene instituted new Sri Lankan awards for gallantry the Parama Weera Vibhushanaya (PWV), Weerodara Vibhushanaya (WV), Weera Wickrama Vibhushanaya (WWV), Rana Wickrama Padakkama (RWV), and the Rana Sura Padakkama (RSP) by the Gazette Extraordinary No. 156/5 of 1982.

## Authority and privileges

As the highest award for valour in Sri Lanka, Parama Weera Vibhushanaya is always the first award to be presented at an awards ceremony by the President of Sri Lanka which includes the medal and a sanasa (award scroll). Recipients of the decoration can use the post-nominal letters "PWV" and it is always the first decoration worn in a row of medals and it is the first set of post-nominal letters used to indicate any decoration. Since all awards have been posthumous no tradition exists that require "all ranks to salute a bearer of the Parama Weera Vibhushanaya", nor does it provide for any annuity or monitory benefits for the recipient or next of kin other than statuary pension or WNOP pension as with other similar awards such as the Victoria Cross.

## Award process

The medal can be awarded to all ranks of the tri services, to both regular and volunteer forces, in recognition of:
   ...individual acts of gallantry and conspicuous bravery of a non-military nature of the most exceptional order performed voluntarily with no regard to his own life and security with the objective of saving or safeguarding the life or lives of a person or personnel imperiled by death or for a meritorious act or a series of acts of a humane nature of an exceptional order displayed in saving life from drowning, fire and rescue operations in mines, floods and similar calamities under circumstances of grave bodily injury or great danger to the life of the rescuer...
Field commanders report actions that fulfill the conditions for a PWV to their respective service commanders, who review these reports and, if satisfactory, forward an official recommendation to an awards board composed of officers from the three armed services branches for further review. The board's report is sent to the office of the President who, as commander in chief, has final authority on the award.
As of 2018, all recipients of this award were killed or missing in action- no living serviceperson has ever worn the medal or the ribbon bar, or used the post-nominal letters to date, effectively making the PWV an exclusively posthumous award.

## Recipients

| Name | Rank$^{**}$ | Unit | Date of action | Conflict | Place of action |
| Gamini Kularatne | Corporal | Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment | 14 July 1991 | First Battle of Elephant Pass | Elephant Pass, Northern Province, Sri Lanka |
| Saliya Aladeniya | Captain | Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment | 11 June 1990 | Battle of Kokavil | Kokavil, Northern Province, Sri Lanka |
| K. W. T. Nissanka | Lieutenant | Gajaba Regiment | 14 November 1993 | Battle of Pooneryn | Pooneryn, Northern Province, Sri Lanka |
| W. I. M. Seneviratne | Lance Corporal | Sri Lanka Light Infantry | 4 July 1996 | Suicide bombing | Jaffna, Northern Province, Sri Lanka |
| A.F. Lafir | Colonel | Special Forces Regiment | 19 July 1996 | Battle of Mullaitivu (1996) | Mullaitivu, Northern Province, Sri Lanka |
| Tyron Silvapulle | Wing Commander | Sri Lanka Air Force | 17 December 1999 | Sri Lankan Civil War | Seas off Thamilamadam, Elephant Pass, Northern Province, Sri Lanka |
| Lalith Jayasinghe | Lieutenant Colonel | Special Forces Regiment | 26 November 2008 | LRRP action | Oddusuddan, Northern Province, Sri Lanka |
| Jude Lakmal Wijethunge | Lieutenant Commander | Sri Lanka Navy | 30 March 1996 | Defending a Navy transport from a Sea Tiger attack | Seas off Northern Province, Sri Lanka |
| G. S. Jayanath | Major | Commando Regiment | 4 December 1997 | Operation Jayasikurui | Maankulam, Northern Province, Sri Lanka |
| K. A. Gamage | Major | Special Forces Regiment | 20 April 2009 | 2008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensive | Ampalavanpokkanai, Northern Province, Sri Lanka |
| Pasan Gunasekera | Warrant Officer II | Gajaba Regiment | 29 November 1995 | Operation Riviresa | Jaffna, Northern Province, Sri Lanka |
| K. G. Shantha | Chief Petty Officer | Sri Lanka Navy | 1 November 2008 | Battle against sea Tigers between Point Pedro and Nagar Kovil | Seas off Point Pedro, Northern Province, Sri Lanka |
| K. Chandana | Corporal | Special Forces Regiment | June 2008 | LRRP action | Northeast of Mankulam, Northern Province, Sri Lanka |
| Sugath Chandrasiri Bandara | Sergeant | Special Forces Regiment | 3 February 2009 | 2008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensive | Puthukkudiyiruppu, Northern Province, Sri Lanka |
| H. G. S. Bandara | Staff Sergeant | Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment | 17 May 2009 | 2008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensive | Nanthikadal, Northern Province, Sri Lanka |
| A. M. B. H. G. Abeyrathnebanda | Lance Corporal | Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment | 29 January 2009 | 2008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensive | Visuamadu, Northern Province, Sri Lanka |
| P.N. Suranga | Sergeant | Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment | 14 August 2006 | Battle of Jaffna (2006) | Muhamalai-Nagarkovil defense line, Northern Province, Sri Lanka |
| A. M. N. P. Abesinghe | Corporal | Sri Lanka Light Infantry Regiment | 25 June 2008 | 2008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensive | Thunukkai, Northern Province, Sri Lanka |
| T. G. D. R. Dayananda | Lance-Corporal | Sri Lanka Light Infantry Regiment | 16 September 2008 | 2008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensive | Kilinochchi-Akkarayankulam Road, Northern Province, Sri Lanka |
| P. M. Nilantha Pushpa Kumara | Corporal | Gemunu Watch | 1 February 2009 | 2008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensive | Vishvamadu, Northern Province, Sri Lanka |
| U. G. A. S. Samaranayake | Captain | Gemunu Watch | 2 February 2009 | 2008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensive | PTK Junction, Northern Province, Sri Lanka |
| H. G. M. H. I. Megawarna | Captain | Gemunu Watch | 2 February 2009 | 2008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensive | PTK Junction, Northern Province, Sri Lanka |
| R. M. D. M. Rathnayake | Lance-Corporal | Sri Lanka Light Infantry Regiment | 11 May 2009 | 2008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensive | Nandikadal Lagoon, Northern Province, Sri Lanka |
| G. N. Punsiri | Captain | Gajaba Regiment | 2 July 2007 | 2008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensive | Uvarakkulam, Northern Province, Sri Lanka |
| H. A. Nilantha Kumar | Corporal | Commando Regiment | 29 January 2009 | 2008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensive | Puthukuduiruppu, Northern Province, Sri Lanka |
| K. G. D. Gunasekara | Sergeant | Commando Regiment | 16 February 2009 | 2008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensive | Dara Point, Northern Province, Sri Lanka |
| W. T. Jayatillake | Lieutenant | Gemunu Watch | 20 April 2009 | 2008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensive | Iranamadu, Northern Province, Sri Lanka |
| K. G. N. Perera | Staff Sergeant | Commando Regiment | 21 April 2009 | 2008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensive | Puthumatalan, Northern Province, Sri Lanka |
| S. P. M. L. Pushpama | Corporal | Commando Regiment | 21 April 2009 | 2008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensive | Puthumatalan, Northern Province, Sri Lanka |
| W.M.I.S.B. Walisundara | Major | Gajaba Regiment | | 2008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensive | |
| A.M. Anura | Sergeant | Sinha Regiment | | 2008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensive | |
| K.G.M. Rajapaksha | Lance Corporal | Sinha Regiment | | 2008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensive | |