The North and East Operations Medal ( Sinhala: උතුරු නැගෙනහිර සංග්‍රාමික පදක්කම ''uthuru nægenahira sangrāmika padakkama'') was a decoration presented to servicepersons of the

Military of Sri Lanka The Sri Lanka Armed Forces is the overall unified military of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka encompassing the Sri Lanka Army, the Sri Lanka Navy, and the Sri Lanka Air Force; they are governed by the Ministry of Defence (MoD). Th ...

and

Sri Lanka Police Sri Lanka Police (; ) is the civilian national police force of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. The police force is responsible for enforcing criminal and traffic law, enhancing public safety, maintaining order and keeping the p ...

for service in the country's Northern and Eastern provinces during the course of the Sri Lankan Civil War between 23 July 1982 and 1 January 2010.

Eligibility

General requirements for eligibility, particularly applicable to members of the

Sri Lanka Air Force The Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF; ; ) is the air force, air arm and the youngest of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces. It was founded in 1951 as the Royal Ceylon Air Force (RCyAF) with the assistance of the Royal Air Force (RAF). The SLAF played a major r ...

and

, were 3 years of cumulative service in the two provinces between the 23 July 1982 and 1 January 2010.

Army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

personnel are subject to a more specific set of rules, requiring 3 years of cumulative service in: *Districts of

Jaffna Jaffna (, ; , ) is the capital city of the Northern Province, Sri Lanka, Northern Province of Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna District located on a Jaffna Peninsula, peninsula of the same name. With a population o ...

Vavuniya Vavuniya (, ) is a city in Vavuniya District in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. The municipality is administered by an Municipal Council. The town has been known since ancient times, but being a heavily forested area, less than 100,000 people ...

Kilinochchi Kilinochchi (; ) is the main town of Kilinochchi District, Northern Province of Sri Lanka. Kilinochchi is situated at the A9 road some south-east of Jaffna. It was the administrative center and de facto capital of the LTTE (Tamil Tigers) until ...

Mullaitivu Mullaitivu (; ) is the main town of Mullaitivu District, situated on the north-eastern coast of Northern Province, Sri Lanka. A largely fishing settlement, the town in the early twentieth century grew as an anchoring harbour of the small sailing ...

, Mannar,

Batticaloa Batticaloa (, ''Maṭṭakkaḷappu'', ; , ''Maḍakalapuwa'', ) is a major city in the Eastern Province, Sri Lanka, and its former capital. It is the administrative capital of the Batticaloa District. The city is the seat of the Eastern Univers ...

Trincomalee Trincomalee (; , ; , ), historically known as Gokanna and Gokarna, is the administrative headquarters of the Trincomalee District and major resort port city of Eastern Province, Sri Lanka, Eastern Province, Sri Lanka. Located on the east coast o ...

and

Ampara Ampara (, ) is the main town of Ampara District, governed by an Urban Council. It is located in the Eastern Province, Sri Lanka, about east of Colombo and approximately south of Batticaloa. History This was a hunters' resting place during Br ...

, * Divisional secretarial divisions of Nochchiyagama, Nuwaragampalatha (Central) and Wilachchiya of

Anuradhapura District Anuradhapura ( ''anūrādhapūra distrikkaya''; ''Aṉurātapuram māvaṭṭam'') is a district in North Central Province, Sri Lanka. Its area is 7,179 km². Major cities * Anuradhapura (Municipal Council) Other towns * Bulnewa * Eppaw ...

, * Divisional secretarial divisions of

Kalpitiya Kalpitiya (, ) is a coastal town located in western region of Puttalam District. The Kalpitiya peninsula consists of a total fourteen islands. It is developing as a tourist destination. Etymology Scholars identify the Sinhalese name "Kalapiti ...

, Wanathawilluwa and Karuwalagaswewa of

Puttalam District Puttalam is a district of Sri Lanka situated near the west coast of the country. The district has an area of . Along with the Kurunegala District, it forms the North Western Province of Sri Lanka. The district capital is Puttalam, which border ...

, * Divisional secretarial divisions of Dimbulagala ana Kankapura of

Polonnaruwa District Polonnaruwa District (; ) is one of the 25 districts of Sri Lanka, the second level administrative division of the country. It is also one of the two districts of North Central Province and has an area of 3,293 km2. The district is adminis ...

to be considered eligible. Similarly,

naval A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operatio ...

personnel are required to have served in: *Eastern Naval Area, *Northern Naval Area, *North Central Naval Area, *SLNS Vijaya (since 1 January 1997) to be eligible for the award. As with other Sri Lankan

military decorations Military awards and decorations are distinctions given as a mark of honor for military heroism, meritorious or outstanding service or achievement. A decoration is often a medal consisting of a ribbon and a medallion. Civil decorations awarded ...

, individuals required a formal recommendation from their immediate superiors and service commander to be considered for award. Shorter service (180 days) in these operational areas allowed for the grant of the Purna Bhumi Padakkama.

Clasps

A maximum of two clasps could also be awarded with the first for a cumulative 5-year service period and a second for a cumulative 10-year service period, subject to the rules of the service branch in question. Each clasp is denoted by a silver color disk on the

ribbon bar A medal ribbon, service ribbon or ribbon bar is a small ribbon, mounted on a small metal bar equipped with an attaching device, which is generally issued for wear in place of a medal when it is not appropriate to wear the actual medal. Each cou ...

References

Sri Lankan Military awards and decorations

External links

Sri Lanka ArmySri Lanka NavySri Lanka Air ForceSri Lanka PoliceMinistry of Defence : Sri Lanka
{{Military awards and decorations of Sri Lanka Sri Lankan campaign medals Awards established in 1983