In April 1998 President of Sri Lanka Chandrika Kumaratunga awarded national honours to 78 individuals for distinguished services to mark the golden jubilee of Sri Lankan independence.
Deshamanya
Fourteen individuals received the Deshamanya honour:
- Ranjit Abeysuriya (1932–2014), lawyer
- W. D. Amaradeva (1927–2016), musician
- Ken Balendra (born 1940), businessman
- Chitrasena (1921–2005), dancer
- Charitha Prasanna de Silva
- H. L. de Silva (1928–2009), lawyer
- R. K. W. Goonesekera (born 1928), academic
- Tamara Ilangaratne (born 1925), politician
- A. T. Kovoor (1898–1978), academic
- Vernon Mendis (1925–2010), diplomat
- Christopher Rajindra Panabokke
- Duncan White (1918–1998), athlete
- Doreen Winifred Wickramasinghe
- Elanga Wikramanayake, lawyer
Deshabandu
Seventeen individuals received the Deshabandu honour:
- P. T. de Silva (1929–2015), physician
- Adhikari Mudiyanselage Dharmasena
- Thambimuttu Duraisingam
- S. D. Gunadasa (1931–2014), businessman
- Muhammed Abdul Hameed Muhammed Hussain
- Nowfer Saly Jabir
- Kolamba Patabendige Tissaweera Siriwardana Jinasena
- M. G. Mendis (1911–2000), trade unionist
- Chasnyn Musafer
- Rajapakse Pathirannehelage Jayaratne Pathirana
- Minuwanpitiyage Darmasiri Dayananda Pieris
- M. J. Perera (1915–2002), broadcaster
- Seekkubaduge Wilbert Silva
- Ananda Daivin Soysa
- Rajadurai Sellaiah Thanabalasundaram
- Balaupasakage Yasodis Thudawe
- Puvaneshwari Vaithianathan
Veera Chudamani
One individual received the Veera Chudamani honour:
- Manorani Sarawanamuttu
Vidya Jyothi
Nine individuals received the Vidya Jyothi honour:
- Arjuna Aluwihare
- Senaka Dias Bandaranayake
- M. A. Careem
- C. B. Dissanayake
- D. P. Anura Fernando
- J. B. Peiris, physician
- V. K. Samaranayake (1939–2007), academic
- Diyanath Samarasinghe
- R. O. Barnes Wijesekera
Kala Keerthi
Five individuals received the Kala Keerthi honour:
- Dharmasiri Jayakody
- Nalini Jayasuriya
- Premasiri Khemadasa (1937–2008), composer
- Iranganie Serasinghe (born 1927), actress
- Regi Siriwardena (1922–2004), academic
Vidya Nidhi
Three individuals received the Vidya Nidhi honour:
- Norman Rienzie de Silva
- S. K. Sayakkara
- Prematilake Wijesekera
Kala Suri
Nine individuals received the Kala Suri honour:
- Tissa Abeysekara (1939–2009), filmmaker
- Dharmasiri Bandaranayake (born 1949), film director
- D. V. Richard de Silva
- Parakrama Kodituwakku, poet
- Jayalath Manoratne (born 1948), dramatist
- J. S. B. Jaya Rani Perera
- S. A D. D. Samarasekera
- A. Sivanesa Selvan
- Jiffry Yoonoos
Sri Lanka Thilaka
Sixteen individuals received the Sri Lanka Thilaka honour:
- Karunapala Aprakke
- K. Arnis
- G. Liyanage David
- U. M. Haniffa
- H. K. Hettiarachchi
- K. S. Jayasena
- W. Jayathilaka
- M. R. T. Karunaratne
- Edmund Opanayake
- S. V. P. Tikiri Panikkiya
- Kuragala Pinsara
- D. C. M. Piyatilake
- Sunil Premadasa
- G. S. B. Senanayake
- T. A. Sirisena
- Piyadasa Wickramanayake
Veera Prathapa
Three individuals received the Veera Prathapa honour:
- O. R. A. K. Perera
- Amithapala Weerasinghe
- R. P. R. Wickramapala
Sri Lanka Rathna
One individual received the Sri Lanka Rathna honour:
- Susumu Saegi
References
- "Deshamanya for 14 Lankans". The Sunday Times. Colombo, Sri Lanka. 5 April 1998. Retrieved 26 August 2019.
- "National Honours". Colombo, Sri Lanka: Presidential Secretariat. Archived from the original on 26 January 2017. Retrieved 26 August 2019.
 Orders, decorations, and medals of Sri Lanka | |||||||||||
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| National honours |  | ||||||||||
| Police awards and decorations |
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| Other honors and orders | |||||||||||
| Honors by year | |||||||||||
