Chinese Ambassador Qi Zhenhong visited Keppetipola in the Uva Province and paid tribute to the statue of Keppetipola Disawe, a national hero of Sri Lanka who led the Great Rebellion against colonisation and invasion and sacrificed his life for Sri Lanka’s freedom and independence, the Chinese embassy said in a tweet.
Keppetipola was a high-ranking official under the rule of King Sri Wikrama Rajasinghe and later under the British Administration in Sri Lanka. He was a prominent leader of the Uva rebellion of 1818 after he joined the rebels, whom he was sent to suppress by the British. The rebellion was defeated by the British, and Keppetipola Disawe, along with several other leaders of the rebellion, were found guilty of high treason and sentenced to death.
