Background
Jeyaratnam was born on 22 January 1971.
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Sri Ranga Jeyaratnam
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He then entered the University of Colombo where he was captain of the football team After university Jeyaratnam joined MBC Networks, presenting the Erimalai (volcano) programme on Shakthi FM. He later moved to television, presenting the Minnal (lightning) programme on Shakthi television This programme was very popular amongst the Up-country Tamils, particularly the youth. He is leader of the Citizen"s Front (CF).
According to leaked United States. diplomatic cables the president"s brother, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, was "incensed" by the way Jeyaratnam handled abductions carried out by government backed paramilitary groups, such as the Eelam People"s Democratic Party (EPDP), on his television programme.
According to the cable the president told Jeyaratnam to leave the country, offering him a diplomatic position in Oslo, otherwise EPDP leader Douglas Devananda would have Jeyaratnam killed. The cable also claims that Jeyaratnam feared being assassinated by the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam who considered him to be a Rajapaksa stooge.
During 2005 and 2006 Jeyaratnam and his family received several threats from unidentified persons. In November 2006, after Jeyaratnam"s television programme featured the assassination of Tamil National Alliance Member of Parliament Nadarajah Raviraj, the police informed Shakthi television that Jeyaratnam"s life was in danger.
On 3 February 2010 an unidentified group attacked the vehicle he was travelling in near Hatton.
However, after the election he was not appointed to the National List.
Politics
Jeyaratnam contested the 2010 parliamentary election as one of the United National Front"s candidates in Nuwara Eliya District and was elected to Parliament. Jeyaratnam did not contest the 2015 parliamentary election but was instead placed on the United People"s Freedom Alliance"s (UPFA) list of National List candidates.
