Premakeerthi de Alwis

Samaraweera Mudalige Don Premakeerthi de Alwis (3 June 1947 – 31 July 1989 as ), popularly known as Premakeerthi de Alwis, was a Sri Lankan radio and television broadcaster and lyricist. Considered as an iconic figure in Sri Lankan radio television history, he was assassinated during the 1987–89 JVP Insurrection at the age of 42 by armed movement of Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP).

Early life and family De Alwis was born on 3 June 1947 in Colombo, Ceylon. He was the second child of Simon de Alwis, a railway employee from Maradana. He was educated at Maradana Maligakande Maha Vidyalaya and Ananda College where he co-edited the school newspaper Dhamma Jayanthi and compiled the Anandaya magazine in 1965.

De Alwis had two children – a daughter (Surangi) from his relationship with Daya de Alwis, and a son (Poorna Sampath) He started working for Radio Ceylon as a freelance announcer on 17 December 1967. De Alwis tried to escape through the back door but more armed men were waiting in his back garden.