News
Govt: Madrasas and burqa will be banned as recommended by PCoI
By Saman Indrajith
Minister of Public Security Rear Admiral (retd.) Dr. Sarath Weerasekera told Parliament yesterday that action would be taken to ban Madrasas and burqas as a measure to prevent the recurrence of Islamic extremist activities in the country.
Making a ministerial statement on the Report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry on the Easter Sunday attacks, the Minister said that all those directly or indirectly responsible for the terror attacks on April 21, 2019 would be arrested.
Minister Weerasekera said investigations had revealed that there had been eight opportunities that had been missed by the intelligence and security officials in the yahapalana regime to prevent the Easter Sunday attacks. On Feb 6, 2018 there was a bomb attack on a member of the National Front for Good Governance, Abdul Farwadan. Six days later there had been another bomb attack on the office of the National Front for Good Governance at Kattankudy. Six months later, the brother of Zahran Hashim, Rilvan was injured while experimenting with explosives at Palamunai in Batticaloa. Two weeks later two policemen were killed at Vavunathivu. One month later there was an incident of damaging Buddha statues in Mawanella. Three weeks after that a stock of explosives was found from Wanathawilluwa. Two months later on March 08, 2019 an informant of the Criminal Investigation Department Thaslim was shot and wounded. Five weeks later on April 16, 2019 the explosives had been tested on an experimental explosion using a motorbike at Thalankudah. The Easter Sunday attack took place five days later. A single group was involved in five incidents. If the intelligence and security officials had been directed to investigate the precursor incidents thoroughly, the Easter Sunday terror attacks could have been avoided. That did not take place owing to the lethargic attitude of the then Yahapalana government towards national security. Also lack of cooperation between the CID and Terrorist Investigation Division and the malfuctiong prevented investigations into aforementioned incidents.
The Minister said that 676 people had been arrested in connection with the Easter Sunday carnage and 200 of them while 66 others were detained for investigations.
He said that 408 people were currently out on bail as per the law of the country.
“After this government was elected, 99 people were arrested in Sri Lanka for their direct and indirect involvement in the attacks while another 35 Sri Lankans who were overseas were arrested,” he said.
Intelligence in early 2020 for the first time revealed of a female wing trained by Zahran Hashim and 17 of them had taken an oath to carry out suicide attacks, the Minister said, adding that five of them were already dead, three had been charged and remanded while seven others were being detained for questioning.
The remaining two women would be arrested in the future, he said.
The Terrorist Investigations Division and the Intelligence Services had managed to trace other extremist organisations operating in the country and make arrests, said the Minister of Public Security.
Necessary measures had been taken for the implementation of the recommendations made by the Presidential Commission of Inquiry that probed the April 21, 2019 attacks, he said.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
