News
Church demands justice for Easter Sunday victims
Prez meets chief of Catholic Bishops’ Conference
By Shamindra Ferdinando
President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Rt. Rev. Harold Anthony Perera, who is also the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kurunegala has told President Ranil Wickremesinghe that the victims of the 2019 Easter Sunday carnage had been denied justice.
Rt. Rev. Perera has stressed the responsibility on the part of the government to bring the perpetrators of the Easter massacre to justice.
The Bishop of Kurunegala said so in response to The Island query whether he raised the issues pertaining to the Easter Sunday massacre when President Wickremesinghe, accompanied by former Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake, paid a courtesy call on him on Sunday (02) at the Bishop’s House.
UNP leader Wickremesinghe served as the Prime Minister of the then Yahapalana government (2015-2019) blamed for failing to thwart multiple terror attacks.
Attacks on churches at Katuwapitiya, Colomba Kochchikade and Batticaloa and three hotels, namely Cinnamon Grand, Shangri-La and Kingsbury claimed the lives of nearly 270 and wounded over 400.
Declaring that there hasn’t been any change in their stance, Rt. Rev Perera disclosed that he also raised how some of the key suspects ended up as state witnesses. The Bishop of Kurunegala reminded the President of the failure on the part of the state intelligence apparatus to alert the Catholic Church of the impending suicide attacks.
The Bishop of Kurunegala quoted President Wickremesinghe as having said that he was exploring the possibility of securing the assistance of Scotland Yard to investigate the Easter attacks.
The Bishop of Kurunegala succeeded as the President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference from the Bishop of Badulla, Winston Fernando, nearly two months ago.
Rt. Rev. Perera has also pointed out the continuing difficulties experienced by the people as the country struggled to cope up with the economic fallout.
Top spokesperson for the Church, Rev. Father Cyril Gamini Fernando, yesterday said that their struggle for justice would continue. Rev Father Fernando emphasized the responsibility of the government of the day to implement the recommendations made by Presidential Commission, appointed by the then President Maitripala Sirisena. Pointing out that Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who succeeded Sirisena, too, endorsed the same Commission, Rev Father Fernando said that the perpetrators of this heinous crime couldn’t getaway through political jugglery.
The Commission made recommendations in respect of the then President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. Since then Sirisena has entered Parliament, on the SLPP ticket, whereas Wickremesinghe secured the presidency, with the backing of the SLPP.
The meeting between the Bishop of Kurunegala and President Wickremesinghe took place in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling that proceedings in respect of 12 fundamental rights cases filed in terms of the Article 35(1) couldn’t be continued against the latter since he now enjoyed the presidential immunity.
The ruling was delivered by a seven-judge-bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya. However, proceedings would continue in respect of Polonnaruwa District MP Sirisena.
Rev. Fernando said that they weren’t satisfied at all with the way law enforcement and judicial authorities handled the high profile investigations. Successive administrations had conveniently forgotten their own Presidential Commission report, Rev Fernando said, pointing out that none of the recommendations had been implemented.
Rev Fernando noted that the Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), too, addressed the issue at hand.
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
