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Cardinal unhappy as Easter attack trial starts
As Colombo High Court began the trial of 25 men accused of plotting the Easter Sunday terror attack, a Catholic leader repeated his demand for further investigation to reveal a suspected larger plot linked to the atrocity.
Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith demanded to know the “real culprits” behind the serial blasts, suggesting attempts to cover up the crime.
“I urge all Catholics to stand together until the issue is resolved,” he said on Nov. 23, asking all Catholic priests and nuns to prioritize working for the victims of the explosions that killed 269 people and injured over 500 on Easter Sunday 2019.
A local Islamist extremist group, National Thowheed Jamath, was identified as carrying out the suicide attacks that targeted three churches and four hotels across the country.
After a protracted investigation, police have filed over 23,000 charges against 25 men accusing them of plotting the bombings, including conspiracy to murder. The top court’s trial began on Nov. 24.
The probe took several dramatic political turns after a presidential commission, meant to fix responsibilities for the government’s security lapses, suggested the involvement of high-ranking politicians and security officials in allowing the attacks.
The commission’s report said that “further investigations will be needed to understand whether those with vested interests did not act on intelligence so as to create chaos and instill fear and uncertainty in the country in the lead up to the presidential election.”
It further said that such a chaotic situation “would then lead to the call for a change of regime to contain such acts of terrorism … fear would be unleashed months away from the presidential election … These are extremely serious observations that can impact the democratic governance, electoral processes and security of Sri Lanka and must require urgent attention.”
In the November 2019 presidential election, Gotabaya Rajapaksa unseated Maithripala Sirisena and became president. In the run-up to the election, Rajapaksa blamed Sirisena for lax security in the country and promised justice to the victims of the Easter attacks.
Catholic officials now express frustration at the Rajapaksa administration’s inability to find the “real culprits” behind the violence that killed hundreds, including several innocent children and women inside churches.
“Who did the evil deed? Why did they do it? Our struggle will not stop until we find the truth,” Cardinal Ranjith said while addressing a gathering in the Church of the Holy Spirit in Wadduwa.
“We are increasingly realizing that there was a bigger program beneath what appeared on the surface of the attack. There are a lot of reasons for that,” the cardinal said on the day the court began the trial.
“We do not want to take revenge on anyone but the Church needs to know the truth. Those who knew about the attack and promised to hold high positions now seem to know nothing.”
President Rajapaksa on Nov. 24 said the previous government was responsible for allowing the terror act to happen.
The presidential commission, appointed by the previous government, recommended that the former government — including the former president, prime minister and cabinet — be held responsible for the attacks, Rajapaksa said.
“It has been referred to parliament, the attorney general and the Criminal Investigation Department for further action. The law can be enforced on the culprits exposed by the commission through an act of parliament,” he said.
(UCAN)
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
