News
Church calls for suspension of intelligence top brass, two SDIGs to facilitate fresh probe
Easter Sunday terror attacks
By Shamindra Ferdinando
The National Catholic Committee (NCC) has presented a five-point proposal to President Ranil Wickremesinghe, spelling out how it expects the concerns relating to the 2019 Easter Sunday carnage to be addressed.
The proposal includes the suspension of Senior DIGs, Nilantha Jayawardena, former head of State Intelligence Service (SIS) and Deshabandu Tennkoon named by the Presidential Commission of Inquiry which inquired into the Easter Sunday massacre.
The NCC has proposed an impartial, just, transparent and broad-based investigation in the wake of Channel 4 disclosures to probe the matters that transpired before different commissions and a committee but have remained uninvestigated.
The letter containing the five-point proposal dated 09 Oct. 2023 and addressed to President Ranil Wickremesinghe, has been signed by Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, Bishop of Colombo, Bishop Harold Anthony Perera, Bishop of Kurunegala and the President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Bishop Valence Mendis, Bishop of Kandy/Apostolic Administrator, Chilaw, Bishop Raymond Wickramasinghe, Bishop of Galle and other senior priests.
Alleging that Public Security Minister Tiran Alles’s recent declaration that 99 percent of Easter Sunday investigation had been concluded was meant to deceive the public and suppress the truth, the NCC has said that (2) the proposed investigation should be directed by an independent international investigation team (3) officers of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) who conducted the original investigation into the National Thowheed Jamaat (NTJ) bombing campaign should be brought back into the fresh inquiry (4) Senior intelligence officers should be suspended temporarily to allow a truly independent investigation along with Senior DIGs, Jayawardena and Tennakoon and (5) the recommendations made by the PCoI should be implemented without further delay.
Top spokesperson for the Catholic Church Rev. Father Cyril Gamini Fernando told The Island that the issues at hand couldn’t be addressed unless the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government accepted their proposals.
Rev. Fernando has said President Wickremesinghe, appearing on a television programme in Germany recently ruled out an international investigation. But the Church couldn’t refrain from making representations on behalf of the victims and their families. The priest has stressed that the government should realise that the deceased included 45 foreigners and the concerns of their families, too, should be addressed.
Responding to another query, Rev. Fernando said that they had appealed to former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, too, but there had been no response from him.
In their letter to President Wickremesinghe, the NCC has said successive governments shielded Senior DIG Jayawardena named by PCoI and the Supreme Court in respect of a fundamental rights petition. Pointing out that instead of taking immediate disciplinary action as directed by the apex court, the government had initiated yet another inquiry, the NCC has asked President Wickremesinghe whether the government disregarded the SC directive thereby committing contempt of court
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
