News
Diego Garcia controversy: UK quietly sends back some Lankan asylum seekers “voluntarily” as Australia issues dire warning
Global Tamil Forum skirts the issue
By Shamindra Ferdinando
The Global Tamil Forum (GTF) wouldn’t get involved in the ongoing controversy over the UK decision to move Sri Lankans, seeking to settle in the UK, to what the government called ‘a safe third country,’ unless they returned to Sri Lanka ‘voluntarily’.
About 120 Sri Lankans are believed to be housed in a fenced encampment in the US-British held Diego Garcia, part of the Chagos Islands which the United Nations ruled belonged to Mauritius and should be handed back by Dec. 2019.The UK calls the Indian Ocean archipelago the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT).Those who represent the interests of the Sri Lankan group, want the UK to allow them to settle in the UK.
The Island sought the GTF’s response to the hotly disputed British move and also asked whether the issue at hand would be raised at the Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). The GTF spokesperson, Suren Surendiran, has sent us the following response: “The GTF, as an organization that functions internationally and not specifically in a specific country as such, doesn’t usually get involved in country specific matters, outside of Sri Lanka. The GTF is predominantly an international advocacy organization. There are various country specific Tamil organizations. There are also Tamil institutions/organizations, including legal firms, acting and lobbying on immigration policies in the UK and in various other countries.”
The Maritime Law Tribunal of the United Nations, the United Nations General Assembly and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Chagos Islands belonged to Mauritius.The Guardian online edition, on Oct. 18, quoted Zehrah Hasan, an advocacy director for the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, as having said: “The British government has denied Tamil refugees’ basic rights in the Chagos Islands, for over a year now. In a callous move, it looks like they may expel these same refugees to a third country, similar to the Rwanda plan.”
Hassen was referring to the UK agreement with Rwanda to accommodate those denied UK refugee status.Hassan was further quoted as having told The Guardian: “Those who’ve fled persecution must have their voices heard and their right to protection, in the UK, recognized.”
Amidst the ongoing controversy, some of those who had been ‘held’ in the disputed UK territory had chosen to return “voluntarily” to Sri Lanka in the recent past. UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Minister, Jesse Norman, recently told Parliament so far over 60 Sri Lankans voluntarily returned home.Meanwhile, Australia has reiterated that illegal Sri Lankan immigrants wouldn’t be tolerated, under any circumstances. In separate statements, Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil, Australian Border Force Commissioner, Michael Outram, and Operation Sovereign Borders (OSB) Joint Agency Task Force (JATF) Commander Rear Admiral Justin Jones, have issued dire warnings that those who violated their laws would be dealt with.
Flanked by Commissioner Outram and Rear Admiral Jones, Minister O’Neil declared that Australian border protection polices haven’t changed. If you attempt to reach Australia by boat, you will be intercepted and turned around and you’ll end up back in Sri Lanka far worse off than when you embarked. The only way to get to Australia, legally, is with a valid visa. “
Rear Admiral Jones said that they would detect, intercept and return anyone who takes an illegal boat journey to Australia. The top official has warned that not a single boat managed to reach Australia. Australia released footage of a youth carrying a pair of slippers disembarking from an Australian vessel that had brought back a group of people, several months ago, while warning such endeavors wouldn’t be tolerated at all.
A couple of weeks before President Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigned, Minister O’Neil met the President and the then Foreign Minister Prof. G.L.Peiris to reiterate their insistence on OSB. In return for Sri Lanka’s cooperation, Australia has enhanced support for cash-strapped Sri Lanka and granted free fuel to its Navy and Air Force to sustain operations meant to discourage human smuggling.
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
