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Easter Sunday carnage: Cardinal urges President to act on PSC findings
By Norman Palihawadane
Colombo Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith on Sunday said that Sri Lanka would not achieve its true freedom until the supremacy of the law was established.
Addressing a ceremony at the St. Anthony’s Church, Kotahena, to distribute financial aid sent from the Vatican among the families of Easter Sunday carnage victims, the Cardinal said: “The legal system is warped and bent as per the whims and fancies of political leaders over and over again. This is what we have witnessed during the past 74 years. Till this system is changed, Sri Lanka will never be free. The slavery to politicians will continue, till the day the legal system is completely independent of persons in power.”
“Sri Lanka will not achieve its true freedom until its political leaders themselves obey the rule of law,” he added.
The Cardinal said justice did not prevail in Sri Lanka, in most instances, and people had lost faith in the judicial system.
“Despite the concerns and appeals made by Pope Francis for justice for the victims of the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks, our authorities have not taken any action against the culprits,” the Cardinal said, adding that for generations politicians had interfered with the law to obtain personal benefits, whilst dragging the country down the drain in the process. All of Sri Lanka’s political leaders had contributed to the destruction of the independence of the judiciary, after coming to power. “Sri Lanka is not truly independent, even after 74 years, if the Police continue to be influenced by politicians and connected persons,” he said.
Last week, Pope Francis granted €100,000 in aid to the victims of the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks. The financial aid was disbursed among the affected families at St. Sebastian’s Church, in Katuwapitiya, and St. Anthony’s Church, in Kotahena, on Sunday.
Cardinal Ranjith said that they would continue their struggle, seeking justice for the victims of the Easter Sunday attacks, and also urged the incumbent President to probe allegations of a political conspiracy behind the attacks.
“Even though the Galle Face struggle has stopped, this struggle will continue. We will not give up,” he said.
He said the current President should ascertain those things as the report of the parliamentary selection committee, appointed by him at the time, said that there was a semblance of a political conspiracy behind it.
“If so, this President is duty bound to analyze what the parliamentary committee, appointed by him, said. Therefore, I request the President to please be honest about what the select committee you appointed said.” The Cardinal said that a senior police officer, who was about to arrest the suicide bomber Zahran Hashim, had been falsely accused of a conspiracy to kill influential people and arrested, allowing the suicide bomber to proceed with his plans. Those who allowed the attackers freedom to act were also responsible for this attack,as well as Zahran Hashim, the Cardinal 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
