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Easter Sunday carnage:Church anticipates criminal proceedings
ECONOMYNEXT – An unprecedented verdict by Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court ordering an ex head of state and top defence officials to pay hundreds of millions of rupees in compensation to victims of the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings has been welcomed by the Catholic church which also anticipates criminal proceedings against some of the respondents.
Head of Sri Lanka’s Catholic Church Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith said he was “very happy” with the verdict and expressed his hope that it will mark the beginning of a new era where equality before the law is entrenched in society and no public official or politician operates above the law.
The archbishop told reporters on Friday January 13 that the judgment, delivered the previous day, was a historic verdict that must be celebrated by all who value justice.
The verdict has shown that anyone who holds high office, even a former president who once wielded executive powers, can be held accountable for their actions, he said.
On Friday, Sri Lanka’s apex court ordered former President Maithripala Sirisena, four other officials and the State to pay compensation totalling 311 million rupees to victims of the Easter Sunday bombings that killed 269 people.
The court held that a Victim Fund be established at the Office for Reparation which must formulate a scheme to “award the sums ordered as compensation in a fair and equitable manner to the victims and families”.
“This will be a great opening for us to start looking at other aspects of the case,” he said.
The prelate has been crusading for justice for the families of the victims in a relentless campaign that saw the church in no uncertain terms suggest a political conspiracy behind the attack. On more than one occasion, he openly berated the government of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa for what he claimed was its lethargy and lack of interest in investigating the case.
Though the church is satisfied with the Supreme Court’s verdict, Cardinal Ranjith said the church will not give up the fight until the masterminds of the attack are brought to justice. Only after a full investigation has been complicated can there be true justice, he said.
“This is an important step in the journey to find that truth.”
Ranjith claimed that attempts were still under way to keep the truth from coming out. Low-level investigators have been gagged by their superiors, he claimed, adding that an attempt had also been made to disappear a police B report relating to the probe.
The archbishop urged law enforcement agencies and personnel to not become a tool of the political establishment.
“Consider this a moment of realization that the law applies equally to all,” he said.
The cardinal had previously threatened to take the matter up with the international community if Sri Lanka’s government failed to satisfactorily investigate the attack.Reiterating this warning, he said at Friday’s press briefing: “If our government fails to do it, we’re left with no choice but to go to the international community,”
“This is a beginning, and we’re very happy with the judgment,” he said.
The court ordered ex-President Sirisena pay a sum of 100 million rupees, former police chief Pujith Jayasundara and former State Intelligence Service (SIS) Director Nilantha Jayawardena 75 million rupees each, former Defence Ministry Secretary Hemasiri Fernando 50 million rupees and former Chief of National Intelligence (CNI) Sisira Mendis 10 million rupees as compensation.
The State was also ordered to pay one million rupees as compensation to the victims.President’s Counsel Shamil Perera who appeared for the archbishop said that he expects criminal proceedings will be filed by the Attorney General against former Sirisena, Jayawardena and Mendis as soon as possible.
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
