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Foreign Ministry urged to advise govt. against Red Sea deployment
Former Sri Lankan Ambassador to Iran M. M. Zuhair yesterday (09) urged the government not to join US-led military alliance in Red Sea operation.
The former PA MP and Senior State Counsel issued the following statement: “Those in Sri Lanka holding accountable office but recklessly aiding the US moves to widen the Western supported wars in the Middle East, must read the 85 page Complaint of genocide that South Africa had filed in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) arising from the ongoing mass murder of civilian men, women and children of Palestine and the close upon total destruction of their homeland, recklessly bombed by the ‘holocaust victims’.
The Foreign Ministry must advice the SLPP controlled President to be strictly non-aligned and save Sri Lanka from getting trapped in Joe Biden’s wars in third world countries. South Africa is due to seek interim orders on Israel to forthwith implement ceasefire on all Palestinian fronts. There is nothing to prevent South Africa at some appropriate stage in the ICJ proceedings to move to add the US, Britain and other States for complicity in the violations of international humanitarian laws by aiding and abetting Israel in committing genocide in Palestine.
There is no need for Sri Lanka to get implicated for aiding the wrong side in this war. The 1968 to 1973 massive US massacres in Cambodia and the 18 year American war in Vietnam pale into insignificance compared to the unimaginable process resorted to by the Israeli State terror mafia in its murderous onslaughts, bombings and the collective punishment of Palestinian men, women and children in the 2023 massacres in Gaza.
To quote the Israeli Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter, at whose request Sri Lanka had reportedly offered to provide 10,000 agricultural (or domestic) workers, “We are now actually rolling out the Gaza Naqaba”, quoting the Arabic word ‘Naqaba’ used to refer to the pre 1948 ethnic cleansing of Palestinians to create Israel. The Minister’s genocidal intent to wipe out Gaza is clear. Sri Lanka’s Foreign Employment Minister who has risked the lives of Sri Lankans by offering to send them to the Israeli war front, can also be considered by South Africa to be added to the ICJ list for aiding Israel in the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians.
In this background, the Sri Lankan President’s offer to dispatch a Navy vessel to confront the Yemeni Houthis in the Red Sea is beyond any comprehension! The cost of the deployment of one Navy vessel is reportedly Rs 17.5 million every two weeks. This money can be used by the Foreign Employment Minister to prevent Sri Lankans being sent to the Israeli war zones. Sri Lanka can pay from the Rs 17.5 million (Rs 35 million per month) each of the 10,000 Sri Lankans Rs 105,000/= every month and save them from facing likely deaths in Israel and also the Navy Vessel and its personnel from getting destroyed by the Houthis! Whoever gave the President’s advisors the idea of blaming the Yemeni Houthis for Sri Lanka’s skyrocketing cost of living, thanks to the VAT, deserves a free ride to the Sun in India’s “Aditya-L 1” or ‘L 2’
Israel itself has reacted to the South African move in the ICJ by deciding that the destructive bombings in Hamas controlled Northern Palestine would be scaled down even as it’s over stacked ground campaigns continue to meet stiff resistance from Palestinians. Unlike in other UN related inquiries, Israel, a signatory to the Geneva Convention, will appear before the ICJ and attempt to put up a defence for the mass murder of “human animals” and the near total “destruction of Gaza” relegating it, into an uninhabitable part of the globe.
The US move to enlist other nations in the Israeli war on Palestine must be seen as a dangerous step to widen Israel’s war into a broader ME war. The correct option for Sri Lanka will be, to press the US to demand Israel end this senseless war, carried out under the pretext of countering last year’s globally condemned Hamas attacks of 7th October, in Israeli occupied Palestinian territories. Israel’s pre- 7th October desecration of the historical Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem has been comfortably forgotten! 75 years of oppression of the Palestinians by Israel have also been effectively buried under the sand by the world media!
South Africa’s move in the ICJ ought to succeed, if the ever growing Hamas is to be restrained from recourse to acquiring nuclear weapons to defend its only homeland, as Israel continues to obliterate even the two State solution, which was dangled only as a carrot for consumption by the world at large but never seriously offered. “
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
