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‘Genocide’: Dire warning issued over Canadian move, Sabry asked to move resolution in parliament
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Chairman of the Oversight Committee on National Security Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekara, MP, has warned many countries would endorse Canadian declaration of genocide here unless the government took tangible measures to counter the Ottawa’s politically motivated lie.
The warning was issued on Wednesday (07) when the defence top brass, including the heads of State Intelligence Service (SIS) and Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI) and top level Foreign Ministry delegation appeared before the committee chaired by the former Navy Chief of Staff. They included Defence Secretary General Kamal Gunaratne, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Shavendra Silva and Foreign Secretary Aruni Wijewardene.
State Defence Minister Pramitha Bandara Tennakoon was also present. Former Public Security Minister Weerasekera urged the Foreign Ministry to take the initiative to move a motion in Parliament to condemn the Canadian genocide charge after having secured the approval of Cabinet-of-Ministers. The MP revealed a decision to move a private member’s motion in that regard.
Parliamentarian Weerasekera appreciated Foreign Minister Ali Sabry, PC’s strong response to the Canadian move.On the basis of Canadian motion approved in their parliament in May last year, Canada in January imposed travel ban on ex-Presidents, Mahinda Rajapaksa and Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
The failure on the part of the government to counter travel bans imposed by the US and Canada on the basis of unsubstantiated war crimes allegations would be severely detrimental to the war winning military, lawmaker Weerasekera warned.
The MP said that genocide charge if not challenged and allowed to continue, it could justify their push for a separate state.Sri Lanka brought the war to a successful conclusion in May 2009. MP Weerasekera said that military officers would be discouraged and couldn’t be expected to take the initiative in case of a future conflict.
Since gaining independence 75 years ago, the military and police quelled two southern insurgencies in 1971 and 1987-1990 and terrorist war in the Northern and Eastern Provinces.Underscoring the responsibility on the part of the government whichever party in power and parliament to stand by the military and police, MP Weerasekera urged the Foreign Ministry to appropriately use the disclosure made by Lord Naseby in the House of Lords in Oct 2017 on the basis of wartime dispatches from the UK High Commission in Colombo (January-May 2009) and the then US Defence Advisor Lt. Colonel Lawrence Smith’s declaration in support of the Sri Lankan military (in June 2009).
Responding to The Island queries, MP Weerasekera said that Sri Lanka’s failure to use available information to counter lies propagated by interested parties couldn’t be justified under any circumstances. The whole issue has to be examined afresh against the backdrop of Sri Lanka betraying her own military and police at Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Oct 2015, MP Weerasekera said, adding that he expected the Foreign Ministry to take up this issue vigorously.
During Wednesday’s meeting MP Weerasekera told defence and foreign ministry officials that Sri Lanka had been wrongly dealt with by the UNHRC. The MP asserted that the issues at hand should have been dealt with in terms of non-international armed conflict. In terms of the relevant law, travel bans couldn’t be imposed on the military, MP Weerasekera said.
Pointing out that the UN Secretary General’s report prepared by a three-member team led by Marzuki Darusman as well as the OISL report acknowledged that the Sri Lanka conflict was a non-international armed conflict, MP Weerasekera urged the Foreign Ministry to set the record straight.
Those who had escaped the LTTE and sought protection behind army lines proved the genocide charge a myth, the MP said.MP Weerasereka also questioned the Foreign Ministry’s response to the unsubstantiated war crimes allegations with the focus on the Sri Lankan mission in Ottawa.
Commenting on the ongoing debate over the repealing of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) , MP Weerasekera stressed that Sri Lanka couldn’t dilute the security law while being a signatory to UN Resolution 1373 (2001) enacted in the aftermath of Sept 11 Al Qaeda attacks on the US.
MP Weerasekera also warned that the downsizing of the Army shouldn’t be at the expense of security in the Northern Province. The former naval veteran underscored the need to maintain adequate strength to face any eventuality.The government recently declared that the Army would be reduced to 100,000 by 2030 after bringing down the strength to 135,000 next year. At the time the war ended the paid strength was 205,000.
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
