News
Govt. faulted for flawed Geneva strategy
By Shamindra Ferdinando
The Federation of Sinhala Organisation has faulted the current dispensation over its response to post-war accountability issues.
Dr. Wasantha Bandara and Yass Dharmadasa of the National Patriotic Front and the Global Sri Lanka Forum, respectively, lambasted the government for what they called the SLPP administration’s failure to realise the growing threat posed by those propagating war crimes accusations to pressure Sri Lanka to give in to their demand for a federal structure in the Northern and Eastern provinces. That would lead to the division of the country on ethnic lines, they warned at a zoom meeting on Saturday (29) organised by the civil society group ‘Children of 1956.’
The Island
(represented by the present writer at the virtual conference) commented on how foreign powers exploited some political parties represented in Parliament to advance their strategies and the failure on the part of successive governments to set the record straight at the Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) as well as New York.
Dr. Bandara and Dharmadasa explained how the SLPP had contributed to the flawed Geneva strategy by entering into a dialogue with a section of the civil society here while offering to initiate a dialogue with the Tamil Diaspora. Alleging that the government was on the wrong path, they asserted that the present-day political leaders appeared to have conveniently forgotten their repeated assurances in the run-up to the 2019 presidential and 2020 parliamentary polls. The speakers questioned what they called ineffectual withdrawal from the 2015 accountability resolution.
Responding to queries from participants, Dr. Bandara emphasised that there was no point in staging protests in Geneva or any other foreign capital against the ongoing high-profile campaign against the war winning Sri Lankan military. Dr. Bandara emphasised that the current need was to pressure the government to change its strategy. Therefore, protests, if any should be in Colombo, to demand tangible measures to address the threat.”
The audience was told that the western powers had advanced their project in the absence of an appropriate response from Sri Lanka. Reference was made to Australia denying a visa to Maj. Gen. Chagie Gallage in 2016, the US refusing a visa to Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka in 2017—the war-winning Army Chief was to accompany the then President Mathripala Sirisena to UNGA—the US tagging Gen. Shavendra Silva, who is also the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) as a war criminal in 2020 and the US blocking entry of retired Maj. Gen. Udaya Perera, who had a multiple US visa valid for a five-year period.
The audience was reminded that the Geneva crisis hadn’t received sufficient attention against the backdrop of a spate of other simmering issues, particularly the ruination of the Maha yield, the growing difficulties experienced in settling foreign debt and conflict within the ruling coalition over the Yugadanavi deal with the US and the agreement with India in respect of the Trincomalee oil tank farms.
Dharmadasa alleged that the military top brass hadn’t paid sufficient attention to the Geneva challenge. Referring to meetings the nationalistic groups had with several senior officers and in some instances with their wives as well as spouses of other military personnel, Dharmadasa alleged that they seemed to be of the view that the government was handling the issue at hand quite well. “Therefore, we’ll not seek to intervene in individual cases but explore ways and means how the government can be influenced to reassess their strategy.”
Both Dr. Bandara and Dharmadasa warned the government of dire consequences unless tangible measures were taken to counter the lies being propagated about Sri Lanka and its military personnel. Dr. Bandara explained that the Geneva project was meant to trap Sri Lanka over its people and pressure the government to grant the Tamil speaking people a federal structure in return for dropping war crimes proceedings. Once the TNA, the US and the yahapalana government had reached consensus on hybrid war crimes court, Dr. Bandara said, asserting that the West, Diaspora and India used war crimes accusations as a sledgehammer to pressure Sri Lanka to give up unitary status. He asked, “Would they create a situation where Sri Lanka faced war crimes proceedings or reached agreement on a constitutional arrangement that met the aspirations of the Tamil speaking community?”
Dr. Bandara revealed a recent opportunity they had received to make representations to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Defence Secretary General Kamal Gunaratne and other senior members of the government as regards the challenges faced by the country.
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.
