News
Govt. justifies sending warship to Red Sea
By Saman Indrajith
Defence State Minister Pramita Bandara Tennakoon told Parliament yesterday that Sri Lanka, as a maritime state, had global responsibility to neutralise terrorist threats to international shipping in the Indian Ocean and surrounding seas, and therefore, the government had decided to deploy a naval vessel in the Red Sea to combat Houthi rebels.
Responding to a question raised by Opposition and SJB leader Sajith Premadasa, Minister Tennakoon said that the decision to deploy the naval vessel against Houthi rebels had not been prompted by Lanka’s relationships with the US or Israel. “We must use the Red Sea route for our exports and imports. We need to ensure that the route is free from terrorist activities. If we detour that route to circumvent the African continent, then the prices of our exports will increase. That will affect our economy badly. Prices of what we import will increase. We as a nation are against any form of terrorism anywhere in the world. In addition, we have a global responsibility to fight against terrorism. We always expect the international community to support us. When we do so we have the responsibility to consider the international community’s needs,” the Minister said.
Premadasa said that the government had decided to deploy a naval vessel at a cost of Rs 250 million at a time when the country’s population, including its children, is facing starvation. “What comparative advantage will this decision of spending Rs 250 million will bring to this country? Ours is a bankrupt nation, we cannot afford this. Isn’t the President aware of the true situation prevailing in this country when making this sort of decisions,” Premadasa queried, demanding to know why the government should not first address the economic problems here before fighting other’s wars.
Minister Tennakoon said that there was a need to think globally rather than looking at problems like frogs in a well. Sri Lanka’s international obligation is to combat terrorism and its commitment to fulfilling its maritime responsibilities. “India recently sent a rocket to the Moon. That is when it has more than 800 million poor people who are poorer than the poorest of this country. None in that country demanded that they should first feed every citizen or build toilets for each family before sending rockets to the Moon. We would not bear any additional expenses for this deployment as the Navy already operates on the high seas in this area which has been identified as a trafficking hotspot for guns, narcotics and people smuggling. This move is a vital regional security obligation,” the Minister said.
Opposition Leader Premadasa: “India has sent a rocket to the Moon successfully. But we are a nation that has been bankrupted by rocket sending experiments. The Rajapaksas too sent a rocket to space and that too contributed to bankrupting our economy. Has the international community offered debt relief of Rs 250 million in exchange for deploying our vessel spending that much money? Instead, this money could have been used to buy computers for school children.”
SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem said that Sri Lanka as a founder member of the Non-aligned Movement should not be involved in others’ wars. This decision is to please the US and Israel. “This decision is against Sri Lanka’s non-aligned foreign policy. Sending the Navy at the behest of the US and Israel while the President is getting ready to attend the Non-Aligned Summit in Uganda’s capital Kampala in a few days is a joke,” Hakeem 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
