News
Govt. plans to decriminalize LBGTQ
Should not undermine anti-child abuse laws activists say
By APSARA RODRIGO
(ECONOMYNEXT) Sri Lanka’s plans to decriminalize homosexuality to prevent discrimination against the LBGTQ community should not lead to a weakening of child abuse laws which already have some loopholes, activists have warned.
Sections 365 states that ‘whosoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or child,’ is guilty of an offence. Section 365 A states that ‘any person who, in public or private, commits, or is party to the commission of, or procures or attempts to procure the commission by any person of, any act of gross indecency,’ is also criminally liable.
These offences are aggravated in the case of its commission on a child.
“This will automatically abolish the entire amendment brought under act number 22 of 1995. According to our view, it automatically decriminalizes child abuse under section 365 and section 365A,” said Shermila Gonawala, the chairperson of Urban Citizens, in a letter to the president.
Urban Citizens is a civic group made up of professionals, academics as well as members of the community who advocate for political change.However, the criminal status of child abuse has always been questioned by political and civil rights activists.
“Married women are not eligible to take action against rape if it came from their husband,” said an activist involved with the Sisterhood Initiative.
“Since the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act recognizes the legality of a marriage of a girl as young as twelve without her consent, there is no protection afforded to Muslim girls.
“Even if an unmarried minor girl is raped, she is often married off to her rapist which allows her rapist to escape prosecution as her husband. Girls younger than 12 can also be married under the act if the marriage is authorized by a Quazi.”
However, this provision of the Penal Code only addresses child sexual abuse and does not address physical, verbal, emotional or psychological abuse.
Section 308 A of the Penal Code criminalizes causing or procuring a child to be ‘assaulted and ill-treated,’ however section 71 (6) states that nothing in this section shall be construed as affecting the right of any parent, teacher or any other person having lawful control or charge of a child or young person to administer punishment to him.’
Although section 71 (6) legalizes corporal punishment of children as a form of discipline, many activists and academics have been calling for this law to be changed.A study done by Piyanjali De Zoysa and Lalini Rajapaksha of the University of Colombo and Peter Newcombe showed that ‘the increasing levels of corporal punishment were significantly associated with a child’s psychological maladjustment.’
In 2021 the Sri Lankan Supreme Court presided over a case where a 15-year-old student had been slapped across the face by one of his teacher’s resulting in permanent hearing loss.The court held that the teacher violated article 11 of the constitution which prohibits torture and cruel, inhumane or degrading treatments.
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
