News
Kiriella casts aspersions about Minister Ali Sabry’s neutrality
By Saman Indrajith
Chief Opposition Whip and Kandy District SJB MP, Lakshman Kiriella expressed his displeasure with the media’s perceived lack of attention to his statement made at the last sitting day in Parliament. His statement pertained to concerns regarding conflicts of interest arising from Foreign Minister Ali Sabry’s presentations at international forums in relation to the Easter Sunday terror attacks.
Kiriella said that he had been approached by the Catholic Church on Friday morning, urging him to convey to Parliament their reservations about the involvement of Foreign Minister Sabry in matters concerning the Easter Sunday investigations and at international forums relating to the subject. The Church, led by Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, had come under criticism from government members for advocating Sabry’s removal from such affairs, Kiriella said.
During his participation in a two-day parliamentary debate on Friday, Kiriella said: “I was contacted this morning by the Church and asked to inform the House that they oppose Foreign Minister Sabry’s involvement in the Easter Sunday probe or with international forums on the matter due to his apparent conflicts of interest.” Sabry had previously appeared for Gotabaya Rajapaksa in 35 legal cases, raising concerns about his impartiality in the Easter Sunday issue. Anura Kumara Dissanayake had also pointed out Sabry’s previous role as counsel for Mohamed Ibrahim, whose sons were involved in the terror attacks.
“Soon after Channel 4 aired its documentary on Easter Sunday, former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa issued a statement of denial of any meetings with SIS intelligence Chief Suresh Sallay during the period referred to by the documentary as Sallay was in Malaysia for three years. These are stories that should have been told to children. I have a document which proves that intelligence operatives of the US and China are going all over the world using various passports. It is very usual for senior intelligence officers to have several passports. It is a common practice. Even some of the MPs in this House have more than one passport.
“Channel 4 exposure confirms what was found by the Presidential Commission of Inquiry. I call on the President to make use of the information given by Channel 4 to commence investigations. He could also commence investigations into the killing of Lasantha Wickrematunga because the Channel 4 programme provides information about that killing too.
“Sri Lanka today is in dire straits as we could not investigate the charges on human rights violations alleged to have taken place during the last phase of the war against the LTTE. Soon after the war the then UN General Secretary Ban ki-moon came to Lanka and went to meet the then President Mahinda Rajapaksa in Kandy. There the UN secretary General spoke for the need of an international probe on the allegations. Mahinda Rajapaksa said that there was no need for such an international probe and undertook to conduct an investigation.
As a result of that came the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission. The report of the LLRC came, we all including the government and the opposition even the international community accepted that report. But its recommendations were not implemented. So, there is a demand for an international probe on the matters.
Nine generals who had fled this country are now giving evidence against Sri Lanka in international forums. So, there are calls for an international probe on Easter Sunday terror attacks. This means the country is being asked to face two international probes. This situation would not be in favour of Sri Lanka especially in terms of foreign investments and aid to this country,” Kiriella 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
