News
Lankan Church seeks canonization for Easter attack victims
Church officials have dismissed government reports on the 2019 bombings as biased and untrue
(UCAN) Sri Lankan Catholic Church has moved in for canonization of hundreds of faithful killed in the Easter Sunday bombings in 2019.A petition seeking canonization for the slain Catholics will be submitted to the Vatican on April 21, exactly five years after the deadly terror attack, church officials say.
“It is expected that a petition will be submitted on April 21st with the signatures of all the faithful to the Vatican to begin the canonization process,” said Oblate priest Father Rohan Silva from Archdioceses of Colombo in the national capital.
The date is significant as it falls on the fifth anniversary of the tragedy, Silva said.Silva, the chairman of the Colombo-based Center for Society and Religion (CSR), earlier filed a petition with the United Nations Human Rights Commission for justice for the victims of Easter Sunday victims.
Sri Lankan Church wants those slain Catholics to be declared “martyrs of faith,” he said.
“They all died for their faith, and there are many martyrs in the church who also died for their faith in God. They are accepted as martyrs, regarded as heroes of the faith,” Silva added.
Suicide bombers allegedly linked to local extremist outfit, National Thowheed Jamath, carried out coordinated attacks on April 21, 2019, targeting three churches and three luxury hotels.
The terror attack left 279 people including 37 foreigners dead and scores injured. Most of the victims were Catholics who flocked to churches to attend Easter Sunday Mass.
Sri Lankan Church has been vocal for justice for the victims and repeatedly dismissed government inquiry reports as biased and untrue, and demanded an impartial international probe to find the truth and to bring to the book the masterminds.While the church pursues canonization for the Catholic victims, the call for justice will continue, Silva said.
“Justice has not yet been done. We will continue our quest for justice until they reveal the culprits behind the attacks,” he added.
Sri Lankan authorities came under renewed pressure to reveal the truth behind the terror attack following the release of a documentary by British broadcaster Channel Four on Sept. 4 last year.
The documentary supported a claim by Sri Lankan Church officials that senior government officials played a crucial role in engineering the deadly terrorist attacks on 2019 Easter Sunday.
The documentary was based on the testimony of a whistleblower, who was attached to a Sri Lankan paramilitary group.He alleged senior officials close to the politically powerful Rajapaksa family facilitated the simultaneous bombings to create a sense of insecurity in the country and return to power on the plank of national security.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa, former defense minister and brother of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, announced his presidential candidacy days after the attack.
He became the president after winning the national election in 2020. He was forced to resign and go into exile in July 2022 following months of nationwide protests over the worst economic crisis in the island nation.
Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith of Colombo has been highly critical of the government’s handling of the probe and accused the current administration of President Ranil Wickremesinghe of protecting the masterminds.
During a Mass at St. Sebastian’s Church in Kandana on Jan. 21, Ranjith also hinted at pushing for canonization of Catholics killed in the attack.
“Those who died in churches on April 21, 2019, sacrificed their lives for what they believed. They came to church on that day because they believed in Christ. The first step towards this move will be taken on April 21 this year,” Ranjith said.
The family members of the victims have welcomed the church’s move for canonization and reiterated the call for justice.
Sujeewa Anton, a Sunday school teacher who attended Easter Sunday Mass at St. Sebastian’s Church in Negombo, sustained injuries in his left leg when the blast shattered the church’s walls and the rooftop. He recovered after spending two weeks in hospital.
His aunt who was in the same church with her two children was badly hurt and died in a hospital. Her children survived the attack.
“Easter Sunday attack victims are true martyrs for their faith, and they truly sacrificed their lives for the love of Christ,” said Anton.
Rights activist Ruwani Fernando says people no longer trust what the government propagates.Most people believe the suicide bombing was planned to ensure the return of the Rajapaksa family to power, she said.
“Our faithful pray for the martyrs and to uncover the invisible force that manipulated the local group,” added Fernando, a Catholic.
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
