News
Lankan Easter attacks need open discussion
Church leaders should name the people who benefitted from ‘grand political plot’
(UCAN) Investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka have made little progress. There have been endless cover-ups helping the perpetrators go scot-free.The attacks on churches in Katuwapitiya, Colombo Kochchikade and Batticaloa, and three hotels claimed the lives of nearly 270 and injured more than 400.
Successive governments have preferred to engage in the blame game when it comes to delivering justice to the victims and their families.The Church in Sri Lanka has been knocking on all doors to bring the perpetrators of the Easter carnage to justice. However, it has not gotten anywhere.
Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith of Colombo has been lending his voice to get justice for the victims. In March, he told the UN Human Rights Council that the attacks were a “grand political plot.”
Six months after the bombings, former president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, ran for the presidency promising justice to the victims of the Easter atrocities and won with a thumping majority.Initially, Church officials including Cardinal Ranjith backed Rajapaksa, but later voiced disappointment over the lack of progress in the probe, giving rise to his accusations that the attacks had a political or electoral motive.
The bombings in Sri Lanka could have been averted if the government of the day, headed by President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had acted on intelligence inputs. But the former president and ex-prime minister have washed their hands and have been blaming each other for the attacks.
Earlier this week, during a meeting with Acting President Wickremesinghe, the head of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Sri Lanka (CBCS), Bishop Harold Anthony Perera of Kurunegala raised the following point: If intelligence agencies had tipped off the government of the impending attacks why wasn’t the information passed on to the Catholic Church?
During their meeting, Bishop Perera also reminded the president about the responsibility on the part of the government to deliver justice to the victims, their families and the Church.Shedding light on the complacency of the government, Bishop Perera told the president that some of the key suspects have ended up as state witnesses.Already, Wickremesinghe appears to be safe. At the end of last month, the Supreme Court decided not to proceed with a petition filed against him over the Easter Sunday attacks because of the constitutional immunity given to presidents.
The order was issued by a seven-member Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya.But former president, Sirisena, seems to be in trouble.On Sept 16, a Sri Lankan court named him a suspect in the terror bombings and asked him to appear in court on Oct 14. Sirisena has filed a petition challenging the summons issued against him.
The magistrate’s court in Colombo’s Fort area issued the order while hearing a private complaint filed by Father Cyril Gamini Fernando, a member of the National Catholic Committee for Justice for Easter Sunday attack victims.This is not the first time Sirisena has been blamed for the attacks. In May 2019, a parliamentary panel, tasked with probing the Easter bombings, accused Sirisena of “actively undermining” security systems, which resulted in serious lapses ahead of the attacks.
In February 2021, a Presidential Commission of Inquiry said that Sirisena and his intelligence chiefs should be prosecuted for their failure to prevent the bombings, which are attributed to a radical Islamist network in Sri Lanka.Seventy-one-year-old Sirisena, however, has denied any prior knowledge.
The presidential commission also found a host of other defense officials, including former police chief, Pujith Jayasundera, and former defense secretary, Hemasiri Fernando, guilty of ignoring intelligence warnings. The panel recommended criminal action against Sirisena and others. However, no criminal cases were filed against them.
Ousted president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who succeeded Sirisena, came under pressure to act against his predecessor. He, however, refused to act as Sirisena occupied a vital position in the ruling coalition.
On the third anniversary of the terror attacks this year, then prime minister, Mahinda Rajapaksa, vowed that the government would not rest until the perpetrators were arrested. A month later, he and Gotabaya were forced to leave office in May following massive protests against their mismanagement of the nation’s economy.Last year, in a letter to the government, the Church sought legal action against Sirisena for negligence.
The Church leaders in Sri Lanka, at least by now, have their own doubts about the political ambitions that failed to prevent the Easter attack. They should name the people who benefitted from the attacks and speak out about their well-founded doubts that need investigation.Shying away from speaking their mind fearing political repercussions will only help politicians to exploit the vulnerable sensitivity of the Church leaders. The sooner the Church leaders open up, the better for the Church in Sri Lanka.
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
