News
Lankan mahout honoured by Thai royals
Their Majesties the King and Queen of Thailand presented a gift to a Sri Lankan mahout who took care of the ailing Thai elephant Sak Surin (Muthu Raja), now in 30-day quarantine in Lampang province, after being flown from Sri Lanka on 02 July, a report from The Bangkok Post said.
It said that Thai Air Marshal Pakdee Saengchuto, Deputy Private Secretary to the King, represented the monarch on Thursday to provide the gift to Don Upul Jayarathna Denelpitiyage, the mahout from the Dehiwala Zoo, in Sri Lanka, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment’s Facebook page on Friday.
The ceremony was held at the Ministry, with Permanent Secretary Jatuporn Buruspat and Denelpitiyage attending.
Denelpitiyage accompanied an official Thai team to fly from Sri Lanka to Thailand to help care for Sak Surin, who is now being looked after at the Thai Elephant Conservation Centre. Denelpitiyage returned to Sri Lanka on Friday.
The Ministry spent about 19 million baht caring for 30-year-old Sak Surin and bringing him back to Thailand for medical treatment.
He is one of three elephants Thailand sent to Sri Lanka to strengthen diplomatic relations following a Sri Lankan request for the Thai government to send elephants to carry the Buddha’s relics in special religious ceremonies.
Meanwhile, the Thai Ambassador to Sri Lanka on Friday said Pratu Pha, another 49-year-old male elephant, has been living under normal conditions in the island nation, adding that there are no plans to bring him back to Thailand.
Ambassador Poj Harnpol said he visited Pratu Pha at Wat Sri Dala Maligawa (Temple of the Tooth Relic) in Kandy City, on Thursday, where the elephant is kept. The visit was made at the invitation of Pradeep Nilanga Dela Nilame, the temple caretaker.
Poj said Pratu Pha lives in an open courtyard — with a concrete and soil surface — marked by ropes to indicate boundaries.
The elephant’s front legs are chained to two big trees, while one of the hind legs is lightly chained, allowing it to move and stand naturally.
Pratu Pha can consume food such as leaves from kithul trees, grass and sugar cane as normal, said the Ambassador.
During his 30 minutes of observation, the elephant did not display any signs of aggression, and a mahout could feed the animal from a distance.
Poj emphasised the importance of improving the landscape and ensuring adequate water sources and water tanks for the elephant’s well-being.
“Although the general condition is satisfactory to some extent, Pratu Pha’s living conditions could still be improved,” the envoy said.
“We acknowledge the efforts being made by the temple, and the situation cannot be changed in a day. We will work towards better care,” he said.
In an interview with the Sri Lankan media, Poj said Thailand has no plans to return Pratu Pha, who is also known as Thai Raja.
Pratu Pha was gifted to Sri Lanka 37 years ago, while Sak Surin and another male jumbo, Sri Narong, were sent there 22 years ago as goodwill gifts.
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.
