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Lankan PHD student from NZ allegedly killed by ex-husband
A Victoria University of Wellington PhD student has been killed in Weliweriya, allegedly by her former husband, two days after arriving from New Zealand.
Apsara Wimalasiri died last Sunday in the town of Weliweriya during a short holiday to visit family and take part in the Galle Face protests.
The 33-year-old moved to Wellington in 2020, completing a masters by thesis, before moving on to become a PhD candidate at the university’s School of Linguistics and Applied Language Studies on a full scholarship.
Her PhD supervisor and friend, Dr Corrine Seals, said Wimalasiri was “so loved by so many people” and was connected to many communities both in New Zealand and Sri Lanka, New Zeland media reports said.
“She was an activist and a scholar, who was always supporting everyone around her. She was a very central part of my school … but she was also connected to Samoan studies and psychology and had friends all across the university.
“She was constantly impressing people, both academically [and] also with her heart and who she was as a person, which is why this has impacted so, so, so many people.”
Wimalasiri “connected instantly and easily” with people as soon as she met them, making them laugh and smile, Seals said.
João Guilherme, Wimalasiri’s flatmate of two years, described her as the type of person that would be more excited about her friend’s achievements than her own.
“She was always supportive, always there for you.”
As an activist, Wimalasiri was “really involved in anything to do with Sri Lanka and supporting Sri Lanka”, Seals said.
She had previously been at the forefront of protests in Wellington about the civil unrest in Sri Lanka and had planned to participate in protests during her trip to her home country to visit family.
She had previously met Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and been “empowered and inspired” by her, Seals said.
Guilherme said Wimalasiri had felt proud to see Sri Lankans of all different ethnicities joining together to protest and wanted to be there.
She hadn’t told her former husband she was coming to Sri Lanka, as he had previously made threats against her family after their relationship had broken down, Guilherme said.
He felt as though Sri Lankan authorities hadn’t taken the threats seriously enough.
Weliweriya Police told the media that, a 37-year-old resident of Matara, had attempted to commit suicide after allegedly killing Wimalasiri and critically injuring her sister and friend.
He is now in hospital under police guard.
In her academic studies, Wimalasiri was passionate about empowering people with multilingual background, and had also studied at the University of Colombo Sri Lanka and The Open University of Sri Lanka.
Professor Sarah Leggott, who is Victoria University acting Pro Vice-Chancellor, Humanities, Social Sciences and Education, said the university community was grieving the loss of Wimalasiri.
“The thoughts of the whole university community are with Apsara’s family. The university is providing support to impacted staff and students. A commemorative event for Apsara is being planned by friends and colleagues at the university.”
A social media post on the page of The Open University of Sri Lanka’s Postgraduate Institute of English department (PGIE) said staff were saddened and shocked Wimalasiri’s death, describing her as one of the “brightest graduates”.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said MFAT and the New Zealand High Commission in Colombo were aware of the death of a Sri Lankan citizen in Sri Lanka, who had studied in New Zealand. They directed queries to Sri Lankan authorities.
Sri Lankan police have been approached for comment and a spokeswoman for New Zealand police said they had not yet been notified of the death.
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
