News
Parliament urged to oppose proposed Red Sea mission
FSP questions feasibility of bankrupt country joining US military project
By Shamindra Ferdinando
The Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) yesterday (07) urged political parties in Parliament to oppose the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government’s decision to join a US-led multinational coalition to protect commercial shipping in the Red Sea against continuing attacks by Yemen’s Houthi group.
Senior FSP spokesperson Pubudu Jagoda said that the move, announced by President Ranil Wickremesinghe on January 03 at an event at the BMICH, had taken all political parties by surprise.
The former JVPer questioned the rationale behind bankrupt Sri Lanka joining a costly operation. He pointed out that the US recently launched ‘Operation Prosperity Guardian’ in response to Houthi attacks.
The Houthis have declared that attacks on Red Sea commercial shipping were in response to the current Israeli military campaign against Palestinians in Gaza.
The breakaway JVP group said that President Wickremesinghe’s declaration should have been publicly opposed immediately by all political parties represented in Parliament. Unfortunately, they remained conveniently silent, Jagoda said, urging Parliament to take up this issue without delay.
Jagoda
The US recently asked Sri Lanka to contribute to the Red Sea mission. The Foreign Ministry didn’t respond to The Island query in this regard.
“How can the President, in spite of being the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces and the Defence Minister, make such a declaration without consulting the Parliament?” Jagoda said. “We would like to know whether the Cabinet of Ministers discussed the issue at hand or the National Security Council took it up.”
Jagoda pointed out that Sri Lanka couldn’t under any circumstances join a controversial Western military operation at a time the global community, including some of its members, were hesitant due to growing global public opinion against indiscriminate Israeli attacks. “Don’t forget a year ago this government indefinitely put off Local Government polls claiming it didn’t have sufficient funds,” Jagoda said.
Gaza health authorities have placed the number of people killed in the besieged territory at 22,722 up to January 06, 2024, since the cross border Hamas attacks on Israel on Oct 07, 2023.
Former Navy Chief of Staff Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera said that he intended to inquire about the proposed deployment from the Navy and the Ministry of Defence.
The former Public Security Minister said so when The Island sought his opinion as the Chairman of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on National Security.
MP Weerasekera said that joining a special naval operation such as ‘Operation Prosperity Guardian’ at a flashpoint was quite a foreign policy challenge. “We should also be concerned of our capacity and capability to deploy a vessel fully-equipped to meet the challenging task,” the former minister said.
Houthis launched operations against Red Sea commercial shipping on 19 Nov., 2023. In spite of repeated warnings, Houthis aligned with Iran have mounted a spate of attacks. Last week, they deployed an armed unmanned surface vessel though it failed to reach the intended target. Houthis launched the attack just hours after the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore and the United Kingdom issued what the international media called a final warning.
Authoritative sources told The Island that at the moment the Navy didn’t have a vessel equipped to meet the US-led coalition in the Red Sea. In case, the government wanted to go ahead with the mission, regardless of the consequences, one of the Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs), formerly of the US Coast Guard, would have to be equipped with proper weapons systems which Sri Lanka didn’t have nor the wherewithal to acquire.
“Obviously, we are in a dilemma. The truth is even if we have no other issue to be concerned with, the SLN didn’t have a suitable vessel. American OPVs with SLN and Advanced OPVs acquired from India are not equipped to fight drones and unmanned surface vessels,” a source familiar with SLN capabilities said. Responding to another query, the source explained ideally a country that undertook such a mission should have at least one other vessel with similar capabilities and strong support base.
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
