News
Persons taken into custody held in ‘undisclosed locations’
Claiming ‘enforced disappearances’ related to Aragalaya: Ex-HRC and OMP officials file FR petitionax
Former member of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, Ambika Satkunanathan, and ex-Commissioner of the Office on Missing Persons (OMP), Mirak Raheem, have filed a Fundamental Rights Petition, pertaining to, what they called, a wave of enforced disappearances.
The respondents are Inspector General of Police, C. D. Wickremaratne, Minister of Justice, Prison Affairs and Constitutional Reforms, Wijeyadasa Rajapakse, Minister of Public Security, Tiran Alles, Army Commander, Lt. General Vikum Liyanage, Commander of the Air Force, Air Marshall S. K. Pathirana, Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne, the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, the Office on Missing Persons, and the Attorney General.
The petitioners have challenged what they term the arbitrary, capricious, irrational and ultra vires actions of the Police and the military in creating an administrative/executive practice, of arresting individuals, and temporarily keeping them in secret detention, contrary to the Constitution, the rule of law, and accepted international human rights norms.
The petitioners said the recent spate of arbitrary arrests, carried out by individuals, in no identifiable uniform, with protesters being taken away in vehicles that are not identifiable as belonging to the Police, and where protesters are being detained sometimes for several hours, in undisclosed locations, prior to being produced before a Magistrate. During this period, they are not allowed to inform their next of kin about their place of detention and no arrest receipt is issued to the next of kin. In other instances, unidentified individuals, in no identifiable uniforms, have conducted searches for particular individuals.
The petitioners stated that, all individuals (especially in the current context, protesters), who are arrested, must be arrested for a clearly identifiable penal offence, by officers of the Sri Lanka Police, in clearly identifiable uniforms/insignia, such arrestees’ families must immediately be notified of such arrest, and if they are present when the person is arrested, be issued an arrest receipt. That the person should be kept at police stations, be allowed access to family members and lawyers and the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, and produced before a Magistrate with sufficient provision being made for such arrestees to obtain legal representation.
The petitioners alleged a violation of their fundamental rights guaranteed under Article 10, 11, 12(1), 12(2), 13(1),13(2), 13(3), 13(4), 13(5), 14(1)(a), 14(1)(b) and 14(1)(c) of the Constitution. They state that the continued tacit permission of the State of arbitrary arrests and secret detentions of adversely impacts on the Rule of Law and the Sovereignty of the People and is contrary to Articles 3 & 4(d) of the Constitution.
The petitioners request the Court to grant interim orders preventing the Respondents, and any other officer serving under them and their agents, from carrying out any arrest and detention, contrary to the Constitution and the Law, including the International Convention For The Protection of All Persons From Enforced Disappearance Act No. 5 of 2018. They further request a direction to the IGP, and any other officer serving under them and their agents, to take all measures necessary to ensure the safety of any witnesses to any arrest and/or secret detention.
The petitioners also requested the Court to direct the IGP to formulate guidelines to ensure that arbitrary arrest and secret detentions do not occur. Additionally, the petitioners request the Court to make appropriate orders for measures to be taken by the National Authority for the Protection of Victims of Crime and Witnesses to assess and provide all appropriate assistance, compensation and support for recovery and restitution of all individuals (and in the current context especially protesters) arrested and detained in a manner contrary to the Constitution and the Law, including the International Convention For The Protection Of All Persons From Enforced Disappearance Act No. 5 of 2018.
Application will be supported by Saliya Pieris, Pulasthi Hewamanna, Harini Jaywardena and Fadhila Fairoze.
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
