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Post-war national reconciliation: Austin questions govt. strategy, lambasts doublespeak
One-time Defence Secretary and former Secretary to President Maithripala Sirisena Austin Fernando says having repeatedly undermined previous efforts meant to reach consensus with civil society and Tamil Diaspora, the incumbent dispensation seems to be following the yahapalana strategy.
Fernando said that the current strategy should be examined against the backdrop of the Pohottuwa administration’s much touted pullout from the Geneva process several months after the last presidential election in Nov 2019.
Referring to front-page report titled ‘Prof. Peiris denies Geneva sessions influenced their Jaffna visit’, Fernando, who had also served as Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner in New Delhi has sent the following response: “On the basis of the report on visit to Jaffna undertaken by ministers, Prof. Peiris and Ali Sabry, PC, it appears the ministers are doing ‘needs assessments.’ According to some sections of the media, the President had not met the TNA and other Tamil parties or the Diaspora, (unless stealthily in Yugadanavi syle!!!) having promised such consultation at the UNGA and to UNSG. If the President meets them at least now he will hear the needs from one Tamil group. Therefore, the question is ‘why this ‘mighty indecent hurry’ of ministers, when the President has no hurry?’ No wonder people interpret at their will!
The OMP and RO were legalised by the Yahapalanaya. The credit goes to President Sirisena, PM Wickremesinghe, and late Minister Mangala Samaraweera. I cannot understand why the Yahapaalanaya does not react to statements by these Ministers. Piggybacking on them now by incumbent ministers looks as eyewash. I am disturbed as a team member who worked to establish these mechanisms. Now kudos are to Ministers Pieris and Sabry! Another Pieris- Saliya -Chirman of OMP- went to the people in the north and did what Prof. Pieris does now. Additionally, in 2020 Minister Dinesh Gunawardena withdrew from the UNHRC Resolution 30/1 on a Cabinet decision, and Ministers Pieris and Sabry of the same Cabinet now hang on to by-products of 30/1 – the OMP and RO, to which they cannot have allegiance after the quoted withdrawal. If they wish, they can tag all these as flowing from Mahinda Rajapaksha era 11/1 UNHRC Resolution of 26th May 2009!
We know that the Yahapalanaya wished to have a TRC. I was on a committee that worked on it. A Cabinet Memo for a TRC was submitted by PM Ranil Wickremesinghe on 18th October 2018, and the Constitutional Coup happened. Hence it was probably not considered by ‘the 52- Day, SC decided illegal government.’ and thrown away to the dustbin. For two years they slept over it, and suddenly after the deepest slumber now indicate the appropriateness of it! Are they joking or really do not know what happened in the past? One need not employ rocket science to restart the process. Ask Lalith Weeratunga and Gamini Senarath, I know for certain they have the capacity to prepare the papers for the next Cabinet. It will add more marks in Geneva too! The problem is the government needs the will only.
Non-recurrence was a separate “Pillar of reconciliation” to be achieved through constitutional means which was followed by a Parliamentary Select Committee. An Interim Report is available. There were six sub-committees. Bandula Gunawardane, Susil Premajayantha, and D Siddhaarthan did work on Finance, Public Administration, and centre-periphery relations respectively. What happened to those reports done by present Pohottuwa members, plus one TNA member? Politicians have bungled the relationships, and now they seem to be trying to repair- in technical terms ‘integrate’! That too is on a wrong footing, without continuity.
Mere eyewash! Let these people be serious about reconciliation. It matters to the total population, whole country, at a very difficult time. On top of the economic crisis, let us not be dragged into sanctions or other international crises.”
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
