News
Post-war political solution and accountability: Mano lambastes govt, int’l community over their failure
…finds fault with outgoing US Amb. Julie
The international community (IC) has completely failed the Tamil community here, SJB MP Mano Ganesan has alleged.Issuing a statement on Thursday (16) to mark the 15th anniversary of the ending of the war, the leader of the Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) MP Ganesan alleged that the international community backed the then Sri Lankan government and gave the go-ahead for an all-out final war. The MP claimed that the Vanni office of the UN was abruptly closed. The closure of the UN mission paved the way for Sri Lanka to conduct a war without witnesses, he alleged.
Referring to the then UNSG Ban Ki-moon visiting the North in the immediate aftermath of the conclusion of the war, MP Ganesan said that the international community failed to keep their promise to ensure a political solution and accountability.
The military brought the war to a successful conclusion in May 2009.The MP said: “Then the western nations promised justice at the Geneva-based UNHCR, brokered the honeymoon between the government and Tamil National Alliance (TNA).
Today in 2024, 15 years after the end of war, the police armed with a court order, arrested and dragged crying vulnerable Tamil women from their private residence, accusing them of violating the law as they prepared and drank porridge in remembrance of their dead dear ones. There had been no symbols of any banned organization. There was only porridge, the MP said.
“Why on earth did the police go to courts in the first place when there is already a law preventing the usage of symbols of proscribed organisations? Why did the police go to their private residences in the middle of the night? Doesn’t the government have a general policy regarding remembering the dead, which is our own constitutional and UN declared right?
The MP said that he raised the issue with President Ranil Wickremesinghe. The MP said that the President failed to provide a clear answer to his question but said he directed the police not to oppose bail.
Ganesan said: “Now, look at the state of affairs on the war-torn ground? War was officially over in 2009. Forget the rest, the vulnerable Tamil men, women, young, elders, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, widows and children cannot commemorate their departed loved ones even after 15 years.”
The former Minister declared that the Geneva process had failed to address their grievances. Geneva could ensure the basic right to commemorate the dead. The current US Ambassador Julie Chung, who is at the end of her tenure, couldn’t even put the basic UN Declaration into the heads of the leadership here. She has failed to publicly raise any tangible concern about the most marginalized Tamil workers in plantations coming under physical attack by the masters.
The MP said that he was beginning to realize the way forward for the Tamil communities was to join hands with the southern Sinhala social democratic brethren and commemorate the war dead in common and address issues of marginalized communities locally towards a common future.
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
