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Previous regime ignored 97 early warnings on Easter carnage – Defence Secy
The previous government had ignored 97 early warnings about the impending Easter Sunday attacks, Defence Secretary Maj. Gen. (Retd) Kamal Gunaratne said, addressing a gathering of professionals at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute recently.
The event organised by the “Harimaga organization” was themed “Post COVID-19 Renaissance – Present and future development of Sri Lanka.”
Gunaratne said national security and defence were essential for the country’s development.
“These two are also crucial in attracting much-needed direct foreign investment to the country,” he said, alluding to the President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s election manifesto – Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour.
“Although separatism was militarily defeated in May 2009, we need to eliminate the separatist ideology. Some individuals of the Tamil diaspora are constantly promoting this ideology,.”.
Following the war 12,242 ex-LTTE cadres had been rehabilitated and reintegrated into the society. However, some remnants of front organisations of the LTTE were still attempting to indoctrinate and recruit the rehabilitated cadres, he said.
Referring to the Easter Sunday suicide attacks in 2019, the Defence Secretary said that if those responsible had listened to the intelligence agencies the attacks could have been prevented. “Our military intelligence operatives were imprisoned and harassed. This caused gaps in our intelligence information. This allowed extremists to operate scot-free and under the radar” he said.
In contrast the current administration took intelligence information seriously and because of that a number of detections had already been made, Gunaratne said. The security forces had found over 1.5 kilos of high explosives and over 90 detonators from Mannar.
“In addition, the military has also taken a few remote control devices into custody. If we also overlooked these incidents, none of these would have been recovered. We will never leave room for separatism from the North to rise or extremism from the East to spread fear and destruction in this country ever.”
The Defence Secretary also mentioned the steps taken to eliminate drug syndicates that had been operating from prison cells. “To deal with this, we appointed capable officers in charge of the Prisons Department and the Police Special Task Force,” he said.
Speaking about the initiatives taken to change the existing system in prisons, Gunaratne said a maximum security prison was already under construction to detain serious criminals and drug smugglers. Meanwhile mobile phone jammers had already been installed at the Boossa and the Angunakolapelessa prisons.
He also revealed plans to enhance the welfare of prisoners and to reduce overcrowding in prisons.
“We have taken steps to increase facilities to rehabilitate drug addicts. A special Centre, with state-of- the-art facilities, to accommodate over 1,000 inmates is now under construction at Nittambuwa. Another facility will be constructed at Weerawila to accommodate 2,000 inmates”, he added.
The Defence Secretary highlighted the plans to curb illegal sand mining and prevent illegal encroachments especially in the Western Province. A special unit had been established at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to investigate public complaints, he said.
Commandant of the Police Special Task Force (STF) DIG Waruna Jayasundara, Commissioner General of Prisons Thushara Upuldeniya and Chairperson Harimaga organization Kanishka de Silva were also present.
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
