News
Ranawaka frowns on amnesty to 12,000 Tiger cadres, endorses C4 allegations
‘Ram and Nagulan responsible for over 600 killings roaming free’
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Sri Lanka Republican Front leader Patali Champika Ranawaka, MP, has questioned the circumstances under which the Rajapaksas granted amnesty to 12,600 LTTE cadres following the successful conclusion of the war in May 2009. However, some of them were released during the Yahapalana administration (2015-2019) in which Ranawaka served as a Cabinet Minister.
Ranawaka has also sought an explanation from former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his brothers, Gotabaya and Basil as to how they freed Kumaran Pathmanathan (better known as KP), the self-proclaimed successor of LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, Vinayagamurthy Muralitharan aka Karuna, Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pilleyan and two killers known as Ram and Nagulan.
‘KP’ lives here under military protection whereas Pilleyan, leader of YMVP (Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal) serves the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government as State Minister of Rural Road Development.
Ranawaka, who was also member of President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Cabinet, from 2010 to 2014, asked the Rajapaksas to explain their understanding with the LTTE. He raised a spate of issues, including the general amnesty granted to the defeated LTTE, and special treatment meted out to a selected group of LTTE personnel, at a media briefing held over the weekend at the Narahenpita party office. The Opposition MP briefed the media in the wake of British television Channel 4 alleging complicity of the Rajapaksas and breakaway LTTE faction TMVP in the 2019 Easter Sunday carnage and other high-profile cases, including the assassination of Sunday Leader Editor Lasantha Wickrematunga, in January 2009.
MP Ranawaka pointed out that the C4 documentary had been based on disclosure made by Hanzeer Azad Maulana, one-time close associate of Pilleyan.The former PHU heavyweight said that the amnesty granted to ‘KP’ should be examined against the backdrop of his alleged involvement in the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi in May 1991.
Alleging that C4, as well as the BBC, over the years, directed unsubstantiated war crimes accusations, MP Ranawaka said that an attempt was being made to deceive the population that the Rajapaksas were the target of the latest C4 documentary that dealt with the situation here since 2005.
MP Ranawaka recalled the Public Security Minister Tiran Alles’s confession years ago regarding payment made to the LTTE to influence the group to order Tamil speaking people in the North and East to boycott the 2005 presidential election.
People’s Alliance candidate Mahinda Rajapaksa defeated the UNP candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe by 186,000 votes at the 2005 presidential election.Alleging that Ram and Nagulan had spearheaded attacks that claimed the lives of over 600 persons in Hambantota, Panama, Ampara and Moneragala during the conflict, MP Ranawaka said that a future government, consisting of his party, would initiate legal action against those responsible for the heinous crimes.
Referring to Mahinda Rajapaksa’s disclosure after the change of government at the Gatambe Rajopawanaramaye that a group of Muslim extremists had been provided protection by his government, MP Ranawaka stressed that the Rajapaksa brothers (Mahinda and Gotabaya) former Chief of National Intelligence (CNI) Maj. Gen. Kapila Hendarawithana and head of State Intelligence Service (SIS) owed an explanation to the public in this regard.
MP Ranawaka asked who continued with the relationship with those who fought for the LTTE 15 years after the eradication of their conventional military capability. Commenting further on the C4 documentary, Ranawaka pointed out that the government should be mindful of the disclosure that the Geneva-based UNHRC and unnamed European intelligence services gained access to Pilleyan’s aide Moulana. The former minister said that Inspector Nishantha Silva of the CID had avoided the fate befallen on former Director, CID, Shanie Abeysekera by fleeing the country. MP Ranawaka declared that the Inspector’s statement pertaining to Sunday Leader Editor Lasantha Wickrematunga’s assassination was now before the UNHRC. Inspector Silva secured political asylum in Switzerland immediately after the last presidential election.
Ranawaka said that Moulana’s allegations should be examined taking into consideration submissions made by former Senior DIG, CID, Ravi Seneviratne and SSP Shanie Abeysekara pertaining to the Easter Sunday carnage to the Supreme Court.
The ex-minister asked the Rajapaksas to explain how they had received the backing of the National Thowheed Jamaat (NTJ) at the 2019 presidential election. MP Ranawaka endorsed Moulana’s accusations pertaining to several incidents in the run-up to the Easter Sunday massacre. They include the killing of two policemen at a checkpoint at Vavnathivu, Batticaloa, on 30 Nov., 2018. MP Ranawaka claimed that he, too, was on the NTJ hit list. Alleging that the Rajapaksas had unashamedly manipulated all communities to win the 2019 presidential poll, MP Ranawaka said that 6.9 mn votes polled by Gotabaya Rajapaksa had not reflected the real public sentiment.
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
