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The woman behind return from Lanka of ailing elephant
Former Suphan Buri MP Kanchana Silpa-archa is one of the people who played a key role in securing the return to Thailand from Sri Lanka of an ailing male elephant, Saksurin, which is tentatively scheduled to be flown back home on July 1st.
In an exclusive interview with Thai PBS, Kanchana, the older sister of the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Varawut, recalled that, in August last year, she received a call from Sittidet Mahasawangkul, a veterinarian at the Forest Industry Organisation, asking for help to bring Saksurin back to Thailand for medical treatment, as the elephant had a badly infected wound, its living conditions at a temple in Sri Lanka were bad and it was not being given proper care.
She said that she was saddened when she saw a picture of the elephant, which was sent to her by Sittidet, and consulted her brother, Varawut, who is overseeing the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.
She also said that the Thai ambassador in Sri Lanka was very helpful and arranged for a team of Thai vets to visit Sri Lanka to take care of Saksurin which, she added, marked the start of the process to bring the animal back home for proper treatment.
Thanks to the kindness of the abbot of the temple in Sri Lanka, Saksurin was relocated to a zoo, to be taken care of by a Thai mahout, Thongsuk Mali-ngam, who was flown from Thailand, initially for a period of one month, which was extended to almost six months, said Kanchana.
Thai vets were sent to Sri Lanka twice to treat the nasty wound on the elephant’s hip, once in August last year and again in November.Kanchana said that all the vets and others involved agreed that the best way to treat the elephant would be to bring it back to Thailand, initially, in January this year, but it was delayed because the elephant was in musth.
Ambassador Pote in Sri Lanka was instrumental in arranging the considerable amount of paper work for the elephant to be flown back, required because it is a species listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES).Meanwhile, in Thailand, an air transport cage was built.
Kanchana admitted that, while the task of repatriating the elephant may not appear to be difficult, without the cooperation of several governmental agencies, including state funding of a 24.7 million baht special budget, the Thai embassy in Sri Lanka, the Forest Industry Organisation, Minister Varawut, the mahout and the Sri Lankan’s who are assisting, this could not have happened.
She said that Saksurin is luckier than the many other elephants which have been sent overseas and have not had a chance to return home.
A team of officials from the Forest Industry Organisation, the Zoological Park Organisation of Thailand and the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation will be flown to Sri Lanka ahead of time to prepare for the elephant’s flight back to Thailand.Upon arrival in Thailand, Saksurin will be sent to the elephant hospital in Lampang for treatment and a peaceful retirement.( Thai PBS)
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
