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Tribute to Police Commandos who sacrificed their lives to defend country at darkest hour
STF Commemoration Day
by Nimal Lewke
The 1st of September 1984 was a very significant day for the STF for many reasons; it was the day when the unit was named the Special Task Force, which had earlier been known as the Special Striking Squad of the Police.
DIG Zerney Wijesuriya was appointed Commandant, and I, too, was invited to join this new unit by Zerney Wijesuriya, and Founder of the Unit, Ravi Jayawardena. This discussion took place at the Police Training School Firing Range as all of us were attending pistol shooting practices at the range.
Later in the night, we received a message that 55 squad members who were deployed at the Point Pedro Police Station had hit a landmine in the Thikkam area and four of them had died. Many things happened thereafter with a new Commandant taking over (Zerney Wijesuriya) and Deputy Lional Karunasena. I, too, was appointed.
Ravi Jayawardena, who was the Defence Advisor to the President at that time, secured the services of a British Security firm, KMS, to send instructors to train the newly-formed unit, which consisted of police officers who had undergone basic police training.
The Katukurunda Training Wing was set up under SSP Upali Sahabandu, and all the Instructors were British Ex-SAS Officers. After a very comprehensive, and strenuous 12 weeks training programme, the officers and men were posted to two camps, in the Batticaloa District.
The STF started with two camps in Batticaloa, Kallady (N. K lllangakoon, ASP Base Commander) and (Nimal Lewke IP) Base Commander, Kalawanchikudi. Later with the expertise training, over a period of time, many camps were established to cover Batticaloa and Ampara Districts.
Since all officers and men were young; they were very active and carried out search OPS patrols, ambushes, and raids, identified terror locations, hide outs and dominated the area, without putting unnecessary pressure on the general public.
With a very effective Communication (Secure) system, under the guidance of ASP Denver Wijesuriya “Com Expert,” all terrorist communication and movement were closely monitored and intercepted which gave a huge advantage to the troops. GIS systems and Direct Finders were used for the first time to locate terrorist locations.
These Technical Intelligence, coupled with human intelligence, was a huge asset to the STF operations. All terrorist bases were located and destroyed with well planned operations.
I happened to be involved in most OPS, and even led operations to locate LITE Bases.
1. Beirut, Kockadicholai
2. 46 Base lralukulam
3. 48 Base Kanjikudiaru
We captured all these bases and established STF camps in those locations. As our concept was to “Dominate the area between STF and the enemy.”
All those achievement were possible due to the very high Discipline and Commitment of all ranks, especially Troup Commanders, Sector Commanders, and Base Commanders, who were very much focussed on their task and gave their hundred percent.
With the Parliament bomb blast, in 1987, the President’s Security was entrusted to the STF. Selected personnel with a proven track record were trained by the special Israeli VIP Protection Experts. I was entrusted with the task of handling this very important task at a very crucial time, and the STF VIP unit achieved very high standards and a good reputation. Even the Indian and Maldivian Security Teams were trained at the STF Training wing in 2006.
These are hard earned achievements of the STF during the period under review, and basically, as a Para Military Police Unit, they have displayed immense courage and team spirit to protect the innocent people and youth from terrorism.
Furthermore, their ability and efficiency to plan out security for key installations such as the Parliament, the airport, the oil refinery, Kelanitissa power plant, and many other important places at crucial times, are highly commendable. Winning the confidence of the masses was a huge achievement under tremendous pressure, and it gave hope for the people and the younger generation, that they have a future.
It was not an easy journey as terrorists used explosives as their main weapon to curtail troop movements and targeted VIPP with IED (Improvised Explosion Devices).
The STF expertise was far more advanced in this field and managed to neutralise same with efficiency and identified the threat in advance as we believed that “if you have the will there is a way”
Even with absolute commitment/training and the expertise, 464 of our beloved members sacrificed their lives to defend their motherland, and 764 were injured/disabled due the war. Dear departed heroes “at the going down of the sun and in the mornings, you’ll will be in our thoughts forever.”
Finally, one of the main reasons for this conflict is the distrust among the two leading communities and it is important that the majority community gives confidence to the minority communities and strengthen the bond between the two communities as it will be the answer to the unfortunate situation and build that most wanted bridge for all – to live in harmony
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
