News
Young journos seek UN intervention against new data protection law overriding RTI
Days ahead of UN Human Rights Council sessions to commence on Feb 28, the Sri Lanka Young Journalists’ Association has requested UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression Irene Khan to study Sri Lanka’s proposed data protection law.
The association has raised concerns over the Personal Data Protection Bill that was tabled in Parliament last month.
In a letter to UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression Irene Khan, they said the bill compromises the rights of journalists and limits the enjoyment of the right to information.
The new bill if passed by parliament grants power to conduct inquiries and issues punishments by an institution that is not a court of law, Committee Member of the association Tharindu Jayawardena told the Sunday Island.
“We are said to have a world class Right to Information (RTI) Act which was passed in 2016 by the former government. Now, this government is trying to reverse those benefits to an ancient terminology by including a clause on Official Secrecy,” Jayawardena said.
In a letter to the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression, the Association pointed out that the most serious concern is that the draft law compromises the rights of journalists and limits the enjoyment of the right to information.
The Association highlighted that another serious concern is that it grants powers to conduct inquiries and issue punishments by one and same institution that is not a court of law.
Thereby, the association has called on Irene Khan to undertake an analysis of the draft bill and its implications on the rights and rule of law, and make interventions with the Sri Lankan Government to prevent any harmful effects.
The letter to Khan said: A draft law (bill) for Personal Data Protection was gazetted on 25th November 2021 and tabled in parliament on 20th January 2022.
The gazette and draft bill came to our notice quite late and article 121 of the constitution provides only a week to challenge a draft bill that’s tabled in Parliament at the Supreme Court. We attempted to challenge some provisions of the bill by e-filing a petition on 27th January and filing a hardcopy petition on 28th January, but both petitions were dismissed on the technicality of being delayed.
Subsequently, we sent a letter to all Members of Parliament, the Right to Information Commission, the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, the Attorney General, and other relevant authorities about our concerns on 2nd February 2022.
In that letter, we have set out in detail our concerns and suggestions to improve the bill. Amongst the most serious concerns we have is that the draft law compromises the rights of journalists, limits the enjoyment of the right to information, and grants powers to conduct inquiries and issue punishments by one and same institution that is not a court of law.
Unconfirmed information received by us indicates that the parliamentary debate on the draft law may happen on 22nd February 2022 after which it is likely to be enacted as a law, which cannot be challenged in a Sri Lankan court.
We kindly request you to undertake an analysis of the draft bill and its implications on rights and rule of law and make interventions with the Sri Lankan government to prevent any harmful effects.
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
