News
JVP flays govt. for bringing Ukrainian tourists without repatriating Lankan migrant workers
By Saman Indrajith
Sri Lankan migrant workers knew that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had two characters and he had a peaceful side and a dark side since he treated the migrant workers and Ukrainian tourists in two different ways, member of the JVP-led NPP member of the Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Municipal Council Samanmalee Gunasinghe said yesterday.
Addressing the media at the JVP headquarters in Pelawatte, Gunasinghe said that the tourism industry contributed only around four billion rupees to the national economy while the migrant workers’ contribution was at seven billion rupees a year.
“The government overlooked bringing home the stranded Lankan migrant workers but rolled out the red carpet to Ukrainian tourists. There were COVID-19 infections among those tourists and that finally resulted in some Lankan hotel employees and drivers getting infected by the virus. The President welcomed the Lankan migrant workers who came down in planeloads to vote for his party.
Gunasinghe said adding that the Ukrainian tourists were given princely treatment while the government had allowed its friendly businessmen to exploit the Sri Lankan migrant workers who are brought home.
JVP-led NPP MP Dr Harini Amarasuriya said the repatriation of Sri Lankan migrant workers had become a big business for a handful of tycoons. “We are happy that many leading government members in and out of parliament last week said they too felt something suspicious about this process. Around 300 Lankan citizens died abroad because of the pandemic. The issue of stranded Lankan migrant workers is not a problem that came up last week. It started around 10 months back but its was only last week that the government expressed its willingness to bring them home. Now, the government says that only those who have registered themselves with the Foreign Employment Bureau would be brought home, but when they sent seven billion rupees home the government did not ask whether they were registered or not. Every person has a right to return to his or her home country. It is a universally-accepted human right. It is unfortunate that the government has no regard for that.”
Progressive Women’s Collective Chairperson, Saroja Savithri Paulraj said: “The government should take responsibility for every single Lanka migrant worker who died abroad because it failed to help those workers come home owing to the pandemic. Every other nation in the world has brought its citizens home.
Colombo High Court judge Manjula Thilakaratne yesterday granted bail to jailer Manoj Udayakantha who brought Sanjeewa Kumara Samararathne, also known as “Ganemulle Sanjeewa,” to Hulftsdorp Magistrate’s court number 05 on 19 Feb., when he (Sanjeewa) was shot dead by a gunman, disguised as a lawyer.
Manoj Udayakantha was taken into custody on 01 March.
Colombo High Court judge Manjula Thilakaratne ordered the suspect to be granted bail on two sureties of Rs. 2.5 million each and a cash bail of Rs. 75,000.
The jailer has been questioned regarding his failure to take any action against the individual who shot at “Ganemulle Sanjeewa,” as he stood in the dock, and fled. The gunman has been arrested but his female accomplice is still at large.
SLTB on April 29 resumed services between Jaffna and Palaly after a lapse of 35 years. Although buses operated on some sections of the road, it hadn’t been fully opened until recently.
(pic by Dinasena Ratugamage)
As Galadari Colombo undergoes an exciting transformation and prepares to unveil its new identity as Radisson Blu Hotel, Galadari Colombo, Radisson Hotel Group is proud to announce the appointment of Marko Janssen as the hotel’s new General Manager.
With an impressive 35-year career spanning three continents, Janssen brings a wealth of international hospitality experience to this pivotal role, including over two decades of leadership as a General Manager since 2001. His deep-rooted passion for Food & Beverage, which continues to drive his pursuit of excellence and innovation, stems from his early background in F&B operations, the hotel said in a press release issued yesterday.
Janssen continues his tenure at Radisson Hotel Group, having previously served as General Manager at both Radisson Blu Hotel, Cebu in the Philippines and Radisson Blu Resort, Phu Quoc in Vietnam. His global leadership experience also includes senior roles at renowned properties such as Meliá Shanghai Hongqiao in China, Meliá Dubai in the UAE, Meliá Zanzibar in Tanzania, and TRYP Düsseldorf Krefeld in Germany.
A firm believer in the power of focus, consistency, and team empowerment, Janssen is passionate about developing talent and fostering a culture of high performance. He views great leadership as paving the way for others to succeed, inspiring his teams to aim higher and seize new opportunities.
Janssen’s appointment marks an exciting new chapter for Radisson Blu Hotel, Galadari Colombo as it prepares to deliver world-class hospitality under its new brand identity.
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