11 September, 2011| Military training "is not the form of leadership training appropriate for young people who would later play a role as civilians in the country's development," says Friday Forum |
The Sri Lankan authorities are accused of trying to brainwash university students through 'leadership training' instead of trying to find solutions to students' burning issues.Rejecting the accusation, the ministry of higher education says the new three-week 'leadership training' programme is the first step of a wider reforms initiative.
The ministry this year introduced a three-week 'leadership training' in military camps for those entering universities from this year.
The course that was mandatory when introduced has been changed to voluntary after fierce resistance from student leaders.University teachers say the ministry failed to consult the universities before introducing new training scheme
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SRI LANKA GOES BACK ON ITS ASSURANCES
11-Sept-2011By V. Suryanarayan & Ashik Bonofer
When the Fourth Eelam War began in early 2006, the main objective of the Sri Lankan Government was to find a military solution to the ethnic problem. The armed forces were given a free hand, they were well armed and well equipped with latest weapons acquired from different parts of the world; and they were not constrained by likely human rights violations. The war against the LTTE was projected as an integral part of the global war against terrorism and, as a result, Sri Lanka was able to mobilize international support in the pursuit of its goals. In that process, Colombo got closer with countries like China and Pakistan, because in Colombo’s perception neither Beijing nor Islamabad ever sought to influence the domestic politics of the island. Full Story>>>
