Page 4489 - Week 10 - Thursday, 23 September 2010
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Finally, the ACT’s executive leadership and training organisation, Yellow Edge, in partnership with the China executive leadership academy at Pudong, or CELAP, have established a scholarship. It allows three Canberra business people to participate in a five-day program with CELAP participants as part of the global leadership practices program.
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Emma Walter, Sam Prince and in particular Mark Whybrow from the ACT Department of Education and Training, who each received placements under this program. I would also like to congratulate the University of Canberra, the ANU, the Canberra Institute of Technology, Yellow Edge and the Department of Education and Training on their participation in the trade mission. I also acknowledge the involvement of the Academy of Interactive Entertainment and thank all of them for their commitment to building stronger trade links with the People’s Republic of China.
International affairs—Sri Lanka
MS BRESNAN (Brindabella) (4.40): I have spoken in this place before about the situation of the Tamils in Sri Lanka and overseas and I did think it was worth noting that on 22 June this year the UN Secretary-General announced the formation of a three-member panel to advise on whether any crimes were committed in Sri Lanka during the final months of its war against Tamil Tiger rebels. The panel will advise the UN Secretary-General on the issue of accountability with regard to any alleged violations of international human rights and humanitarian law during the final stages of the conflict in Sri Lanka.
Peggy Hicks of the New York-based Human Rights Watch group said that the panel was necessary since “the Sri Lankan government is unwilling to seriously investigate war-time human rights abuses”. She added that she hoped the panel would produce a roadmap of international investigation. She also urged the UN that, because of the delays already in terms of any action on what is happening in Sri Lanka and in terms of any action looking into the human rights abuses that have happened there, it is important that there be no further delays and that the panel be assisted in their investigations.
I did also want to refer to a group which has been formed, the Global Tamil Forum. They held their inaugural conference on Wednesday, 24 February this year. It was attended by the then Foreign Secretary of State, the Rt Hon David Miliband MP. He was joined by the then shadow foreign secretary, the Rt Hon William Hague MP, along with many other national and international parliamentarians, civil leaders and academics in a show of support for the Tamil diaspora congregation.
The Global Tamil Forum has a membership of Tamil groups from across the world, including Australia, and they will be working to promote and further the interests of Tamil diaspora and the situation of the Tamil people in Sri Lanka.
Belconnen Community Council
MR COE (Ginninderra) (4.42): I rise this afternoon to give a plug to the Belconnen Community Council and the great work done by all the community councils across
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