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Dhanapala joins Dialog Telekom Board as Independent Director
Tuesday, 7 August 2007 - 4:09 AM SL Time
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Dialog Telekom PLC, Sri Lanka`s flagship telecommunications company, announced that Mr. Jayantha Dhanapala has joined Dialog`s Board of Directors as an Independent Director. The Company stated that the invitation extended by Tan Sri Dato` Ir. Md. Radzi Mansor, Chairman of Dialog Telekom has been accepted by Mr. Dhanapala.
Mr. Dhanapala was the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs from 1998 to 2003.
Prior to that he was Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in Geneva (1984-87) and Ambassador to the USA (1994-97).
Mr. Dhanapala is currently Chairman of the UN University Council and is on the Governing Board of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). He is also on the Advisory Boards of the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces, the Center for Nonproliferation Studies of the Monterey Institute of International Studies, the Bonn International Centre for Conversion, CISAC in Stanford University and the ICRC.
Mr. Dhanapala has represented his country at the United Nations General Assembly and at many NAM and Commonwealth conferences. He has also chaired many international meetings including the 1995 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review and Extension Conference for which he was widely acclaimed. He is also Honorary President of the International Peace Bureau (IPB) which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1910 and has represented the IPB at the Nobel Peace Laureates Summit held in Rome in 2003, 2005 and 2006. Mr. Dhanapala is highly regarded as a diplomat, having held several ambassadorial positions, and was Sri Lanka`s official candidate for the post of UN Secretary-General in 2006. Mr. Dhanapala was also named Sri Lankan of the Year 2006 by Sri Lanka`s premier business magazine, the Lanka Monthly Digest.
Mr. Dhanapala holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honors) degree majoring in English Literature with French from the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, and a Master of Arts degree in International Studies at the American University in Washington. In December 2000 he was awarded the degree of Doctor of Letters (honoris causa) by the University of Peradeniya and in May 2001 the Monterey Institute of International Studies conferred the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters Honoris Causa on him. In July 2003 the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom awarded Dhanapala the degree of Doctor of Science in the Social Sciences, honoris causa and in November 2003 the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka awarded him the degree of Doctor of Letters (honoris causa).
The membership of the Board of Dialog Telekom PLC headed by Non-Executive Chairman Tan Sri Dato` Ir Md Radzi Mansor, now includes three (03) Independent Directors ? Moksevi Prelis, Mohamed Muhsin and recently appointed Jayantha Dhanapala representing in excess of one third of the eight (08) member board.
Dialog Telekom, an ISO 9001 certified company, is a subsidiary of Telekom Malaysia. Dialog operates 2.5G and 3G Mobile Communications networks supporting the very latest in multimedia and mobile Internet services. The Company has the distinction of being the first 3G operator in South Asia to commence commercial operations. Dialog Telekom, the largest and fastest growing cellular service in Sri Lanka, serves a subscriber base in excess of 3.5 Million Sri Lankans.
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Haddock
Joined: Jul 2007
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7 Aug 2007 09:10:46 GMT Report for Abuse
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Such an acceptable man, all gone to waste!
Who said about pearls and swine?
This man should have been this country's foreign minister, firstly, because he is a career diplomat and secondly because he is respected. I cant remember a foreign minister before and after Kadirgamar who won international respect.
The first thing about success in anything is acceptability. If it is global, well, so much the better.
How Sri Lanka could benefit by being more internationalist than nationalist in its thinking!
Dhanapala, Weerakoon ...... the list goes on Men who should have been far greater than where they ended.
And it was never their fault.
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Bonggo
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7 Aug 2007 13:42:55 GMT Report for Abuse
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Haddock,
I cant remember a foreign minister before and after Kadirgamar who won international respect
A.C.S. Hameed was much respected internationally. Locally I am not sure. |
nirupam
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7 Aug 2007 13:54:12 GMT Report for Abuse
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Kadirgamar who won international respect.
which was confirmed from the support he enjoyed in the contest for the Secretary General of the Commonwealth.
He was humanistic when he threatened with expulsion of ICRC and UNESCO when they raised alarms over the SL AForce bombing of Navaly Church, Nagar Kovil Primary School and Open Market in Vanni killing 121 IDPs, 21 children and 52 civilians respectively. |
anizam
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7 Aug 2007 15:31:08 GMT Report for Abuse
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Good for Dialog and Mr Dhanapala. There are a few Srilankans who have done so well in the wrold like Danapala, Deva Subasingha, Mr Mushin etc etc.. Its good to see the private sector picking up thse guys. At least they will be in SL and the country will benefit.
The Govt burecracy is left with brain dead HOOTERS. :) :) |
saliya
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8 Aug 2007 02:45:02 GMT Report for Abuse
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Dr Dhanapala is a distinct scholar and international expert. Sri Lanka is fortuned to have such good people and hope he will do the best to bring the country back to the highest position in the world.
Edited By - saliya - 8 Aug 2007 02:46:16 GMT |
Fairplay
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8 Aug 2007 03:38:24 GMT Report for Abuse
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Mr. Dhanapala is currently Chairman of the UN University Council and is on the Governing Board of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). He is also on the Advisory Boards of the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces, the Center for Nonproliferation Studies of the Monterey Institute of International Studies, the Bonn International Centre for Conversion, CISAC in Stanford University and the ICRC.
Though he is a RESOURCEFL Man. He is not useful to the private sector. His exposure more relates to Public Administration and the Nation is faced with a COMPELLING NEED for resourceful professionals/diplomats.
Is he not suitable for our Government assignments????
Have they kicked him out, if so why???
I guess he couldn't deliver the goods for GOSL!!
May be Dialog Telecom seeks unwarranted Prominence.
Fairplay |
Damed
Joined: Jun 2006
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8 Aug 2007 04:59:12 GMT Report for Abuse
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CBK ruined Mr.Jayantha Dhanapala A loss to the country.
Politicians ruin there carriers.
now he is going for real Danaya.
Next in line Dr.Palitha Kohona.
Edited By - Damed - 8 Aug 2007 05:00:14 GMT |
raigamakolla
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8 Aug 2007 05:13:32 GMT Report for Abuse
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No doubt that the JD is a man with a lot of paper qualifications and he has also held/hold a number of prestigious positions. But as a 'result-getter' he has failed miserably as any other slankan. What did he achieve as the head of the peace secretariat ??? precious nothing. Some people call him an expert in disarmament and he has got a number of countries to sign the NNAT (some thing do with nuclear disarmament), but could he get LTTe to disarm??? No. LTTE is still are strong as before. JD had come and gone.
So, with all respect for his paper qualifications, I believe he achieved much less than the JRJ, commoner 'Premadasa' and blue boy Ranil. Even DBW was able to clear the east from LTTe and hold elections there. |
dumindak
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8 Aug 2007 05:52:34 GMT Report for Abuse
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I really doubt what he can offer to Dialog or any private company except his personal contacts.
He was working in a bureaucratic environment where rules are more important and least knows about profits and revenue. How he will react to a new business proposal is a big question. I think his job might be to accompany other directors to business meetings and introduce himself as a former UN high-up. the rest will be taken care of by others.
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Haddock
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8 Aug 2007 06:26:32 GMT Report for Abuse
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I think FAIRPLAY is not being very kind.
I refer to his query, 'Is he not suitable for our Government assignments???? Have they kicked him out, if so why??? '
I wonder whether it occured to the gentleman that Mr. Danapala may not have wished to continue in any government assignments hereafter, given the huge violations it is being accused of, internationally and domestically.
As for his inability to deliver the goods for GOSL, I leave more erudite minds to answer that one. All I know is, how hard it can be to work with legislators of the calibre we are currently blessed with. Particularly if you are, a man of good sense, good taste, and good upbringing.
Besides to 'deliver the goods'one needs more than one man. The first question that must be asked if we are willing to state and face the truth is, can anyone work with our politicians? Can anyone tell anyone in power, he is wrong, and then still survive in his job?
And isnt it more than a bit curious that Sri Lanka never went flat out to promote Dhanapala as Secretary General until it was far too late?
Did Kadirgamar go flat out to help Dhanapala when he could? Perhaps readers may want to comment on that.
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