Dear Friends,
 
Herewith we are sending latest updates on Tsunami rebuilding activities in
Sri Lanka. Please let us know your comments and suggestions for future
action. Circulate this widely
 
Regards
Sarath Fernando
Co-Secretary 
MONLAR 
 
 
Tsunami Update II - January 22, 2005
 
Call for Vigilance to people of all counties
Sent by MONLAR and ANRHR
 
This follows our information Bulleting ( I), sent about a week ago. 
 
In our previous letter we spoke about the "Issues and New Developments in
Relation to process of the Tsunami in Sri Lanka" The alarming new
developments that we saw are now being further confirmed, 
 
1. The Chairman of the Task Force for Rebuilding the Nation stated that the
Rebuilding Process after Tsunami would also include the Plans that had
already been there before Tsunami. He was obviously referring to the
"Regaining Sri Lanka" Strategy and Plans that had been agreed upon at the
Previous "Donors Meeting held in Tokyo in June 2003". It should be noted
that this Strategy of Economic Reforms that was agreed upon were strongly
opposed by the people in Sri Lanka. This strategy proposed by the UNF
Government was rejected by the People at the General Elections in April
2004. Chandrika and the UPFA (United People's Freedom Alliance) criticized
this economic policy and promised to do differently. The "Budget 2005"
proposed in November 2004 was strongly critical of these strategies and
reforms. Although the WB.IMF, ADB and the "Donor" Governments such as Japan,
USA, and EU were very keen to continue the same it was politically difficult
for the UPFA to push this agenda. 
 
2. Tsunami provided an easy opportunity for both the major parties as well
as the big powers of USA, Japan and others to go back to their previous
plans.
 
3. The plans of the New Task Force were finalized on 15th of January and
were announced on the 17th. In a full page advertisement by the Task Force
for Rebuilding the Nation in all news paper it stated the Objective as
follows, 
 
The objective is to put in place a new infrastructure and systems to meet
the challenges of the 21st century and fulfill the dreams and aspirations of
a modern society. 
 
The introduction or preamble to the objective and action plan of TAFREN is
clearly stated as follows. "The best tribute we can pay to those who have
lost their lives is to restore life in the affected areas. The economic,
social and development activity must continue in order to build a prosperous
future for the people who have been affected by this disaster and the nation
as a whole.
 
We need to examine and analyze whether the action plan and the objective in
the operational section will enable the nation to pay the best tribute to
those who have lost their lives.
 
Will a new infrastructure and systems to meet the challenges of the 21st
century designed to fulfill the dreams and ambitions of a Modern Society
enable the people who have been affected by this disaster and the nation as
a whole to build a prosperous future? The nation includes the 80 percent of
the population in rural areas a vast majority of whom are subsistence
farmers, agricultural workers and casual employees. What is modern society?
Is it the Western Province? Whatever modern society is, those who have been
affected by the disaster and the vast majority of people in the rural areas
do not belong to the modern society. Putting in place a new infrastructure
and systems to fulfil the dreams and aspirations of a modern society will
therefore the irrelevant and harmful to them. 
 
Almost immediately the Government announced that the Construction of the
Colombo Matara Super Highway would be included in the rebuilding programme.
Within days of these announcements armed police went in to the areas where
people were resisting their eviction from land to make way for the highway
and threatened them to leave. Those in charge of land acquisition told the
resisting communities that their houses would be soon bulldozed. A letter
that was received by some people who faced these threats is sent separately
(attached)
 
Water privatisation policies rushed through.
 
On 30th December, just 4 days after Tsunami, the Government introduced a
policy document on National Water Resourcesand obtained Cabinet approval.
This bill initially drafted in 2000 aimed at inviting the private sector for
water development and water marketing, in the name of making arrangements
for better water management. People resisted this policy and the initial
draft was withdrawn and amended by both governments. The new Government
promised that they would not do any water privatisation or marketing of
water. However, the ADB continued its insistence that these water policy
reforms for privatisation should be adopted and implemented if the
Government was to receive the loans. The introduction of Water Privatisation
policies on the aftermath of Tsunami was a clear indication that the
continuation of the anti poor policies of economic reforms would be
integrated with the Post Tsunami reconstruction.
 
The "Rebuilding the Affected Area" plans produced by Dept of National
Planning, Ministry id Finance and Planning - January 2005 has included a
whole series of "Re-establishment of pipe borne water supply scheme" in 10
Districts Hambantota, Colombo, Gampaha, Puttalam, Ampara, Matara, Galle,
Tricomalee, Batticaloa, Kalutara, Jaffna and Mullativu.
 
If these proposals are really aimed at rebuilding the damaged water supply
systems for the affected people this is appreciable. However, if this is a
case of utilizing the situation and the rebuilding process for building the
type of water infrastructure that were planned earlier in order to build
infrastructure for big private water companies to begin marketing of water
it is a total abuse of the Tsunami relief assistance. The rushing of the
Water Resources Policy, to meet the deadlines laid by the ADB, creates a
suspicion that the poor people in the urban areas will soon be compelled to
pay heavily for their drinking water to private and local water businesses.
The declaration by the task force that previous plans would be integrated in
to the Tsunami rebuilding plans confirms these fears. 
 
Proposal to Sell away of the Eppawela Phosphate Deposits Revived 
 
At a public gathering at Narahenpita on 16th January as reported in
Lankadeepa - a major Sinhala Daily in Sri Lanka, the President made this
statement. She said that it was a big mistake not to utilize the rich
natural resources in the country and Tsunami was a way by which Nature
punished the country for not utilizing these natural resources. She said, 
 
"It has been founded that we have rich natural Gas in our seas, There are
very valuable gems not yet unearthed We are only scratching the surface. If
we go deeper as is done in African countries we can find enough wealth to
last all our life." 
 
"There is a great mountain of Phosphate in the North Central Province. A
Buddhist monk and a few others were shouting against the utilisation of
these deposits. It was stopped. I am also answerable for this mistake. We
get frightened when they shout. We will not do this in the future" 
 
"If this small group of protesters shout on the streets again we will not
put them in Jail. We will lock them up in a hotel and we will give them good
food, and then we will continue our work" 
 
She was referring to the huge protest movements in the country that included
people of all sectors, scientists, scholars and clergy that protested
against the selling away of National Resources and violation of Human
Rights. led by the ANRHR. This was not a hundred or two hundred people but
over two hundred people's organisations covering all sectors of society.
 
The Post Tsunami rebuilding plans include the building of 8 new fishing
harbours and rehabilitation of 13 Fishery harbours that were damaged in 8
Disrticts There were previous proposals to build big, modern fishery
harbours to be built by big companies to anchor big fishing vessels. This
was to attract big fishing companies for deep sea harvesting There were
earlier threats of thus displacing the small scale fish workers. The
movements of fish workers such as the National Fisheries Solidarity were
campaigning to protect the fishing rights of small scale fisher communities.
These proposals combined with the rushed decision not to allow the fisher
communities to resettle in the coastal belt increases the fears and
suspicions 
 
Tourist Hotels promoted in the coastal belt.
 
From the beginning the Government and the "new rebuilders of the nation"
have repeatedly stated that the continuation of tourism and tourist hotels
in the "protective" border of 300 meters would be encouraged. President
stated that the repairs and reopening of the Hotels within the border would
not be prevented. Budget for Tourism for 2005 has been doubled. On 18th
January 2005, as stated in - Daily News ( Sri Lanka ) on January 21, 2005,
the Minister of Tourism, Anura Bandaranayake said, 
 
"Sri Lanka has many properties away from the coast. Tourists still prefer to
visit the hotels on the coastal belt and this is one reason we want to have
flexibility on this 100 meters proposal" 
 
So, it is clear that the whole plan is one of driving away about 800,000
small scale fish workers and their families from their livelihoods and
settlements near the beaches in order to clear the beaches and the sea
resources of the people living on the sea, to make way for rich tourist
businesses and big fishing industry. 
 
Elections to be postponed for 5 years and the Big political Parties to unite
 
 
The Big Private Businesses represented by the Joint Business Forum ( JBIS )
has been saying repeatedly that the two big rightwing political parties
should join if the economic reforms of Neo Liberalism is to succeed in Sri
Lanka. Tsunmai provide the opportunity to the WB, IMF and other powers to
intervene in bringing about this united. Mr. James Wolfensohn the President
of the WB visited Sri Lanka immediately after Tsunami and met only the
President, Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition and left . We
feel this visit was to finalize the above agreement. UNF that proposed the
"Regaining Sri Lanka" is now extremely happy that their plans that were
defeated by the people have now been totally accepted by the UPFA that
promised to do otherwise. 
 
A few big NGOs that have had a practise of working in close collaboration
with the WB, IMF and other powers, that have been campaigning for the "unity
of the big parties" as necessary for the continuation of the peace process ,
without raising issues of economic policies and economic justice to the
poor, have now begun to play a prominent role in this united approach of the
two big parties. Similar measures have been adopted to get some of the
Journalists not to raise these essential questions for protection of the
interests of the victims of tsunami and of other natural and socio political
disasters. 
 
The situation in other affected countries such as India, Indonesia and so on
are not very different in any way. In this situation of danger, it is urgent
and absolutely necessary for the local people, their movements for justice
should unite with the global efforts towards Working for Justice for the
Tsunami survivors in South Asia and else where. Close monitoring of these
developments and building pro people solidarity is one of the top most
priorities is a disaster worse than Tsunami is to be prevented. 
 
We appeal to all people of good will of all countries to insist on justice
to Tsunami victims by demanding the Governments of the respective countries
be vigilant about the abuse of the funds contributed by their people. 
 
Update III - will include the proposals of People's Organizations
represented by MONLAR and ANRHR 
 
Written by:
Sarath Fernando
on behalf of
Movement for National Land and Agricultural Reform and Alliance for
Protection of national Resourcesand Human Rights