Are we citizens or voters of Sri Lanka?

We need find ways for a better future of the country. Do we have any alternative to propose to rebuilding the country. Although there were number of attempts to draft some proposals for an alternative future of the country.
We need a change but with proposals to change policies and programme s of the country.
Our attempt to find alternatives for;
. Constitution reforms,
. Religious and ethnic harmony,
. Agriculture, fisheries, plantation, and workers
. Education, health, transpotation.
. Rule of law,
. Women
. Disappearance,
. National issues,
. Media,
. Environmental sustenance,

0ur aim is to build up a forum with all those sectors to develop and establish democratic reforms, economic reforms, rule of law in the country.
We stand for the change. But Change with Reforms in the country.

No more Cheating! Need immediate action to resolve Fuel crisis.

Negombo fishermen conducted several token protests at Negombo and Chilaw areas recently. Dialogue between fishermen and minister of fisheries were conducted. No successful response received up to now. GOSL increased fuel price 35 LKR/ LITRE overnight and put the fisher people's livelihood in danger. As a result of continuous struggle of fishing communities, GOSL had to promise a fuel subsidy though the fisher people rejected the same strongly.  Finally, the subsidy was given 15 months ago for certain places. GOSL is now attempt to cut the subsidy fully and give  material subsidy once and for all which is worth of 108,000 LKR for a OBM 18 feet boat.
Today Negombo fisher peoole were cobducted a mass at Sea street  church and a protest march from Sea street to Negombo mhnicipal council . Then they conducted a continuous protest at a place in the municipal grounds. There demand is very clear. " No more cheating! Need clear answer for fuel Crisis"

In the evening we overheard that the Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith has sent a message to the protestorrs saying "We are with fisher people. We mediate to find a solution after discussing with the President."

However, the fisher people continue their  Sathyagraha at Negombo at the moment too.
The time now is 8.00 pm on 16th June.
We do hope people will continue their struggle until they receive effective answer.

Who own the Land, Sea and Water?

Every day I write various issues faced by people whom I meet in my work.  But we don't have any solution though we can facilitate to find solution if we all affected work together and win the struggles. This was our experience of SeaPlane struggle at Negombo lagoon. Lagoon fishers, men and women with their supporters launched the campaign and won the struggle. This is a classic example of our fisheries struggles in the recent past.
Similar situation we experience when government was planning to remove 4500 families in Hirudeniyaya agriculture scheme for tourism project around Kahalla- Pallakele forest. People's continious struggle brought to hold the project while withdrawing the cases filed by Wild Life department against the farmers.
There is no different  at the SeaPlane project at Parakrama Samudraya Polonnaruwa.
So it is people are in the CENTRE when we won the struggles.  So our role is to facilitate the process, provide the technical  knowledge, bring affected people together, building network, bring media to the people and may be the facilitation list is further longer.
But the issues we learned today people expect solutions from us.
People from Karamalaiuththu at Marble beach expect our mediation for their loss of the beach seine points. Loss of 4 beach seine points mean loss of livelihoods for 100 fisher families.
But it is unfortunate that people are reluctant to attend the legal protection even lawyer wanted to provide assistance. So what we say to them is to take the lead and get the support from others including us.  It is a struggle. Not a contract.
If the living organisms are the owners of the resources they should have the right to fight to tetain them. Not any one else.

Forgotten IDPs in Sampur

QThe plantation and human rights minister Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe had revealed the IDP situation at the HR council at Geneva saying there is  No single IDP  in the country after 26th September 2012.  This is very intresting to hear as there are hundreds of thousands of IDPs are still living in tempory shelters or relative's places in many parts of the country.
It is unfortunate the situation of tempory camps of Sampur people .

There are 4 camps with several hundreds people living in following places.

Name of the camp   Number of people
Kilivettty                          340      
Pattithadal                     164
Manatchenai                     56
Kattaiprichchan              361

On 30th May 2007 GOSL had issued a Gazette notification declaring Sampur High Security Zone with 518 acres. Later the same land mass was declared as Special economic Zone. However, the same area was now declared as Heavy Industrial Zone of Sampur and even no EIA report punlished so far.

In the provincil council debate at the eastern province, when opposition leader of the coimcil raised the plight of Sampur people saying  "Hon president had  ordered to resettle Sampur  people immediately."
However with the surprise the media ammoumced that after attemding swearing in ceremony of Inddian  prime minister the same President had ordered to accelerate the building of Sampur coal power plant.
The milliom dollar question is "Whither the Sampur IDP Communities?"
We need  an answer for this question.

Why VGSSF of FAO is important to Small Scale Fishers in the world

The VGSSF are comprehensive and deal, in one instrument, with all significant aspects of small scale fisheries and fishing communities within a human rights persoective. These Guidelines will support the visibility, recognition and enhancement od small scale fisheries and fishing communities in in the context of eradicating hunger and poverty. The Guidelines will also significantly contribute to effectively addressing numerous challenges and constraints facing small scale fishing communities around the world.  They will address the social, economic and will also assist fishing communities to engage in meningful dialogue with the State and other sectors towards securing access to their living and livelihood space and in protecting this space from various threats.
The challenge ahead of us is the implementation of the Guidelines to give full effect to their recommendations are considerable.
We the CSOs are hopeful the Statwa are ready to implement the VGSSF with full spirit of it.

Fisher's in danger due to Corrupted Kerosene supply

The small scale fishermen affected in many ways of social, economic issues and there  is no difference the news we heard at the meeting at Batticoloa today. There are more than  250 out board engines were damaged at the mid of the sea last week due to use of corrupted Kerosene provided by the fuel stations there. The engines were stucked and stopped at mid sea. The Kerosene has mixed with either water or some other chemicals and damaged the engines.
This was one of the worst situation as this could caused to death of fishermen due to damage their engines.
Now fisher families need at least 2000-4000 LKR for repair the engines.
The affected families do not have enough income for survival as the low catch in the east coast of Batticoloa district.
Some of the agencies in the area now searching some possibilities to provide micro finance assistance for the fishermen who affected from the Kerosene issue.