Media Briefing and campaign in Eluwan Kulam

Praja Abhilasha Activists and journists from various medias are conducting a media campaign in Eluwan Kulam in Puttalam. Praja Abhilasha Network has organized a media briefing and Campaign in Puttalam regarding People's Tribunal for Land issues. Here Sirasa TV, Lanka deepa, Rupawahini, Derana, Thiwahina and etc... media persons have been participating right now.

Sheramadana at Welika Kandy

People’s Tribunal for affected community by land issues

There are many thousands of people are landless in Sri Lanka. Out of the total families in Sri Lanka the 70% of Families don’t have tenure for their land so the lands have been encouraging by the government in the name of Displacement, Social Welfare, and National Security. There are massive lands grabbing taking place through these activities in Sri Lanka. Specially, Farmers and fisher people are affected through losing their land. Some government policies directly affect the agriculture land.
Land is not only a factor of production, but is also a basic human need to survive in the world. Everyone needs a free space to live without external disturbances. Therefore, land is becoming scarcer and also the most important burning issue in Sri Lanka. Herewith, the people are affected by many land issues such as war, natural disaster (Flood, Landslides, Draught, Sea Erosion, and Tsunami), Development (Tourism zone, Multi National Companies involvement), Land Tenure (people are living in slams, state lands, and No ownership), Human & Elephants Co-Existence, Land degradation, etc……..
The government says the war affected people were settled down but still eighty thousand people are living in the refugee camps. The resettled families are living in shelters, very limited basic needs, no security for their life. The affected people were settled without any facilities. Every year more than two hundred thousand people are affected by flood during the monsoon. Not only in the monsoon, when it occasionally rain on the low land areas those lands will be covered by flooding. The estate workers have been living nearly 200 years but they don’t have an ownership for even an inch land and they are still living under the poverty line. On the other hand, elephants destroy the paddy fields, palm trees, coconut trees, In this case, the government there is no proper management, maintains, or any National Land policy in Sri Lanka to handle these cases properly.
There are some Tsunami affected people still in trouble; they are stemmed in front of law due to present law and regulation. So we pressure the government to change the law as it is in the UN declaration on Housing rights. The present government will never mind the poor people, many families recently also have been evicted by the government in the name of illegal settlement. After that, the GOS will encourage the land. Specially, the people who are living in main cities are evicted. In this case, we pressurize the government to provide the adequate houses for the affected people and ensure the land ownership of Land of affected people in Sri Lanka.
Affected people don’t have a place to complain their problem so Praja Abhilasha has created a platform for listen their issues. We pressure the GOS via People’s Tribunal to ensure the land ownership of landless people. So we propose the government to implement such below mentioned things:
1) Land rights must be included as a fundamental right in the constitution.
2) Ensure the ownership of Land
3) Establish a national land policy(including Agriculture)
4) Provide equal justice for affected people.
5) Prevent the land grabbing of Multinational Companies.
We hold People’s Tribunal in several districts such as: Colombo, Gampaha, Batticaloa, Puttalam, Kurunegala,Trincomalee, Ampara, Mannar,Nuwara-Eliya,Polannaruwa, Monaragala. Therefore, we call upon the affected community to give testifies for these issues. And let us join hands together to sustain the land rights of everyone. First People’s Tribunal will be held In Puttalam District on 010rd July 2010. External Judges, will be appointed for the Tribunals.
One of our focuses is to taking these issues to the international community and makes them aware.

Media Briefing regarding People's Tribunal of Praja Abhilasha

28th June, 2010, Praja Abhilasha Network conducted a media briefing at Nippon Hotel in Colombo regarding People's Tribunal which are proposed to hold in July and August 2010. there are five medias were present at the media briefing.President of PA Herman kumara addressed about Praja Abhilsha's Peeople's Tribunal and its process. also he explained the neccessity of the people's tribunal right now. Jesudasan addressed the displacement of war, Wimalarathne addressed the displacement of natural disaster, Pathmanathan addressed the displacment of development, Francis addressed the land tenure of plantation people, K.P.Somalatha explanined about the current situation of Human & Elephants co-existance problem.

Civil organizations also took part at the media briefing. Sarath Fenando specially mention about the nessecity of organic farming.

"The ownership of Land should be considered as a fundamental right"

LET US AGREE & JOIN HANDS
"The ownership of Land should be considered as a fundamental right"


According to the Survey report of the land issues in the 18 districts by the “Praja Abhilasha” and People to People Dialogue on Peace and Sustainable Development Networks were understood that there should be a solution for the problems on those affected by Tsunami, those affected and displaced by the war which lasted for 25 years, those affected and displaced by other natural disasters such as earth slips, cyclone and flood, those persons displaced due to animals such as elephant living in their natural habitat and people displaced as they have no deeds for their land (Exp – those in the Estate sector have no deeds though they have been living there over 180 years).

Apart from these issues, there are those displaced as a result of Land given to Multinational Companies, land taken over by the government for security reasons and not giving other lands as compensation, those affected by the houses given by the National Housing authority as deed were not given hence there must be special policy changes in order to solve these problem.The Praja Abhilasha and PPD Networks proposes following to solve the issues:

01. A National Land Commission should be established.
02. A National Land Policy should be established and necessary actions should be taken.
03. The ownership of land should be considered as a fundamental right in the constitution and should be legalized.
04. There should be legal changes on land established by the legislature.

Let us consider the above demands and suggest the government to take immediate action.

We would be thankful, if you contribute your co-operation for this campaign. We invite for an Open Discussion with the NGOs, CBO,CSO,Government Agencies for this matter. Your contributions are appreciated.

Thanks.
F.Raajan
Secretary& Local Coordinator
Praja Abhilasha Network