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Fisher people prepare their plan
Written By Freedam to the nation resettlement of IDPs on Monday, June 1, 2015 | 3:56 AM
Concept note on round table discussion
Round Table Discussion on
the Tourism Research and Impact on Farming and Fishing Communities
Introduction
NAFSO
is concerned on tourism which is only one part of development for the
communities. Although the GOSL had planned the tourism as the only industry for
the development of the country, we are not ready to accept it as it is. Sri
Lanka has been based on agriculture and fisheries as its main development
strategy during the post-independence period rightfully. Thus, the fishing and
farming industries should also be considered as main economic base and source
of livelihood in the country.
Unfairly, after the post-war context, the lands of the farmers and
fishermen were occupied by the military and investors in the name of National
security and development. Legal procedures were not properly followed
and disregarded. The war-affected people still now have been living in the welfare camps, their relatives’ houses, or abroad
even though the war ended in 2009. The internally displaced farmers and
fishermen [IDPs] have remained unable to return to their own villages.
Military
tourism also was promoted during the former regime. Due to the tourism plan of
the Rajapaksha Regime, fishing and farming communities lost their lands and
livelihoods in most parts of the country. Hence, NAFSO has conducted a survey
on land grabbing and its impact on Fisheries and agriculture communities. NAFSO
coordinated with affected communities in
Jaffna, Kalpitiya, Pasikudah, and Kuchchaveli where Rajapaksa regime
implemented special tourism plans and collected information from them. NAFSO was able to identify issues of these
communities and highlighted these in many local and foreign forums through
which justice to the IDPs and affected people due to development projects was
advocated for. Specifically, the issues focused on were related to livelihoods,
working conditions in few hotels studied, land and sea grabbing, participation
or non-participation of local communities in the tourism industry, and to
related on health, education and sanitary facilities of the local communities.
Besides these, effects on the ecology were looked into. Some of the coral reefs
such as Bar coral reef are under threat due to tourism infrastructure,
unhealthy activities carried out by the tourists and
operations and Mangroves have consequently been destroyed. There were
many cases which reported the destruction of Mangrove forests in Kalpitiya
area.
As a
whole, NAFSO was able to highlight the violation of human rights in those areas
and focused attention how to rectify the current situation while recognizing
a national level dialogue among all parties involve in tourism and affected
communities.
A wider
civil-political-official-investor dialogue, based on social justice, human
rights, environmental justice and gender justice, among the politicians, tourism
and fisheries people, Coast Conservation Department and all other officials, investors, local communities, fisher people,
representatives of LGU, NGOs, any other related parties involved in tourism industry
would be ideal. The main idea would be to prepare a tourism plan
in the context of sustainable development from a wider consultation of
the Sri Lankan society, and not only among few bureaucrats and politicians
involved and aiming to profit a few people. As tourism is a growing industry
in the country, there should be focus on the future
development of local communities and to protect their rights. At the same time,
the concern on the environment and ecologically-sensitive areas and their
sustenance is an essential component of the tourism development.
NAFSO
is promoting sustainable development based on the Earth Summit and
Environmental Declaration in 1992 and the Rio+20 Declaration “The Future We
Want.” NAFSO, therefore, proposes a sustainable tourism development plan aimed at
supporting and nurturing:
·
Economy/Livelihoods of
the communities
·
Environment/ Ecology
·
Culture of the
communities
The
GOSL is also under the obligation to respect
the principles of sustainable development.
Therefore,
NAFSO proposes to conduct a roundtable
discussion on tourism in Sri Lanka aiming to understand about the issues of the
fisheries and farming communities. We will use the research findings of NAFSO
and Society of Threatened People conducted in latter part of 2014.. The book,
“Dark Clouds over the Sunshine Paradise” was published in February, 2015 in
which highlight the issues related to human rights violations in the context of
tourism development in Sri Lanka.
Goal
The
overall goal is to begin the dialogue on drafting an overall sustainable
tourism development plan for the country based on the
discussion among all parties involved in it. We want to take off from the issues faced by the local communities on livelihoods, land, labour, and human rights violations and
focus on regaining the land and livelihood rights of the affected communities specifically
in Pasikkudah, Kuchchaveli, Kalpitiya islands, and Jaffna peninsula.
NAFSO and the Praja Abilashi land
network expect to have a better human rights environment in relation to tourism
industry. With a main aim of the GOSL to bring tourists to the country to the
extent of 2.5 million this year and 4 million in 2020, there should be a programmatic approach if the government is sincerely concerned
of the rights of the communities and the workers engaged in or affected by
tourism. What we want to do is to facilitate this dialogue and come up with a
framework to ensure human rights of the people in communities interacting in
and affected by tourism.
Objectives of
the Round Table Discussion
1. To make the politicians, officials, investors, and
hoteliers aware about the real situation and impact of tourism in four tourism sites
2. To build up a consensus on people’s participation in
tourism development planning to ensure the land rights of the fishing and
farming communities
3. To come
up with a draft human
rights framework in the overall
country tourism development plan and strategy
4. To enable dialogue and direct
interactions among the investors and affected community leaders, hoteliers and
local communities and civil society, towards finding better solutions for affected
communities.
Expected Outcomes
Ø
Participants/various actors acknowledge the
research recommendations for respecting human rights and customary rights of
the people in the affected areas
Ø
The Research Report on Tourism and the human
rights of coastal communities is disseminated and made known to wider country
national and local society.
Ø
The necessity to have a Framework for
sustainable tourism industry is recognized.
Ø
Dialogues between civil society and the tourism
authorities in relation to the issues of affected communities in the coastal
areas are appreciated.
Ø
Media and wider civil society’s awareness of the
issues related to tourism and fisheries in coastal areas is increased.
Proposed
Program
for the Round Table Discussion [RTD]
Venue:
Olympic House, Independence Avenue, Torrington Place, Colombo
|
Time
|
Subject Area
|
Responsible Person/s
|
|
2.30
- 2.45 pm
|
Introduction
and Overview of the RTD
Leveling of
Expectations
Objective
setting
|
Francis
Raajan
|
|
2.45
- 3.15 pm
|
Presentation
of the Research Findings/Report
[Civil
Society Perspectives]
|
Yves
Bowie, Society of Threatened People and Herman Kumara, NAFSO
|
|
3.15
- 3.30 pm
|
Response
to the Research Findings Overview of the Sri Lankan development strategies and the
Tourism
Development Plan
[GOSL
perspectives]
|
Minister
of Tourism or Chairperson, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority
|
|
3.30
- 4.10 pm
|
Response
from the Investors and Hoteliers
[Investors/Business perspectives]
|
Malu
Malu
Jungle
Beach
Dutch
Bay Holiday Resort
|
|
4.10
- 4.40 pm
|
Livelihoods,
Land rights and Human Rights of the local communities.
[Local
communities perspectives]
|
Kalpitiya
Passikudah
Kuchchaweli
|
|
4.40
- 5.00 pm
|
Open
Discussion
|
Moderator-TBD
|
|
5.00
- 5.15 pm
|
Consensus
and Synthesis of the Discussions
|
Herman
Kumara
|
|
5.15
- 5.30pm
|
Conclusion
and Next Steps
|
|
Proposed next steps
after the Round Table Discussion[RTD]
·
Produce a consensus statement or Press briefing
about the outcome of the RTD
·
Produce a campaign on sustainable tourism
through social media with the help of internal and external social media
groups,
·
Publish and disseminate any remedies agreed or
proposed at the RTD for facilitate the livelihoods and well being of the people
in those areas,
·
Dialogue with relevant authorities to get the
land back and demand customary rights of the coastal communities,
Program drafted by: Herman Kumara, Convener, NAFSO and
Francis Raajan, Coordinator, Praja Abhilasha network.
 |
| Thalsevana hotel in KKS |
Eye opener to mentally warped southern racists
Written By Freedam to the nation resettlement of IDPs on Tuesday, May 19, 2015 | 10:36 PM
Eye opener to mentally warped southern racists : Tamils , Sinhalese , Muslims ,armed forces commemorate those who died in the war in north
(Lanka-e-News- 18.May.2015, 11.30PM) While the JHU and racists were making a huge hue and cry trying to give a mischievous twist that the functions in commemoration of those who died during the war in the north, is a commemoration of the LTTE , the northern chief minister Vigneswaran and a group held the commemoration with the participation of not only Tamils but even the Sinhalase civilians thereby giving a deadly blow and a thundering slap in the face of the racists of the South.
The chief minister and political leaders today (18) held the commemoration ceremony in memory of all those who died during the war by lighting oil lamps invoking blessings and peace for their souls. The chief minister emphasized, let their souls if not their lives rest in peace.
It is significant to note among the photographs displayed at the commemoration were those of the dead Sinhalese civilians too in the Kebbetigollewa and Mahakongaskada attacks , serving as an eye opener to the mentally warped Sinhalese of the south blinded and demented by their racism mania .
Vigneswaran’s actions demonstrated to the world that at least in the future , when those who die in the war is commemorated in the south , as a civilized tradition the dead Tamil civilians of the north will also be remembered .
Vigneswaran’s actions demonstrated to the world that at least in the future , when those who die in the war is commemorated in the south , as a civilized tradition the dead Tamil civilians of the north will also be remembered .
During the war a large number of Tamils died , yet the issues of the Tamils in the North had not been resolved. However to elect this government , as the Tamil people extended their support , the Tamil people and the government should along with international support find a permanent solution , said Vigneswaran speaking in Sinhala (his Sinhala speech is available on tape below) .
The TNA and several other political parties held the commemoration ceremonies at Mulliwaikal. Mullaitivu without trespassing on the limits set by the court order .
The participation of State minister for Seva Vanitha affairs ,Ms. Shivakala Maheswaran along with the TNA MPs was something specially noteworthy. All of them engaged in various religious ceremonies while lighting oil lamps to invoke blessings on the dead..
Vigneswaran commenting further on the occasion said , the responsibility to stand by the faiths and hopes of the Tamil people was vested in the government by the Tamil people by voting for it at the elections. Therefore by prolonging the issues of the Tamil people , the citizens of Sri Lanka will only earn disrepute.
A function was also held at Vavuniya cultural headquarters with the participation of TNA MPs of Wanni district Shivashakthi Anandan , Selvam Adeikalanathan , and Northern provincial council health minister P. Sathyalingam .
The minister speaking on the occasion stated, this commemoration was in remembrance of not only the LTTE who died in the war , but even those of the police , the three armed forces , Tamils , Muslims and Sinhalese . A large number of parents , relatives and children of those who died in the war were also present at the function.
