Home »
» Let's Unite against Disaster Capitalism in our Society today in the name of Tsunami Victims of 2004
Let's Unite against Disaster Capitalism in our Society today in the name of Tsunami Victims of 2004
Posted by NAFSO Convener's Diary
Posted on 9:54 AM
with No comments
Sri Lanka considered to be a disaster free country.
Songs were composed with pride saying we are disaster free country.
But this was changed with the 2004 Asian Tsunami which hit Sri Lankan coasts and destroyed more than 35,000 lives of Sri Lankan people, who were living along the coast.It destroyed more than 120,000 shelters. Most damaged community was fisher people. Being a fisheries organization NAFSO was also badly hit with the Tsunami.
We, as NAFSO launched a tsunami relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction program with the support of many sympathizers, well wishers, supporters for the devastated communities.
NAFSO was lost 150 members and assisted them to come up their survivors with the assistance of various supporters.
We observed the Second Tsunami came on to our lives as the "Disaster Capitalism" worked very aggressively at the time of massive scale national disaster. We, concerned 5 CSOs while working together we formed a People's Planning Commission, which was comprised with prominent civil society leaders with an alternative vision to existing social, political and economic order.
The then President appointed various committees to respond to tsunami devastation.
One among them was Task Force for Rebuilding the Nation- TAFREN, which comprised with business community in the country [1%] and were mainly tourism businessmen and women.
The TAFREN plan was to use the coastal areas to build tourism industry while removing coastal communities form their original places they lived. The main claim was to "Ensure the Security of the coastal communities". The coastal zone regulations were enforced strictly on the fishing communities while the same regulations were exempted voluntarily for tourism business community.
The fisher people were not allowed to put up even a temporary hut for keep their fishing gears, though the hoteliers could continue their hotel businesses in the same places.
These are well known as Coastal Buffer Zone regulations.
The 15 coastal tourism zones came in to the scene with this plan of TAFREN.
NGOs, including Church, INGOs built up houses, schools, roads, community halls,bridges, provided boats, engines, nets, Beach seine materials and many more while GOSL was planning for the other purposes. Their main aim was to promotion tourism and build the country based on the same industry.
Although those plans were kept a side for a while till the war ended, after the war ended the same plans are being implemented today.
This is how the disaster capitalism works in Sri Lankan society today.
After 9 years of tsunami, the coastal communities are now facing serious threat to their lives and livelihoods.
In the name of development of fisheries, the introduction of Chinese fishing vessels in to Sri Lankan waters is also another way of selling our resources. The irony is that the GOSL says, we are not selling any public property to foreigners, we do not privatize any national resources. But, our sea, our lagoons, our coastal areas are being given to private companies for either tourism, joint venture fishing operations or landing air taxis for tourism transportation.
It is responsibility of fishing communities, civil society organizations, human rights groups,trade unions, media and concern political parties, to voice out against these injustices.
There is a necessity to have a serious dialogue and strong unity among all the concerned parties irrespective of their divisions, different ideologies and debates of leadership.
In the name of tsunami victims,those who lost their lives 9 years ago on 26 December, 2004 we URGE all Parties to Face the Challenges on our lives and livelihoods against the disaster capitalism in our society.
Herman
0 comments:
Post a Comment