Hotline Asia Urgent Appeals -- UA020119(1)

Action Requested || Sample Letter || Background
Please respond on or before 28 February 2002

Summary

Traditional means of livelihood of thousands of fisherfolk has been severely affected by sand dredging for the construction of the Colombo-Katunayake Super Express Highway. It has destroyed the breeding grounds of fish in shallow waters and forced fish to move beyond the range of small-scale fishing. A peaceful protest against the project was staged on 20 November 2001. Protestors were fired on by the police during the protest. Two fishermen and a fisherwoman were killed as a result.

The expressway project has also disregarded its severe adverse effects to the environment. Studies by a local environment organization on the impact of expressways, calculated that less than 10% of vehicles in the country would be able to use the expressway. Compensation for the fisherfolk was also far below the promised amount. Similar expressway projects mostly benefit foreign investors instead of the common people in the area.

Local people are demanding an immediate end to the sand dredging and that those responsible for the shooting be brought to justice.

Please write polite letters to express your concern on the effects of sand dredging on the livelihood of fisherfolk in the area, the firing on protestors and to ask the authorities to stop the project.

Sample Letter

Background

In 1991, an expressway project designed to cut across the Muthurajawela marsh, the wetland closest to Colombo (capital of Sri Lanka), was launched. After widespread protests by the local people, the original project was cancelled. However, after significantly altering the route to run between Colombo and Katunayake, it was approved by the Central Environment Authority in 2000. Sand dredging, needed for road construction, was then entrusted to Boskalis International, a Netherlands based company. It is estimated that the road needs 4.7 million cubic meters of sea sand.

Effects of the Colombo-Katunayake Super Express Highway Project and Sand Dredging

The Colombo based Environmental Foundation points out that accelerated sedimentation has resulted in frequent events of high flood, prolonged drought, pollution, as well as run-off water carrying pollutants from the expressway directly into the Negombo lagoon. This will affect the livelihood of thousands of fisherfolk but this issue has not been dealt with by the necessary authorities. It is alleged that the Central Environmental Authority, which approved the project and chairs a monitoring committee, has been silent on these issues.

More immediately, sand dredging for the Colombo-Katunayake Super Express Highway project is also affecting the fisherfolk's traditional means of livelihood. As the boats used by the fisherfolk are basic and small, they are not involved in deep-sea fishing. The sand dredging is destroying the breeding grounds of fish in the shallow waters and is also forcing fish to move 10 - 15 kilometers in to the deep sea, which is beyond the range of small-scale fishermen of the area.

According to a local priest, compensation for the fisherfolk was calculated at only US$0.30 per day for six months, though much more had been promised earlier. Hence, the fisherfolk had decided not to accept this compensation and to protest. The unjust nature of the compensation can be understood when compared to the internationally accepted poverty line of US$1.00 per day.

The Green Movement of Sri Lanka, which has done studies on the impact of expressways, calculated that less than 10% of vehicles in the country would be able to ply on this expressway. The expressway being built, as the case with two other expressways currently being built in Sri Lanka, will mostly benefit foreign investors and not the ordinary people.

Recent Incident

As a result of the severe effect sand dredging is having on their livelihood, on 20 November 2001, about 2000 fisherfolk gathered in Dickowita, a suburb 10km from the capital Colombo and a predominantly Catholic area of Sri Lanka, to peacefully protest against the project. They hoped to ensure that their right to livelihood through fishing, which they had been enjoying for generations, would not be further threatened.

It is reported that a politician of the area belonging to the then ruling People's Alliance government had encouraged the fisherfolk to dismantle a hose that was used to deliver sand. Later on, armed police had arrived on the scene in a bus allegedly owned by Bosakalis International (the sand dredging company based in the Netherlands) and indiscriminately fired at the unarmed protesters. Two fishermen and a fisherwoman, all parents of young children were killed, while a schoolgirl was amongst the fifteen people hospitalized with serious injuries.

"The Police did not attempt to peacefully disperse the protestors, nor did they use tear gas, water cannons or rubber pellets, but chose to straightaway use live ammunition, which resulted in the fatalities" said a local source. The source further added that, after the first person was shot, people had moved forward and faced the shooting head on, instead on turning and retreating. Moreover, contrary to some media reports, the bus that transported the police officers was set on fire by the protestors only after the shooting.

A "Day of Mourning" was held on 21 November by the people in the area. 6500 people performed a peaceful and prayerful march against the killings. Several Catholic priests and a Buddhist Monk joined them in the march. Organisers ensured that there were neither police officers nor politicians present. As a result, the march concluded peacefully, with even the traffic arrangements being done by the local people.

Local Response

In response to the shooting incident on 20 November, Catholic priests, the Green Movement of Sri Lanka, and Caritas Sri Lanka SEDEC, the social action arm of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Sri Lanka, organized two press conferences in order to clarify certain mis-information in the media. In one of the press conferences, the press was informed that the local people had rejected compensation and demanded an immediate stop to the sand dredging. They also demanded that those responsible for the shooting be brought to justice.

Caritas Sri Lanka SEDEC and Green Movement officials emphasized that development projects should be designed with the full participation of people and carried out with greater transparency. They feel that there is a need for strong alliances between various civil society organizations and religious leaders to organize and make people aware about the hidden impacts of short sighted development projects initiated by various parties for the latter's own interests.

The local magistrate inquiry into who is responsible for the killing is presently in the hands of the Attorney General. However, no responsible authority has yet responded to the fisherfolk's demand to stop sand dredging.

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Thank you for Your Continued Support!!