Current situation in Sri lanka

 by Sunil Kahagalla

Now I’m going to provide you with a brief explanation of the present political situation of Sri Lanka.  Inauguration of president Mahinda Rajapaksha’s second term in office, appointing a new cabinet and presenting the budget proposals were the important incidents took place recently.  Cabinet is now consisting of 61 ministers and together with deputy  ministers, the total number exceeds 120.

In order to cover the expenses needed to maintain such a huge cabinet and the wastage including corruption, the government has increased the taxes on essential food items.  As a result, the price of one kilogram of sugar has gone up from Rs. 80/- to 110/- and Bombay onions from Rs. 90/- to 180/-.

A number of intellectuals have pointed out that the budget has not emphasized on the production aspects of the economy such as agriculture, industries and fisheries except the  field of services such as  tourism.

According to the budget, expenditure for defense is  Rs. 214000.00 millions  while Rs.75000 million for economic development. Compared to previous beget, defense expenses have exceeded  by  Rs. 14000 million. Amount allocated for education is Rs. 31000 million (2.1%) while Rs. 75000 million ( 3.3%)  for the health . What should be especially  mentioned here is that  such a huge amount has been  allocated  for defense after one and half year has been gone since the end of  war. Budget deficit now is Rs. 450000 million. Apart from huge defense expenditure increases the government is still maintaining the Prevention of Terrorism Act as well as emergency regulations and it is no doubt that there factors open the way for state repressions.

Although the government had promised to increase the salaries of government employees by Rs 2500, according to the budget, only 5% has been increased. Accordingly, increment of a government employee whose salary is Rs. 20000 is only Rs. 1000. But, the payment for the monthly telephone bill of a MP has been increased up to Rs. 45000. Electricity bills of consumers who exceed 90 units have been increased by 8%. This increase has been done after the electricity generated by  Norochchole  coal power station  is been added to the power generation system .

By now,  General  Sarath Fonseka,  the  former army commander , who had contested  against Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksha in the previous  presidential  election  has been  given two year  sentence of  imprisonment  with  rigorous work by the  Court Marshall.  He has lost his parliament seat also. The validity of the judgment has been criticized by a number of parties. They accuse the government as and act of revenge against a political opponent. There were some agitations with in the country against this judgment.

Lesson Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) appointed by the president to inquire in to catastrophes of war time has met in various pleases including the North and the East provinces and taken testimonials from various individuals. So many  women  have made complaints  in to this  commission  saying that  although  they had  given  over  their children , husbands, brothers etc. to the army, they are  not available at  any detention camp now.  Although, they had entered  in to those campus with photographs of those family members to find them out,  they have become  hopeless according to their testimonials .This commission  has been criticized by so many parties as and  attempt by the government to  divert the  attention  of the  inter national community  towards  another direction. It seems that the 13th amendment which had brought   forward as a solution to the ethnic problems has become feeble now.  According to a number of groups who have traveled recently in North East provinces, the situation of the people who had left the camp to be resettled in villages is very tragic. They have to go through severe difficulties under the conditions of torrential monsoon rains. They have to spend the life under temporary tents, trees and damaged buildings.

The story of Lechemi

by Sunil Kahagalla

This is the story of Weerasighe Lechemi 36 old, mother of the two kids, live in Paranagampitya, Kumbalanga in Ibbagamuwa, Kurunegala district of Sri Lanka who was victim of the service in Middle East, now she back to home. In 2010 May 17th she joint as a house maid in city of Aradiya at Kuwait, she has been worked in the house owner of the home a policeman and his wife was a teacher and three children lived there, first three months the house owners didn’t pay salaries to her, then she asked the again about the salary, they hammer to her and insert the 15 bolts into her hands and legs, next she escaped from the home with help with another fellow, and get asylum in the embassy of Sri Lanka, she didn’t received full treatment then on 2010 November 8th return to Sri Lanka with empty hand. Sunil

First month in my service at home in Middle East, I asked the salary from house owner then house owner informed me they will pay both salaries coming month, next month I again asked the salary, and they promised to send my money to home and pick my Bank account number and address of my house. but they never given any amount of money to my home or my palms, third month I asked again the salary, at that time owner of the house hammer me and pulled to the ground then his wife dig my body like thorn or needles, I was cried with hard feelings but they didn’t released me, at the moment small kids of the master in house fall down from the steps then wife step up towards to the kid, I got opportunity to escaped and run to down and mother of the house master sent me to hospital next to Sri Lanka embassy, I spent three months in embassy without any support to return, Then I called to owner of the Agency in Sri Lanka, who sent me to middle east, he asked me two hundred thousand rupees, but at the moment I am empty handed, finaly I received a air ticket instead to my three months salaries, then I back to home on 2010 November 8th empty handed.

The agency owner reached my home when I return and threatened me and my husband don’t tell police or anyone to the real story and also told me don’t go government hospital for treatment, but I complained to the Gokarella police and admit the state hospital then doctors have done four operation me and took out 15 nails from my body, before I went to abroad as a house maid. I lived in rent house, then I back motherland my family and myself living in one of the relations home for one month, next we rented a house we have to pay Rs. 750 per one month, I don’t have my own place, earlier house close to the school, still now kids in home they haven’t find the school, because of present change, now they are in frustration therefore they do not have any interesting to go school, I haven’t received any relief, I don’t have receive any compensation from state or any authority, I need to go hospital every two weeks for treatment, cant do anything myself, when my husband go for the works he do all house works, my hands are paining so hardly, two fingers of my hand do not move properly which were wounded by the bolts. Before my Middle East journey I work in the rice mill, but I unable to work. I had a dream to build a my own house and schooling children, but we unable to go through the dream with earning of my husband daily wedges,

Many women in Middle East are slaved in poisoned as a housemaid; they are in danger and have been faced many physical and mental harassments, but they tolerate the sad feelings in there minds because no one listening the drastic condition and sad stories of them, hove many of them are raped and killed and loose body parts, finely there are silenced, many dead bodies coming from air as a cargo, poor families do not have any strength go for the legal action, but in this drastic condition government send poor women as a slave to inhuman countries like middle east continually, they earning lot of money through the slavery system and they call it foreign exchange, but I ask you can you rise your voice against the modern slavery system witch running through the government and their supporters and free the women in present slavery conditions. And we called for other women; human rights organizations and who are working for the justice to collective action against the violent against the women when they worked in abroad, and presser to the government for get immediate action. Please remove all ill seed of slavery system on human society.

Experiences of Jaffna tour

Sunil Kahagalla

Members of the independent women active group attach to Davasarana women collectives visited Jaffna peninsula from September 16th to 18th.

Devasarana assisted in coordination and organizing. 43 female and 8 male members participated in the tour,

Ponmalan Rajesvarie, chief of the organizer for gender and nursery education in Mullai. Vallipuram - Jaffna dedicated to organize the journey on behalf of the people of north.

All members bore some expenses and they brought rice and coconuts to be given their friends in Jaffna very frankly.

The group initiated the dialogue with women team in Karainagar in Jaffna, next sharing the experience and built-up the friendship among them. Tthen all visited the Buddhist temple in Nagadeepa and Hindu temple in Nallur.

Member of the women group A.L.M.Padmani talked about her experience, “All the teams of southern parts who visited Jaffna in post war main purpose is to see signs of the victory and how their solders defeated the Tamil rebels. It’s a drastic situation for Tamil people who lost their life and wealth. We got opportunity to meet a group of women in Karainagar involving self employment with credits from the money lenders. They have to pay high interest, because they organized only for money, then we were sharing the experience with them, about our own revolving found and how its work for benefit to the women members in our group. And we also explain to them our aim is rise our voice for the rights of the women, children and farmers, we realized how war machine destroyed the life of the people and through their frustration, our responsible is work together for stop war forever, Mullai dialogue thought to us what kind of hoarer roamed around them”.
The idea of the Makala who met in Karainagar. Number of visitors from southern parts in the island to Jaffna for look rubbles and ruins of faces of the northern people, but we respect to you, because only you talked and sharing the tears of our eyes, over flowing blood in our hearts, we have been suffering from war for many year and generations. Our life is lighted by your group through love and loyalty. We have done only self employment; through high interest loan from money lenders, we did not have any intention to go collecting women for develop our own fund and rights, but your experience so deference, and very wealthy, that kind of experience lead us to build up our own found.”

The discourse in Mullai – Vallipuram was very sensitive, because number of family members joint for the discussion who are the real victims in last war at Vanni district, women says 86,000 widows in northern peninsula, in case of drastic war. A girl participated to the discourse try to ignoring the Sinhala women without talking or paying any interest to them, she hate to Sinhala people, because of she only seen Sinhala military men with fire arms, then our discussion gone deep her mind changed, and began to talk. “When I was a child my father was killed by the State security forces, I was a eye witness of that incidence, then and now I hate to Sinhala people, I have never seen any Sinhala people except military, I was in IDP camp now I am living with my relations in their house, preparing to AL exam. Up to now I never talk to Sinhala people, but this discussion changed my mind, I think ordinary Sinhalese also human been with reasonable and right thinking, now I ashamed why I hate to all Sinhala people? And she sang a song very happily. She told that Writer of the song once lived in same IDP camp, which lost mother and father in war. The lyric of the song says their parents far away from them, but love is still with their hearts, they never come back to see us, we know one thing they looking for us forever. All busting tears on their eyes, but silence voices began to talk, then we say to them god bay

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