11:52 AM
Ajith
The news was broken by the Movement for Land and Agricultural Reform (MONLAR), who attended the 3rd general assembly of the Asian Peasant Coalition (APC) in Hanwella, Sri Lanka last January 23-24, 2011.
Comrade Sarath Fernando, the Convener of MONLAR, disclosed that members of the Asia-wide coalition had vowed to support the call of the peasantry of Panama to take back their lands and their struggle against the 'Arugam Bay Special Tourism Promotion Zone.'
“Farmers in the region under the banner of APC affirmed their international solidarity for MONLAR’s effort to better organize the 'resistance' of the peasantry in Panama and help them in every way possible to win their struggle especially in building their capacities in Agriculture and peasant economy”, added Sarath Fernando of MONLAR.
‘On January 24-25, 2011, fourteen (14) farmers/leaders from APC coming from Nepal, India, Pakistan and the Philippines joined members of MONLAR, VIKALPANI and National Farmers Assembly (NFA) for an exchange program at Panama, a peasant village in the South-East of Sri Lanka, situated at a distance of about 350 km from Colombo on the Eastern coast”, stated Fatima Burnad, APC Chairperson based in India.
The exchange program served as a venue where the Panama peasant community and the international participants were able to interact and learn from each other's experiences and successful stories.
“By now, 2,000 acres of community farm land had been completely blocked from entry in the 03 villages of SHASTHRAWELA, ULPASSA & RAGAMWELA in Panama West, now occupied by the military.…. Our plants were destroyed, our houses burnt! The Local Authorities and the Police are busy guarding the interests of the rich and the powerful who seek to grab these land plots through covert operation" remarked K. Kamal, a farmer who had lived off his land in Ragamwela for the past 25 years.
"I am a farther of six. We were never food insecure even in the hardest of times, since we grew our own food. But now, my children are starving, they don't want to study anymore! They are cordoning off my village, KURULU GAMMANAYA, nearly 1,000 acres of farmland. Further on, governmental agencies are now claiming ownership on top of our title deeds to around 2,000 acres of our crop land in HELAWA and PANAGALA. They want us to leave, to have 'development' in the form of 'tourism', and will eventually hand over these land plots to 'investors' to satisfy their greed for profits..…" warned H. Rooperathne, representing the Peasants Rights Protection & Development Foundation of Panama. Their sole cry..."We want our lands back!”
“The APC will continue to hold other international activities to promote the cause of Panama people and similar land issues in Asia. Therefore, the campaign to regain the lands of Panama people will be brought to international attention and will encourage solidarity of peasant organizations and people’s movements,” Burnad added.
“We call on President Mahinda Rajapaksa to act on Panama people’s appeal to reclaim their lands. Without lands there can be no life for them especially for their children. Finally, we call on the Panama people to continue their fight,” Burnad ended.
References:
P. SOMASIRI,
Secretary, Panama Peasant Rights Protection & Development Foundation (Sri Lanka)
Contact No. +94-77-0761313
LAKPRIYA NANAYAKKARA, Coordinator, MONLAR (Sri Lanka)
Contact: +94-72-3404741, +94-11-2865534 Email: monlar@sltnet.lk
FATIMA BURNAD, APC Chairperson (India)
Contact number: 42170702
Email: tnwforum@gmail.com
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