An international fact finding mission has just returned from the Kalpitya islands in western Sri Lanka with a disturbing report that many local villages are to be forcibly displaced by a multi-million pound new tourism facility. The Sri Lankan government and large tourism developers are forcibly displacing communities inhabiting the 14 islands of Kalpitiya, destroying livelihoods, threatening food security, and wreaking havoc on the environment.
A coalition including Tourism Concern, the Sri Lanka Campaign for Peace and Justice (UK); National Fishworkers Solidarity Movement, Puttlam District Fisheries Solidarity, Praja Abhilasha, Land Forum, Food Sovereignty Network of Sri Lanka (Sri Lanka); and members of the International Fact Finding Mission: EQUATIONS, Institute for Motivating Self Employment (India); Sustainable Development Foundation (Thailand) and the All Nepal Peasants Federation (Nepal) have come together to demand that project to be halted and a full, transparent review to be conducted, as recommended by the Independent Fact Finding Mission.
Tourism Concern have suggested all its supporters write to the Minister for Economic Development to protest against the scheme. They have set up a web page to publicise the scheme here.
Please do join in and help protest against this unconscionable scheme. The Kalpitiya development is typical of the Sri Lankan government’s approach to anyone who stands in its way: ordinary people and their livelihoods are swept aside by the military to make way for business opportunities for the governments’ cronies. There is no accountability or commitment to the people of Sri Lanka
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