Two Case Studies for Land Displacement Campaign

by Francis Raajan, Praja Abhilasha Coordinator

Praja Abhilasha, in its developing campaign regarding land displacement, has taken up two cases among the communities of its partner organizations. These cases were chosen due to the interest and commitment of the communities, and their pertinence to the overall campaign goal of Praja Abhilasha.

The first is in the eastern region of Sri Lanka, where many are displaced due to the development of a harbour. The second is in the west central area of Sri Lanka, where the human-elephant conflict prevails in many villages as a struggle for land boundaries and loss.

Oluvil Harbour Development Project

The Oluvil Harbour project, located in eastern Sri Lanka, was proposed in early 2000, by Former Minister Hon. Mr. Al Ashraf. The three area people who were to be affected by this Harbour construction were Oluvil, Attalaichchenai, and Palamunai. When proposed at this time, many voices raised up against this project. But the government received the cabinet approval after 2004, and in the beginning of 2008 the government started the construction work.

Loss of Livelihood

Due to this project, 2000 labourers, who worked with thirty-two big, beach sein fishing nets, lost their livelihoods. Normally about 50-70 people work in one, big fishing net. Those who hold political power received compensation for the fishing nets.

This compensation was only given to workers of eight nets, who each received a compensation of 150,000 Rupees (about $1,500), up to 250,000 Rupees (about $2,500). But the other twenty-four net owners and labourers were unable to receive their compensation, which has driven many of them out of the fishing industry.

Loss of Land

The three area people mentioned above lost their livelihood, but the people of Palamunai and Attalaichchenai are also suffering from a loss of land. Thirty-one families are still unable to receive compensation for their land, though they hold a title for their land. These people have brought their situation to the area Governor and a Parliamentarian named Hon. Mr. Rahuf Hakeem. The two officials promised to help the people, but after the election, the issue was disregarded, and the people are still waiting for them to fulfill their promises.

Loss of Access

When the construction work finishes, the small fishing boats will not be able to go to the harbour area to catch fish, which will create a surplus of 400 small boats in this area. After the construction work, if the fishermen want to go to sea, they must get a pass from the army. These area people are indigenous and poor and are being neglected by the government through this project.

Lack of Political Will

There are three issues which are the result of this neglect.

• Small boat fishermen lose their livelihood
• Big beach sein fishing net owners and labourers lose their livelihood
• Palamunai and Attalaichchenai people lose their lands.

Mobilisation through the Praja Abhilasha Network

Due to these struggles, the people have come and stated their problem to the Praja Abhilasha Network partner organization, District Fisheries Solodarity (DIFSO), in the town of Pottuvil, which is in Ampara District, located in the east of Sri Lanka.

The people have come to meet the Praja Abhilasha Coordinator through DIFSO. The PA network has now formed leaders for three issues on the three areas and are mobilizing the people to build strength in voice to face the issue. The leaders were formed from the affected communities to lead the issue. So now people have come forward to file a case at the Supreme Court in Sri Lanka through PA Network. Women are very eager to file a case because women also lost their livelihood and land rights.

Human Elephant Conflict

Human–elephant conflict poses a major threat to elephants in many parts of Asia, including Sri Lanka. Praja Abhilasha has researched human–elephant conflict in several districts with contrasting scenarios of land use and conflict:

• On the one side this research focused on the areas of Puttalam, Monaragala, Kurunegala, and Matale. In these districts peoples’ major livelihood is agriculture, which consists of two annual growing seasons. These areas were scatterings of settlements, agriculture, and small forest patches with ill-defined human and elephant-use areas. Elephants wandered within the habitat areas year round, occupying remnant forest patches and raiding adjacent crops at night.
• In contrast, Karuwalagaswewa, Hirudeniyaya, and Dambulla were dominated by a large protected area complex, and the main agricultural methods were slash-and-burn agriculture and rain-fed paddy cultivation. Human and elephant-use areas were well defined and segregated. Here too, elephants commonly raid crops, causing economic losses, and death and injury to people.

Focus Area

The Praja Abhilasha work has mainly concentrated on the Hirudeniyaya area in Kurunegala District. The people here settled down in this area in 1972. After this, the same area was declared as a sanctuary in 1989. At first, this area belonged to the forest department, but after some time, it has been brought under the control of the wildlife department. Eleven villages are included in the area, i.e. Pothuvila, Hirudeniyaya, Tholaba Ela, Madaha Pola Yaya, Mahapitiya, Bambaragala yaya, Walagamba Pura, Dummiya, Reke Ula, Areheyapola Yaya, Halmilla Wewa. A total of 1700-2000 families are living in these villages.

Meanwhile, the government has carried out several infrastructure facilities and developments in this area such as hospitals, schools and banks etc. Though former President Hon.D.B. Wijadunga had declared after his service that this area belongs to the villagers residing there, now that the problem has resurfaced, the government says the people need to leave.

But the population is requesting to bring the land area back to the District Secretariat from the wildlife department. The villagers are constantly affected by the elephants, who destroy the cultivation. Until today, the government has not taken any actions for this issue. The people are unable to carry out their agricultural work, therefore their livelihoods have been totally affected.

Voices for sustainable change in land policies

Led by the Secretary of United Farmer Association, Mrs. Wimalawathi, Praja Abhilasha Network advocates the alternative that areas be managed according to traditional land use practices, which should be part of an elephant conservation strategy, where people and elephants have to share resources.

After gathering more information and holding community meetings, Praja Abhilasha hopes to be in a position to take these cases to the courts and use the solidarity of voices to offer alternatives to political leaders for a more sustainable change in the land policies. We will be holding a workshop about Sri Lankan Land Policies in April for our partner organizations and these specific communities, in order to spread awareness about the current policies, discern where policies are not being followed, and to brainstorm alternatives for a change in policy. We anticipate that with greater awareness of the specifics of land policies, more communities will want to speak out and join us in our struggle for land rights and recovery.

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