Week of events on post-tsunami rebuilding, privatisation and liberalisation - focusing on donor conditionality

At the National Consultation, held in December 2004, the following messages within the framework of demanding people’s rights and resisting privatisation and liberalisation were articulated for the Global Week of Action in Sri Lanka:

• YES people’s right to plan - NO to donor conditionality
• YES to people’s right to water - NO to privatisation
• YES to people’s right to a decent livelihood

• YES to protection of poor farmers
• YES to protection of poor fishworkers
• NO to an economy based on exploitation of women in garment factories and tea plantations

• YES to people’s right to health and education
• NO to commodification

Location

Across Sri Lanka

Organiser

Alliance for the Protection of National Resources and Human Rights, a coalition of about 200 organisations representing farmers, fishworkers, plantation workers, trade unions, women’s organisations, human rights organisations, intellectuals, clergy and others, in collaboration with People to People Dialogue, that brings together groups from the North, East and South of the island.

Contact

monlar@sltnet.lk

New Year greeting card on GWA Concept - 13 and 14 April
A greetings card in the style that is traditionally sent at the Sinhala and Tamil New Year on 13 and 14 April is being designed to bring awareness of the tremendous mobilisations across the world during the GWA on the same issues that people are fighting in Sri Lanka.

Report Launch - appropriation of post-tsunami rebuilding for privatisation and liberalisation
A report analysing how Government, pushed by international institutions, is now further pushing privatisation and liberalisation policies through the post-tsunami rebuilding process will be published and widely circulated during the GWA. The focus will be on the water and power sector reforms that are being discussed at Cabinet level now and are expected to be brought to Parliament possibly even during the GWA.

People’s mobilisations on justice in post-tsunami rebuilding – throughout the week
A series of demonstrations is planned in the GWA and throughout April to demand justice for tsunami victims, in particular to oppose the use of funds raised and borrowed in the name of tsunami victims being used to advance the privatisation and liberalisation agenda.

Petition: "Justice to Tsunami Victims"- No reintroduction of PRSP economic programme!
A petition is being taken to all areas of the country, both areas affected and unaffected by the tsunami. Activists are speaking on the issues and mobilising people to sign the petition throughout April.

A delegation will present the signatures to the President or Prime Minister at the end of April, which will be the last activity of the GWA.

Meetings with World Bank, IMF, ADB and JBIC - 18-22 April
Delegations of ANRHR and PPD members will target international institutions during the week 18 to 22 April immediately following the World Bank and IMF Spring Meetings to bring forward the message of the GWA and to assess their role in imposing privatisation and liberalisation conditions as part of their post-tsunami packages.