[b]Protesting Sri Lankan tsunami refugees occupy government building[/b]
Tsunami refugees from Kalmunai in eastern Sri Lanka occupied local divisional secretariat premises on February 22 in an angry protest over the failure of government authorities to provide permanent housing. The mostly Muslim and Tamil populated area was one of the worst affected by the tidal wave which struck Sri Lanka on December 26, 2004. Fourteen months later, the refugees are still living in temporary shelters.
The occupation forced the closure of the Kalmunai municipal council, the area health department and the urban development authority. It ended on March 1, after Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse, via a special satellite communication link, promised protestors that they would be provided permanent housing within three months.
http://www.asiantribune.com/show_article.php?id=3055
Tsunami refugees occupy government buildings
Kalmunaikudy is one the most densely populated areas in the whole country. That even after 14 months, the state beaurocracy is unable to allocate suitable land for NGOs to build permanent housing for tsunami refugees is unbeleivable! Those who decided on this 65 to 100 metres zone are out of touch with reality - fisherfolk HAVE to live along the seashore - and Tsunamis occur very very rarely - if people are willing to risk anothr Tsunami in order to earn a livelihood, they should have been allowed to do so. In sri lanka, most foreign aid is not made use of in time; what is made use of is squandered on 'political' projects or misappropriated.
For the president who promised redress, Kalmunaikudy voters are of no consequence - he is too busy trying to survive, to waste any effort towards them.
The muslims have so many ministers in the government who could have done something - but they too are too busy fighting for positions & power among themselves. What do Hakim & Ferial do - other than attending conferences here & abroad?