Friday, September 26, 2014
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Four Peruvian tribal leaders have been killed on their way to a meeting to discuss ways to stop illegal logging.
Campaigners say the men had received several death threats from illegal loggers, who are suspected of being behind the killings.
Correspondents say indigenous people have felt under increasing threat from deforestation in recent years.
The men included the outspoken anti-logging activist Edwin Chota.
Mr Chota and three others were killed near Saweto on the border with Brazil, Peruvian officials said.
Officials said that they are believed to have been killed over a week ago as they attempted to travel to a meeting in Brazil.
A 2012 World Bank report estimates that 80% of Peruvian timber export stems from illegal logging.
Under threat Professor David Salisbury from the University of Richmond knew Mr Chota for several years, and said that he was targeted because he "threatened to upset the status quo".
"The illegal loggers are on record for wanting Edwin dead," he told the Associated Press.
Mr Chota had campaigned against illegal logging for at least six years and written hundreds of letters to officials on the topic.
The BBC's Wyre Davies says indigenous peoples such as the Ashaninka have seen their numbers dwindle and their lands come under threat from development.
Recent footage of previously uncontacted Amazon tribes wandering into settled areas has raised fears that they are being forced out of their lands.
Source from: BBC news 09th Sep 2014
Monday, June 7, 2010
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
31,000 people affected by floods
Four persons have been killed and around 31,000 people affected due to floods and torrential rains during the last few days, the Disaster Management Centre said yesterday.
Assistant Director of the Disaster Management Centre Prdeep Kodippili said the rains have affected 8,268 families in the Kalutara, Colombo and Gampaha districts.
Out of them 4,160 families are in the Gampaha district, 4,000 families in the Colombo district and 108 families in the Kalutara district. Two farmers in Embilipitiya, Sevanagala had died due to lightning on Saturday while lightning also struck a woman in Elpitiya while plucking tea leaves. One person from Mahagastenne, Nuwara Eliya too had died due to lightning on Friday.
Disaster Management Coordinator of the Gampaha district Ajith Nishantha said 3,600 families in Wattala, 30 families in Biyagama, 102 families in Mahara, 200 families in Negombo and 220 families in Katana have been badly affected by floods.
He said in these areas most of the houses were under water for the last two days. In Wattala due to 14 houses going completely under water the families were stationed at a welfare centre in Wattala, Kerawalapitiya, he said.
He said cooked food was supplied to the affected families through the Divisional Secretaries in the Gampaha district. Colombo District Disaster Management Coordinator H.KC.L. Pathirana said the flood waters inside houses in Nawagampura, Bloemendhal, Grandpass and Maligawatte have subsided yesterday.
In Rajagiriya, Buthgama there were about 15 houses under water. Those families were staying at Rajagiriya Sudarshanarama Temple, he said. He said that providing cooked food for the affected families was being continued.
In the Kalutara district though the number of families affected was 108 there was fear the number might increase since heavy rains continued to lash the area, Disaster Management Coordinator Major Sanjeewa Samaranayake said.
More rain, thunder and lightning
The Meteorology Department said the country was going through a pre-monsoon phase with the monsoon proper or South-West monsoon expected to break this week.
Therefore, more rains accompanied with strong winds, thunder and lightning could be expected to continue for the next few days as well.
A rainfall of 59 mm was recorded from Ratmalana according to the Disaster Management Centre. The Met Department has warned the public to be vigilant against thunder and lightning as their electrical appliances could be damaged.
Beware of water borne diseases
By Indika Sri Aravinda
The threat of water borne diseases including dengue spreading has resurfaced with the heavy rain over the past few days and the onset of the monsoon expected this week, health officials told Daily Mirror online.
Health Ministry official Dr Risintha Premaratna also said that people should be extra cautious when consuming food from outside as the recent floods in Colombo and its outskirts could have affected the vegetables sold in the market.
The official urged the public to avoid purchasing food from the pavements including vegetables and also urged parents to ensure their children take boiled drinking water from home when going to school instead of drinking tap water.
Health officials also urged the public to keep their surroundings clean in prevent mosquito breeding grounds.
Source from: Dailymirror.lk
MONDAY, 17 MAY 2010 00:00
By Thilini de Silva
Assistant Director of the Disaster Management Centre Prdeep Kodippili said the rains have affected 8,268 families in the Kalutara, Colombo and Gampaha districts.
Out of them 4,160 families are in the Gampaha district, 4,000 families in the Colombo district and 108 families in the Kalutara district. Two farmers in Embilipitiya, Sevanagala had died due to lightning on Saturday while lightning also struck a woman in Elpitiya while plucking tea leaves. One person from Mahagastenne, Nuwara Eliya too had died due to lightning on Friday.
Disaster Management Coordinator of the Gampaha district Ajith Nishantha said 3,600 families in Wattala, 30 families in Biyagama, 102 families in Mahara, 200 families in Negombo and 220 families in Katana have been badly affected by floods.
He said in these areas most of the houses were under water for the last two days. In Wattala due to 14 houses going completely under water the families were stationed at a welfare centre in Wattala, Kerawalapitiya, he said.
He said cooked food was supplied to the affected families through the Divisional Secretaries in the Gampaha district. Colombo District Disaster Management Coordinator H.KC.L. Pathirana said the flood waters inside houses in Nawagampura, Bloemendhal, Grandpass and Maligawatte have subsided yesterday.
In Rajagiriya, Buthgama there were about 15 houses under water. Those families were staying at Rajagiriya Sudarshanarama Temple, he said. He said that providing cooked food for the affected families was being continued.
In the Kalutara district though the number of families affected was 108 there was fear the number might increase since heavy rains continued to lash the area, Disaster Management Coordinator Major Sanjeewa Samaranayake said.
More rain, thunder and lightning
The Meteorology Department said the country was going through a pre-monsoon phase with the monsoon proper or South-West monsoon expected to break this week.
Therefore, more rains accompanied with strong winds, thunder and lightning could be expected to continue for the next few days as well.
A rainfall of 59 mm was recorded from Ratmalana according to the Disaster Management Centre. The Met Department has warned the public to be vigilant against thunder and lightning as their electrical appliances could be damaged.
Beware of water borne diseases
By Indika Sri Aravinda
The threat of water borne diseases including dengue spreading has resurfaced with the heavy rain over the past few days and the onset of the monsoon expected this week, health officials told Daily Mirror online.
Health Ministry official Dr Risintha Premaratna also said that people should be extra cautious when consuming food from outside as the recent floods in Colombo and its outskirts could have affected the vegetables sold in the market.
The official urged the public to avoid purchasing food from the pavements including vegetables and also urged parents to ensure their children take boiled drinking water from home when going to school instead of drinking tap water.
Health officials also urged the public to keep their surroundings clean in prevent mosquito breeding grounds.
Source from: Dailymirror.lk
MONDAY, 17 MAY 2010 00:00
By Thilini de Silva
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Two Indian companies, Verdanta Harvest Pvh and Shapoorji Pallonji, are set to sign an agreement with Ethiopia's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Deve
Addis Fortune reports the land will be used to grow tea and Pongamia Pinnata, a plant used for biofuel and industrial chemical production.
Verdanta Harvest Pvh received 5,000 hectares of land while Shapoorji Pallonji was allocated 10,000 hectares.
The lease period for both companies will be 20 years or less.
Verdanta Harvest Pvh received 5,000 hectares of land while Shapoorji Pallonji was allocated 10,000 hectares.
The lease period for both companies will be 20 years or less.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Land Rights Minority
Although the war has reached the curtain call, yet the actors continue playing their different roles. People of North and East continue to struggle with issues of resettlement with no proper mechanism and infrastructure. Especially when IDPs complain about their land issues and rights, indications from the government show establishment of new economic zones in North and East as part of their speedy development plan.
Development at what cost? Will there be any space for peoples’ voice in the process?
Complains emerge that lands owned by others have been given to different people and unavailability of proper documents for the land possessed for more than ten years. Gender is yet another aspect that needs serious consideration, when it comes to land rights, where women are marginalized in succession. It is vital that State Land Ordinance needs to be revisited.
Large scale land allocations are taking place under the pretext of development; Allocations as high as 20,000 acres in some areas. Areas such as Horowapothana have new owners with strange ownership lineages for forestland. The newly resettled in the Trincoimalee district has created ethnic imbalances in the areas such as Gomarankadawala and Thiriyaya, thus building tense situations amongst people, and arousing suspicion of colonization. It could well be the story in many other areas as well in North. Elephant fence at Mutthur by government and land grab in muthtur by majority community is a serious situations also another places in the eastern province things happening with the state patronage
Coastal areas, especially beach land in the north and east are being allocated for tourism purposes and small Islands are being targeted by business tycoons from Sri Lanka and elsewhere. Do people have any choice in such issues or can they voice their concern as minority communities. People in the South protested…at times violently following Tsunami. Can the same be said to the minorities in the North and East?
Bearing in mind the severity of this problem and considering it as a timely issue, Land Rights is the thematic focus of the Minority Rights Coalition.
CHRD intends going on a fact finding mission on this issue in the Wanni Region, Jaffna District and East soon after the meeting. Apart from it, we do call upon everyone to support thios endeavors and initiatives in Land Rights as members of the Minority Rights Coalition. CHRD together with other like minded civil society organizations will take up issues in terms of campaign and advocacy for policy changes.
By Herman Kumara.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)