Why we should oppose the construction of Norochcholai Coal Power Plant - a Discussion.

It's been more than 10 years for the protests of people in Norochcholai and other organizations against the construction of Norochcholai coal power plant. Although it was possible to hold these constructions until now with these protests this Government is taking every possible action to complete this project.

Therefore we think it is our responsibility to build the strength needed by the people in the area to stop this disastrous project. With that objective we are thinking of organizing a meeting with the participation of possible groups whom we think can contribute to this protest.

 In this meeting we are hoping to discuss the alternatives available for this project and the present situation of the struggles of the people. Group of scientists as well as representatives of the people in the area will express their views in that meeting.

It is also expected to build the support for the massive protest that will be held in Thalawila on the 24th of November 2007.

 Your participation is highly appreciated.

 Please confirm your participation through a email to monlar@sltnet.lk as soon as possible.

Date:              16th November (Friday) 2007

Time:             10.00 am

Venue:          MONLAR Office, 1151/58 A, 4th Lane, Kotte Rd, Rajagiriya

Norachcholai thermal power that will put the whole country in darkness

 The true face of the “People’s Government” exposed in Norachcholai

 The devil behind the humanitarian façade of Mahinda Rajapakse government is currently being exposed to the country. To have a true picture of this, it is useful to travel to Norachcholai in Puttalam District these days.  The Norachcholai thermal power station that all governments have been trying to build, over the last ten years, and have been repeatedly given up, is being attempted again by the present government. It is making an all out effort to get this through at whatever cost.

 A massive process of suppression of people’s protests has been unleashed in the whole area. Government has mobilized all possible forces in order to go through with this project.  President Mahinda Rajapakse has personally intervened to suppress the protests the people have continued over the last ten years, in order to protect their land, livelihoods, and their villages making tremendous sacrifice, even to the point of risking their lives. He personally visits the area from time to time and tries to create images of a promised fairy land in the future, in order to win people’s support for the project.

 However, the people have already understood the realities behind this fairy land. The 81 families evicted from the land allocated for building, the proposed power station have been herded into a near desert with no facilities what so ever. These people taken away from their birth place, with the promise of a new land with all comfort and prosperity are presently facing a situation where they can not even meet their most basic needs. The promises made about facilities for transport, health, and education has already been proved totally wrong.

 A massive mobilization of a police and a military force, for suppression have been unleashed in the whole area. Having failed to win people’s consent through false promises, the government is now engaged in a campaign of frightening people intending to implement the project forcibly. The people have been denied even their right to move about, freely, in their own home lands. The agricultural products of the people are being plundered openly by the police and other government officials. They are denied their right to democratic protest.

 The Tamil and the Muslim communities who form a big majority in the area are being subject to tremendous pressure. The Tamil and Muslim leaders who have taken initiative in the struggle are being arrested under false charges and are subject to harassment. The government seems to believe that since the majority of people living in the area are of the minority ethnic and religious communities and is mainly fisher people and farmers, that they could be suppressed using state force.

 People are not ready to withdraw

 The people are determined not to give up their struggle in the face of this suppression. Even though the people have had many losses during this long struggle of 10 years, including loss of life of their colleagues, they are not willing to give up their rights to land and the sea which is all the wealth they have. They continue to fight with strength and courage, against the attempts made to make them destitute in their own homeland, against the attempts made to destroy the livelihoods which provided their survival for generations. They have rallied round their religious leaders and the Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim people have risen to face up to the challenges as never before. The massive gatherings at the rallies that were launched in Norachcholai during the last few months bear ample witness to this fact.

 What is necessary is to build support to this struggle in other parts of the country. This is because their struggle will not only protect their land and livelihoods, but also the  future of the whole country.

 Why should all citizens oppose the coal power plant?

 The struggle against Norachcholai coal power plant is no longer a struggle limited to protect the land and livelihoods of the people of this area. The environmental damage caused by this project will affect the whole earth.  The main contributory factor to the biggest threat to the future of the world, global warming, has been identified as coal. Therefore many countries have now begun to move out of the use of coal as a source of power. President Mahinda Rajapakse who lectured at the United Nations Assembly on the danger of global warming has forgotten about the future of the earth, when in Sri Lanka, for some “doubtful” reason.

 The acid rains, pollution of water, the sea and the atmosphere caused by the coal power stations will deprive the right of our children to have a future country to live in. The right to breathe which is the only “free” right left to the people of Sri Lanka will be denied them

 We hear the Government speaking so much, these days, about the need to make Sri Lanka self sufficient in food, since we spend Rs. 100,000 million a year for food imports, which is unaffordable. However, what would be destroyed by building the coal power station in Norachcholai is very fertile land and a part of the sea that produces a major part of the vegetables and fish for the whole country. In most other areas where vegetables are grown in Sri Lanka there are seasons for such crops. It is different in Norachcholai. On this land it is possible to grow again, immediately after every harvest. There are between 60 to 70 lorry loads of vegetables that leave Norachcholai to the economic Centre in Dambulla.. In 1995 the biggest production of fish was in Puttalam District ( 27,000 Metric Tons / year )and the biggest contribution was from the Kalpitiya peninsula.

Future generations made debtors to provide cheap electricity to big businesses

Government has already planned to get a loan of Rs 45,500 million only for the first phase of the Norachcholai power plant. A loan of Rs.56 Billion was taken recently from the SBC Bank at a very high interest rate of 8.5 % per annum. A major share of this loan is expected to be spent on the Norachcholai project. With this loan every Sri lankan becomes indebted to the extent of nearly Rs.140,000.

In order to pay back these loans it will become necessary to sacrifice education, health, transport and other essential requirements of our future generation, the children.. In year 2006 alone 96% of our GDP ( Gross Domestic Product ) was spent on the debt service payments. With this project this will further increase.

A further continuation of plans that failed over the last three decades

All these projects are not for meeting the needs of the people in the country. The expectation from Norachcholai project is, clearly, to build infrastructure necessary to provide electricity needed by foreign investments to be attracted to the country. This is the development model pushed by the World Bank, IMF and other International Financial Institutions. Attracting foreign investment into the country by providing them with facilities and incentives that they demand and to there by increase the economic growth rate is the objective of these plans. However, what has resulted from continuous application of these strategy and plans have only been disastrous. Mahaweli Development Project and the Free Trade Zones in Katunayake and other places show only the tragic consequences of this strategy and efforts to attract foreign investment.

Recently the present country director of the WB in Sri Lanka admitted that their plans of this nature have failed and poverty and inequalities in Sri Lanka have increased dangerously. It was this plan and strategy that was rejected by the people at the last Presidential elections, which was put forward by the UNP under the name “Regaining Sri Lanka”. But the sad story is that Mahinda Rajapakse Government that came to power condemning and rejecting that strategy in now implementing the same destructive plans. As included in the Ten Year Plans of “Mahinda Chinthanaya”the total loans that are to be obtained for building infrastructure to attract foreign investment adds up to a massive sum of Rs.389,888 million.

Therefore, it is the responsibility of all reasonable people, at this moment, to join hands against this destructive proposal to build the coal power plant.  We feel it is our duty not to allow the people of Norachcholai to be isolated in their struggle and rally round their struggle.

We invite all of you, who are committed to build of a better world, to participate in the dialogue that has been proposed to make a start in the building of such solidarity.

At this meeting and dialogue representatives of the people of Norachcholai will present their views on the on going struggle. We also expect that a group of scientists who have worked on the present crisis in power and on the alternatives available will present their views.

Finally we expect that we will be able to discuss about the ways in which you could extend your maximum contribution to the massive people’s agitation that has been proposed to be held in Kalpitiya on Novemebr 24^th.

Therefore we invite you in solidarity to join in this dialogue.

Alliance for Protection of National resources and Human Rights

1151/58A, 4^th lane,Kotte Road, Rajagiriya

Tel 011 2865534 / 011 407663