Survival Calls On UN To Stand Up For Wanniyala-Aetto

March 14, 2013 

On March 15, the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) will discuss the human rights record of Sri Lanka, during which the country is likely to come under severe criticism for serious human rights violations, and be called to account by the United States. However, amidst the international criticisms of Sri Lanka, one community remains largely forgotten –the indigenous Wanniyala-Aetto.

Many Wanniyala-Aetto have been fined for hunting in their forest. Some have even been shot dead.

The Wanniyala-Aetto, commonly known to outsiders as Veddah, are struggling to survive on what remains of their land. In the 1950s their territory was opened up for Sinhalese settlers, and the tribe’s forests and hunting grounds were bulldozed and flooded. In 1983 their last remaining forest refuge was turned into the Maduru Oya National Park. The Wanniyala-Aetto were moved to government villages and banned from entering the park without permits. They were also forbidden to hunt in the park. They are still losing their land to outsiders who continue to be resettled in the area.

The loss of their forests and the creation of the National Park has robbed the Wanniyala-Aetto of their means of subsistence, and of much that gave their lives meaning. Alcoholism and mental illness are now rife. Many face harassment from park guards and discrimination from the settlers who surround them. Many Wanniyala-Aetto have been killed, beaten or arrested for hunting on their ancestral land – despite a promise by the country’s President that they were entitled to hunt for their own subsistence.

In the latest fatal incident in March last year, a 26 year old Wanniyala–Aetto man, Tale Warige Sunila, was shot dead by a forest guard for ‘poaching’ on his ancestral land in the Park. He had a permit that allowed him to be in the park, but not to hunt. In recent years, three other Wanniyala-Aetto, all with permits, have been killed for hunting in their traditional forests.

Survival International has urged the United Nations Human Rights Council to call on the country’s government ‘to recognize the right of the Wanniyala-Aetto to live, hunt for their own consumption, and gather forest produce in their ancestral land in the Park and to enable those who wish to return to do so’. In the written submission, Survival further asked the HRCto ‘call on the government of Sri Lanka to ensure that those responsible for killing and harassing the Wanniyala-Aetto for entering their traditional land are brought to justice’.

Read the submission here

Spirits imported to manufacture alcohol by Murali’s brother confiscated

Thursday, 14 March 2013 

Excise Department officials have taken into custody a stock of spirits from the port that was illegally imported into the country to manufacture alcohol. It is learnt that former Sri Lanka cricketer, Muttaiah Muarlitharan’s brother, Shashidaran had imported the stock of spirits on an order by a senior government member.

The spirits have been imported for a distillery operated by a senior government member under the pretext of manufacturing paint. Although the stock of spirits had been imported to the country under the name of Jayalath Peiris from Thalawatugoda, Excise Department sources say that he is not connected in any way to manufacturing paint.

MP Namal Rajapaksa had put pressure on the Excise officials to end the investigations and to release the stock of spirits. However, Finance Ministry Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundera has asked the Excise Department to immediately hand over a report on the investigation to him.

A senior official at the Excise Department said that the likes of parliamentarian Lakshman Wasantha Perera, Minister Mervyn Silva, Minister Johnston Fernando and the wife of Uva Province Chief Minister Shashindra Rajapaksa who have been given licenses to distil alcohol by the President import spirits on daily basis under the guise of using it for the manufacture of perfumes. The official added that the Excise officers who had carried out raids following tip offs received in this regard have even lost their jobs.

Arundhika also involved in the smuggling of spirits

Thursday, 14 March 2013 

Following the story published in our website of Excise Department officials taking into custody a stock of illegal spirits imported by former Sri Lanka cricketer, Muttaiah Muarlitharan’s brother, Excise Department officials have also taken into custody two more container loads of spirits at the Ingurukade junction in Thotalanga yesterday (13) evening.

Excise Department officials have continuously been under pressure from a senior government member to release the containers carrying the spirits that were held in the port. The businessman who had imported the stock had also paid Rs. 1 million each to five Sri Lanka Custom’s officials. The Excise Departmnent officials had taken into custody the two containers when they were released and were being transported. There had been 310 barrels of ethanol spirits that are used to manufacture alcohol in the two containers. The Excise Department says that it was by far the largest stock of illegally imported ethanol spirits to be confiscated by the authorities.

Investigations have revealed that the stock of spirits had been imported to the country by governing party parliamentarian and SLFP Wennappuwa organizer Arundhika Fernando. It was one of Fernando’s secretaries who had put pressure to release the containers. He had even used a letter by MP Namal Rajapaksa for the purpose.

However, the rumour that is doing the rounds is that the stock of spirits was imported by governing party MP Lakshman Wasantha Perera for his distillery. Disturbed by the news, Perera had asked the news editor of the Lak FM radio channel owned by him to inquire into the investigation and carry a news story implying that the stock of spirits was imported by Internal Trade Minister Johnston Fernando. A Lak FM journalist had then telephoned the media spokesperson of the Excise Department, Prabath and asked to reveal the name of the politician who had imported the stock of spirits and had made inquiries to implicate Johnston Fernando. The media spokesperson had said that he could not reveal the name since the investigation was in progress. However, he had added that the stock was not imported under the politician’s name.

A senior official at the Excise Department told us that there was pressure from higher offices to produce the stock before court and to release it after imposing a fine.

Meanwhile, a senior Customs official denied that the stock of spirits was released after some Customs officials were paid a bribe. The official said the Excise Department officials had confiscated the two containers when they were being transported to the Customs yard. The Customs official said that the Department’s investigation into the stock of spirits had not yet been completed and was still in progress.