Army Blamed For Weliweriya Mayhem »
By Nirmala Kannangara in Weliweriya and Rathupaswala-Sunday, August 04, 2013
Pictures by Asoka Fernando
Pictures by Asoka Fernando
Akila, Akila’s grieving grandmother, Chasing the protestors and Clarence
Sri Lanka Army has come under severe criticism for firing live bullets to disperse a crowd that was staging a protest demanding drinking water at Weliweriya on Thursday.
The army is further accused of not allowing the people to take the critically injured to the hospital after the shooting.
The clash following the protest killed one person while injuring over 15 including media personnel. The Weliweriya incident reminded of the Katunayake Free Trade Zone shooting incident that killed Roshen Chanaka and the Chilaw Fishermen agitations over the price hike of kerosene oil.
The clash following the protest killed one person while injuring over 15 including media personnel. The Weliweriya incident reminded of the Katunayake Free Trade Zone shooting incident that killed Roshen Chanaka and the Chilaw Fishermen agitations over the price hike of kerosene oil.
Weliweriya town in the Gampaha District and its suburbs looked more like a mini battle field on Thursday afternoon when a contingent of army personnel fired live bullets at the villagers who had gathered in their numbers to protest against a rubber glove factory in Rathupaswala that had allegedly discharged their untreated chemical waste to a large trench.
The Police protection the villagers did not get was given to the accused factory in Rathupaswala, Unused ammunition found
by the road side, Villagers showing the empty cartridges picked up from the road side and Weliweriya town looked like battle field
by the road side, Villagers showing the empty cartridges picked up from the road side and Weliweriya town looked like battle field
As a result, ground water in and around Gampaha were contaminated depriving more than 10,000 families any access to clean drinking water.
Dipped Products PLC is a subsidiary of the Hayleys Group that manufactures rubber gloves. The manufacturing plant is situated at Rathupaswala in Weliweriya and is accused of discharging their chemical waste to the trench untreated. As a result the ground water over the years has become contaminated and according to the villagers, the area public health inspectors (PHI) have wanted the villagers not to use the well water as it causes many severe diseases.
The Sunday Leader visited the area and spoke to several residents. Read More »
