Capitalists get the land and the oppressed are given some corner
Frontline Socialist Party states that the government is acting on a policy of putting the poor people in some corner while the accommodate investors and capitalists who want to buy land with helicopters with public money. 
Central Committee Member Duminda Nagamuwa stated in a press conference today (31) at Rajagiriya that this problem is not a problem of the administrative officers o people in Meeriyabadda or a few politicians but a problem with the whole ruling system.
He said this further expressing his views.
“The tragedy in Meeriyabadda is the result of not taking actions for people’s protection in spite of warnings in 2005 and 2011. Officials are saying land was given the people didn’t go there, people are saying that some didn’t get land. Some other are saying that even though they got land it was not suitable for residence. There’s no point of giving land in some corner just for the sake of giving land. How are they going to build a house? Can they go to work from there? Can they send the children to school from there? There are problems like these. Previously, the government tried to remove people from the coastal areas citing Tsunami threats. Oppressed people living in urban areas are chased out from their houses. There’s a land grab in Sampur. People there are in IDP camps.
Just because warnings are issued from a megaphone demanding the people leave, people cannot leave just like that, there are people not bricks that can be carried from one place to another. If people are evacuated because of a threat of a disaster like this, it needs to be discussed with the people. People should have the right to take decisions about their lives. They don’t have that now.
When giving land to capitalist, the exact land they want is given. They are taken in helicopters using public money to show they land. That’s how James Packer was given land. When Shangri la wanted the Army Headquarters land, the headquarters was removed and the land was given to them. But the oppressed are not asked where they want to live. What they need. Political officials get together and take decisions. Either they would blame it on the people like in Meeriyabadda or chase them out like in Wanathamulla.
The fundamental reason for this disaster is the damage done to the environment in the name of so called development. There’s no place to live or to go in this country due to so called development. In North Central Province and other agricultural areas water has become poison. Those areas are inhabitable now. Can’t live in the coastal areas because of Tsunamis. Now central province is inhabitable because of land slides. Because of this development there is no place to live. Every place is under threat. There is no solution other than giving the people the power the sovereign power to take decisions about where they live, economy and development.
This shows the fault of the whole system, not individuals. Those responsible cannot escape from this by saying that they would take the responsibility of the orphaned children. We fight for a real democratic system which would give the people the decision making powers, for an economy without environmental damage. The attempt by the government to hide the politics behind these disaster by saying that political advantages should not be taken in times of disaster and the attempt by the opposition to reduce this to a mere protest against the government has to be defeated.
