Via Campesina Tsunami Relief and Reconstruction Fund
WEEKLY NEWS BULLETIN
No. 2, January 12, 2005

KSKBA has now developed a one year work plan. Part of the strategic agenda we have developed with other alliances is:
1. In our relief and reconstruction efforts in Aceh and North Sumatra, we will not collaborate with the international organizations and the transnational corporations that push the neoliberal policies which impoverish Indonesia.
2. We will work with the affected people not only from the angle of emergency aid but we also focus on helping to recover and strengthen local peoples organizations for the long term, based on the local people's strong spirit. In our humanitarian aid mission, KSKBA acts as a coalition of people's organizations from the fisherfolk, peasant, labor, urban poor, youth and NGO sectors, created to support local grassroots organizations in the affected areas.
3. We want to clarify that KSKBA is a group of organizations that supports the principles of struggle of Via Campesina, and is moved by the spirit of struggle and leadership of Via Campesina (http://www.viacampesina.org). KSKBA is confronting the neoliberal paradigm and organizing relief based the principals of food sovereignty (http://www.viacampesina.org/art_english.php3?id_article=34) and we are anti-GMO, pro-agrarian reform, etc.
4. Thus we are critical of the World Bank aid package which pushes more neoliberal reforms, and we are against GMO-food aid from the World Food Program (WFP) and other donors. We say do not send international food aid which depresses Indonesian crop prices and hurts peasants, but rather buy food for aid inside our country and support Indonesian peasants. To the NGO's like Save the Children that are distributing the free rice without specifying it's origin, we say you should adjust your aid policies along the lines of food sovereignty.
5. KSKBA is in the front line of struggle of Via Campesina internationally, and we ask for the strong political support of other Via Campesina members and supporters in the future. We propose that December 26th (the day of the tsunamis) in the future commemorated internationally as a special day for Via Campesina. [Contact: Irma Yanny, FSPI, ]

Sri Lanka: A Second Tsunami of Corporate Globalization and Militarization? Here the situation is a bit tense as US Marines, and Indian, Pakistani and Canadian troops are already here. The Bush administration has clearly mentioned that the situation in our region is considered to threat to them. We are worried that an eventual American occupation could give us more devastation than the Tsunami. President Chandrika Bandaranaike has appointed a special task force to rebuild Sri Lanka, filled with top class investors representing the business community. There are no civil servants or civil society representation at any level. The World Band is to play a very vital role in rebuilding Sri Lanka. President Chandrika said that they are not going allow affected fisher communities to rebuild houses within 300 meters of the coast for protection against future Tsunamis, but we doubt this is the real reason. We believe this is actually part of an accelerated Tourism master plan to get poor people out of tourism development zones. They are also bringing high-tech fishing here from Canada. I do not know what type of fishing they are promoting.

A fleet of 2000 fishing boats from Canada will arrive. We see this as the plan of action amidst the tsunamis crisis to hand over the sea and the coast to foreign corporations and tourism, with military assistance from the US Marines. If any one goes against the plan they will be in jail, according to the president. At the same time this will jeopardize the whole process of peace-building during the last 3 years. We who represent the national alliance for protection of national resources and human rights met yesterday and discussed this thoroughly. We will have a conference on how we see the rebuilding of Sri Lanka and the alternatives. This situation must be shared with our members as we, our country, fisheries and poor will be the victims of the present development plans. This could wind up being a bigger destruction than the tsunamis. We would like to raise this point with the international community. How do you see this situation, and can you help the victimized people rid ourselves of the second tsunami of the accelerated process of corporate globalization and militarization? Meanwhile we urgently need financial donations to support the rebuilding efforts of our affected fishing communities. Meanwhile, we are working hard on our releif and reconstruction mission.

In the last few days we have:
* We sent volunteer groups from non-affected areas to Ampara, Galle, Kaluthara, to clear wells, roads and damaged houses.
* We sent a team from Negombo to repair damaged boats at Galle.
* We are trying to provide clean water to affected people, and we are clearing wells and trying to get water tanks to refugee camps.
* We are starting a mobile health service for injured people in Ampara District.
* We are setting up boat repairing at Galle and Mathara, and hope to spread it island wide.
* We are providing food and cooking gear to affected people, including earthen pots, cooking pots, plates, knives, and coconut scrapers, as well as bed sheets, pillows and mats.

[Contact: Herman Kumara, NAFSO, fishmove@slt.lk]

4. Sri Lanka: MONLAR Peasant Organization, a Member of Via Campesina, Calls for Alternative Approaches The official "rebuilding" could be a much bigger disaster for the poor and working people in Sri Lanka than the Tsunami itself. We feel there should be a very wide process of understanding these possibilities and responding in solidarity among all progressive international forces. We MONLAR and ANRHR (Alliance for Protection of National Resources and Human Rights) will closely monitor this process and keep all people's organizations inside the country and internationally informed, so that an adequate response is built within and outside the country. We have worked on alternative approaches and policies for reduction of poverty and pro-people economic development for more than ten years, and these alternatives are still very valid and workable. They are not based on large international capital, but rather on peoples initiative and resources. We appeal to all groups in solidarity with the people of Sri Lanka and other people affected in other countries to join in building such a response, the only way to prevent a new disaster. We await for your quick response. [Contact: Sarath Fernando MONLAR, ]