The Urban Development Authority has promised to stop the seizure of lands in Wanathamulla, strong resistance from a residents’ movement which filed action against the UDA at the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka.
Attorney at Law Sunil Watagala who appeared for the residents, said that the UDA had promised before the Commission that it would not demolish 12 homes in the area after the residents filed a petition against the move.
Several attempts had been made by Defence and Urban Development Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa to intimidate and coerce the residents into permitting the forcible eviction and illegal demolition of their homes.
Following an exchange of words with Rajapaksa, one of the residents Sunil Samaradheera was abducted allegedly by the security forces, but was ultimately returned after angry residents of the area stormed the streets and demanded his release.
Watagala said the UDA had no answers against arguments made on behalf of the residents at the Human Rights Commission, that if land was to be seized it had to be done in accordance with the law of the land.
UDA officials gave assurances in writing at the Commission that it would cease the attempted demolition.
The forcible eviction of long time urban communities in Colombo has been a major problem in the city for several years. Cases filed in the Supreme Court have failed to offer redress, after the Rajapaksa administration’s de facto Chief Justice Mohan Peiris was installed at the helm of the judiciary. The Wanathamulla case is the first of the attempted evictions that have gone awry for the regime after residents refused to back down and hand over their land.
Maala Rajavassa Pinasilva / March 6, 2014
Vanathamullata JAYAWEWA! Rajavassasta [Edited out]. If all sri lankans stiick together like this rajavassa wont be able to survive.
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aratai / March 7, 2014
.
Gota never loses…he is untouchable.
Wait and see……
:-)
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Robert.R / March 7, 2014
I agree, this creature has gotten so used to having his way, he will do this ignoring the courts !
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Udahamulla / March 7, 2014
This fellow who had defected to the US in our darkest hour (decades) has to be thankful to his brother for his position which he now abuses and the great general for his never say die attitude and the 4 year plan he formulated for winng the war.
Colombo has certainly benefited from him (rather the army labour), but at the expense of many poor and the vanished (white-vans).
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Sena / March 7, 2014
Well its a good start now the flood gates should open
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Eusense / March 7, 2014
GR may be corrupt, but here he seems to have taken a keen interest in modernizing Colombo. I think all citizens should appreciate this. If these people are given better accommodation and a chance to improve their lives I don’t know why they are reluctant to vacate their slums. What ever said and done, one day Colombo will need to get this done so it will be in par with other world cities. If people who were affected by the highways had to give their land, why not Wanatumulla people?
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We the People / March 7, 2014
Useless, me lad, there you go spouting drivel again. You need to understand the difference between social engineering and social justice. Go back to sleep mate. Please.
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Native Vedda / March 8, 2014
We the People
“You need to understand the difference between social engineering and social justice.”.
Please bear with us. For the benefit of those who do not grasp the differences between social engineering and social justice, could you clarify what both mean to the ordinary people like us.
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Rocket Mandabuddika Rohita / March 9, 2014
‘…clarify what both mean to the ordinary people like us’
NV, Yuu not just an ordinary people, you are an extraordinary guy so no need explanation as you know exactly what the commenter meant.
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Palmsquirrell / March 7, 2014
Modernising at what cost!
These evictions are designed to enrich the elite at the cost of the poor. The residents are no fools, they know their land is valuable and they are being ripped off .
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Liberal One / March 7, 2014
Don’t sound like you live in republic of Cuba. Prime commercial land can only be afforded by the business elite, that is true for any developed country.
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Palmsquirrell / March 7, 2014
So pay the residents of Wanathamulla a fair market value or make them stakeholders in whatever commerical interest is proposed for the site. Instead what we have is the regime trying to rip off the poor residents.
In most free societies, if a poor person owns prime land he is not forced out of it by government thugs or forced to accept pennies on the dollar. Sounds to me like you think it is ok for the mighty to exploit and abuse the weak.
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JULAMPITIYE AMARAYA / March 8, 2014
WHICH ONE IS YOUR’S LIBRAL??????????,
This Hothambaya will wait till the Election fever is finished , then you will see the fire work start.
now they afraid of losing of votes.
this mentally retarded Shit eating pig, USA passport holder Hothambaya is the reincarnation of duplicate of pirbaharan.
This mentally sick,shit eating pig, always try to take revenge from his enemies.
mostly from innocent civilians and like to see tortureing them.
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Native Vedda / March 8, 2014
Liberal One
“Prime commercial land can only be afforded by the business elite, that is true for any developed country.”
It must be crony capitalism then.
FYI
Definition of ‘Crony Capitalism’
A description of capitalist society as being based on the close relationships between businessmen and the state. Instead of success being determined by a free market and the rule of law, the success of a business is dependent on the favoritism that is shown to it by the ruling government in the form of tax breaks, government grants and other incentives.
investopedia.com
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Liberal One / March 7, 2014
People do appreciate. A fringe minority that mostly live outside the country are the ones opposed to these efforts. They have nothing to lose by a stagnant Sri Lanka anyway.
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Palmsquirrell / March 7, 2014
And the residents of Weliweriya and Wanathamulla who opposed the government and its cronies are a fringe minority living outside?
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Liberal One / March 7, 2014
That is why I said “mostly”.
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Palayang yako! / March 9, 2014
(N)eusense:
Someone has just suggested that you should go back to sleep. I would suggest that, after you wake up, you go to Kindergarten.
Are you serious when you say, “I don’t know why they are reluctant to vacate their slums?” I’ll tell you why. Because they know that IF they ever get housing from the Goat it will be FAR WORSE than those slums. The promise is as likely as one that all these people will be housed in Buckingham Palace! Another Patta Pal Boruwa by booruwas!
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justice / March 7, 2014
How dare the Commission overrule him.
Gota will take his revenge at the right time.
Wait for it.
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Palmsquirrell / March 7, 2014
The Wanathamulla incident blew up in the lap of the regime, they really didn’t have much choice, especially since these are Sinhala masses and not Tamils.
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shankar / March 7, 2014
justice,what commission are you talking about.The only commissions here are the 10 percent ones.The others are all toothless fairies. Gota got shit on his head and backed off like a coward and getting the commission to overule him so that he can save some face and say”what can i do”.
Did you see this same commission overule him when he did the same in other areas?
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Nandana / March 7, 2014
This Crimal Secretary is doing all underground ciremal activities by taking law in his hand.Nobody above the law. This Rajafucksha & Co. making our mother land as Banana Republic of the world.Church,No freedom of media and No religious freedom, Mosques and temples are being attacked by his proxy Bodubala Sena, Rawana Sena and Helaurumya same time masses are fighting for daily meals. rapisits,Drug dealers and criminals are in parliment. Only God can save Sri Lanka’ Also USA and UN pls act faster.
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shankar / March 7, 2014
“if land was to be seized it had to be done in accordance with the law of the land.”
I thought the law of the land was king Rajapakshe 1 edicts, like emperor ashoka’s.Example “ape miniha”edict,”Cheap Justice my stooge”edict etc.
Anyway first victory for future president sunil who has a backbone more than ranil,karu and sajith combined. Sunil jayawewa,sunil jayawewa.
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Rajapaksa / March 7, 2014
he fool the general public. see what will happen after Geneva drama.
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Shaks / March 7, 2014
Its so sad to see the manner in which they are treated;for generation they have lived here and they are humans although different class due to lack of cash only;maybe they are more loving sincere united mannered helpful educated ;we have to respect them and give them proper accomodation;most of them are sent to the village to seek a place and start form scratch with no proper funds;why to show the rest of the world colombo is equal or bettere that singapore for example;its fine but humans must be treated fairly and in a humane manner whatever clas creed they are;please sir eventually we all go six feet under and are eaten by insects and alone ;why cause misery hatred anger and arrogance to the less fortunate;ponder and reflecr on what life is really about
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Unity / March 7, 2014
Dont evict them, build the new houses or flats exactly on the same piece of land and give it back to the present residents. See that this piece of land is not given to some Casino or to a rich guy who wants to built luxury flats to sell and make a fast Million.
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Liberal One / March 7, 2014
That is ridiculous. These lands are freed to give to potential investors. What is the point of creating apartments out of other’s tax money on the same land and distributing free among the same people?
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T.A. Kumar / March 8, 2014
Has Gota pecked the plantain tree
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