'Exclusive focus on tsunami rebuilding risks diverting the focus on eliminating poverty'

The Trade Union Centre for Rebuilding the Country (RCTUC) said the World Bank’s country director Peter Harrold’s recent remarks on tsunami reconstruction is an attempt to divert the attention of the SLDF.

“Harrold has said tsunami affected is a group that is not the most important to country’s productivity,” Linus Jayathilake, a convenor of RCTUC said.

“He has asked the forum not to focus mainly on tsunami victims. He has urged the donors to focus more on the economic development instead.”

Sri Lanka’s ‘exclusive focus’ on tsunami rebuilding risks diverting the focus on eliminating poverty in other parts, World Bank has said.

Threats to Kumudesh

Representatives from over fifty countries and international donor agencies are expected to participate at SLDF meeting on Monday in Kandy.

Sivaram was abducted and murdered in Colombo

The Sri Lankan treasury says that the main theme of this forum would be the post-tsunami recovery and reconstruction process and the medium-term development strategies of Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile, trade unionists expressed concern that a ‘deliberate attempt’ to link Ravi Kumudesh, co- convenor of RCTUC with the murder of journalist Dharmeratnam Sivaram.

Dharmasiri Lankapeli of Media Workers Trade Union Federation recalled how Kumudesh has been fighting for the workers in the health sector.

“Kumudesh and the leaders managed to win the rights for the health workers during the UNP government led-by Ranil Wickramasinghe.”

Lankapeli said they are concerned whether the country is heading towards era of terror in late 80s when many trade unionists were murdered.

Ravi Kumudesh was among the four friends of Sivaram who were with him when he was abducted infront of a restaurant in Bambalapitiya.

Senior editor of the Tamilnet Sivaram was abducted and shot dead on 28 April.