Members from twenty-six trade unions, human rights activists and members of the clergy on 30 August called on the government to reveal the Mahanama Tilakaratne Investigation Report on the recent industrial unrest in Katunayake. There were over 300 trade union leaders and activists in the protest picket held at the LIPTON circle organized by the JTUA. They staged a protest led by the Joint Trade Union Alliance (JTUA) leaders at Lipton Circus against the suppression and violation of the rights of workers following the recent Katunayake Free Trade Zone attack.
“Although we won the battle against the proposed pension scheme for the private sector, we lost Roshen Chanaka’s life and several workers were injured from the attacks and confrontations. Compensation has not been paid yet to the employees who were injured severely,” said Saman Ratnapriya, one trade union leader. He also charged that the rights of the trade unions have been violated by the current investigations of the police against them.
Commenting on the ‘Mahanama Tilakaratne Investigation Report’ on the Katunayake Free Trade Zone incident, he said, “Investigations of the report have not been revealed yet to the general public although it was presented officially to the President.”
Dr. Vickramabahu Karunarathne representing United Federation of Labour stressed that Roshen Chanaka’s death was the latest example of the suppression of employees that had occurred in Sri Lankan history for several decades. He referred to the killings of Kandasamy and Somapala in the past. This is the third in the sequence. “We will not stop the workers struggle until the government ends its suppressive actions and violation of the rights of the employees. Bosses want to convert the workers victory a defeat. We cannot allow that to happen.” he emphasized.
“Roshan’s death was the worst result of the human rights violation by the government. Even his funeral was under the control of the Army and not by his loved ones. Silence must not be the response for these social hazards,” charged Sandya Ekneligoda participating at the protest.
On 1 September another protest was organized by the civil society near the FTZ. "My son Roshen did not die, he was killed by police when he showed his solidarity with worker colleagues of the Free Trade Zone (FTZ)”, said the mother of the 21 year old worker, who died on 30 May during clashes with security forces. In the FTZ, a thousand people marched to commemorate the young man, asking for a real investigation and a fair compensation for his assassination.
FTZ workers, workers, priests, nuns and representatives of NGOs marched carrying a poster of the boy and shouted “Roshen, you sacrificed your life for all workers of the Free Trade Zone”. "We are still waiting for the special report on his death”– said one of the murdered youth’s brothers – “but three months on it has not yet been published. It could contain the truth about his murder. “Roshen Chanaka, 21, was an employee of the Free Trade Zone. He was injured in the police attack on thousands of workers who were demonstrating against the fraudulent pension scheme. The worker died shortly after at Ragama Teaching Hospital (Western Province).
Correspondent