Sri Lankan workers’ inquiry meeting to announce findings on garbage disaster
By
the Independent Workers Inquiry Committee
17 March 2018
The Independent Workers’ Inquiry Committee (IWIC) will hold a meeting at Colombo Public Library auditorium on April 1 at 2 p.m. to release the findings of its investigation into last year’s garbage disaster at Meethotamulla. The huge garbage dump, which is located on the outskirts of Colombo, collapsed on April 14, killing at least 32 people, partially or completely destroying 146 houses, and affecting more almost 200 poor families.
The IWIC was established last May on the initiative of the Socialist Equality Party (SEP) to investigate the causes of this social crime. The garbage heap in Meethotamulla began about a decade ago when waste, mainly from the Colombo municipal region, began being dumped in the area.
Local residents opposed and protested against the dump from the outset, warning about the health risks and other dangers posed. Successive Sri Lankan governments not only ignored these appeals, but mobilised the police to attack protesting residents.
Following last year’s tragedy, President Maithripala Sirisena, in an attempt to dissipate widespread popular outrage, appointed a special commission to “investigate” the disaster. The commission report was presented to Sirisena last month but its findings have not been publicised.
The government is more concerned about covering up its criminal negligence. The media and commission report experts have largely ignored the fundamental social and political reasons for the disaster.
The Meethotamulla tragedy is one of the many social crimes against working people internationally.
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