Conflict analysis
Case study of Weliveriya- Rathupaswala Sri Lanka Water
crisis
July -August 2013
The purpose of this is to analyze a conflict thorough direct action by aggrieved villagers
against an enrich injustice oriented rubber production factory, owned by powerful tycoon,
1
located in residential area polluting the ground water, in the absence of positive response
from the concerned authorities, amidst repeated appeals to stop the environmental pollution.
The industrial operation of the rubber production factory, which was not located in a
designated industrial area, but in a residential area, exceeding its limits specified by the
production License issued by the Central Environmental Authority in the latter stages was the
fundamental trigger of the conflict.
The aggrieved villagers who lost their right to clean drinking water, the officials of the
factory and the employees who violated the limits of their Production License, the
Government officials under the influence of bribery and corruption and the politicians who
engaged the armed military against the villagers were the stakeholders of this of this conflict.
Conflict Diagnosis in Weliveriya- Rathupaswala Crisis
There was a rubber hand gloves making company call Dipped Products PLC - Venigros (Pvt)
Ltd in Rathupaswala near Weliveriya in Sri Lanka.The factory started in 1997 & for many
years it was running without trouble. Villagers were working there. They were well paid &
many villagers increase their income because of the factory.
Since 2010 Villagers found out gradually increasing various kinds of health problems in this
area. Three farmers died in a same year & 07 people were subjected to surgeries. Also, many
people felt when got bath from these water it was sketching. Then people tested the water.
95% of well water below 5pH rate & some of them were below 3ph. Nitrate rate also shown
very high level. People believed this was happen because of the factory outputs. People
protested against factory and demand clear water.
The battle for water at Weliveriya http://youtu.be/_VM6sSrSzxg
Sri
lankan
army
killing
field
–Rathupaswala
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiXu_QsKOIU&feature=share
unedited
video-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxxVfOyfALs&feature=share
Problem Tree
Collapse income from factory of villagers
Damage good will of factory
2
Deaths
Violence
Health problems
Polluted water
Weak public
health policies
Less
awareness
of people
Weak
Environm
ental
policies
Corrupt
government
authorities
Unlimited profit
making
expectations
Political
engageme
nts
A protest against factory in Rathupaswala
http://www.gossiplankahotnews.com/2013/08/blog-post_7054.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Qz8SWgvOzo
Needs-Fears mapping of Rathupaswala- Weliveriya crisis
3
Parties
Issues
Interest
/Needs
Fears
Means
Options
Villagers
Polluted water
Clear
water
Heath
problems
Lobbing
with Join the dialogue
factory
Process.
Get
an
management,
injunction
order
against the factory
Political lobbing
Factory
workers/
Threat of the Income
job/income
Unemploy
ment
Lobbing
with Join the dialogue
factory
Process
management
Polluted water
Health
problems
Factory
Threat of the Profit
manageme factory & it’s
Good
nt
workers
will
Damage good
will
Bankruptin Discuss
with
g
the villagers
factory
Discuss
with
Unemploy
share holders
ment
Share
holders
Factory
collapse
Damage
will
good Profit
Decreasing
factory
share
rates in share
market
Discuss
villagers
Compensati Lobbing
on
for politicians
villagers
compensation
fund & relocate the
factory into industrial
zone
with Compensation fund &
relocate the factory
into industrial zone
with
Lost
internationa
l buyers
Governme
nt
Polluted water- Tax
villagers lives in
Commiss
danger
ions
High
profit
making
company
in
danger
Damage of Impartial
government investigation
reputation
Supplying clear
Governmen water to villagers
t Failures of
issuing
permits
Influence the dialogue
process, relocate the
factory into industrial
zone
Justice for all
Conflict Map
4
Victimized
villagers
Factory
Media
Government
Bar
Association
Local
authority
Extremist
Groups
When the villagers who exercised direct action to safeguard their right to water and the
environment brought the evil forces including the Government officials and local-national
politicians, who executed illegal state authority and power against the will of the people, to
the justice, the factory officials agreed to shift the factory and its industrial operation in to a
designated industrial zone within specified time period. The villagers who were affected by
water pollution were provided with pipe-borne water for compensated cost of 3,000 Sri
Lankan Rupees by the Government. The political interferences still prevents action against
the military officers who ordered shooting and attacks that killed 3 villagers in the protest
against factory. The quality of the ground water in the area is slowly but steadily improving.
The wounds of the conflict are being healed. Though the struggle for water and justice is
fading away from the memory of the people, their effort and fight to protect the environment
is historical.
Weliveriya
non-summary
inquest-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiXu_QsKOIU&feature=share (see 11 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSilCIfLFa0
H.Hemamali Perera
01st of June 2015
5
6