Le 17 octobre, écoeurés par les autorités, des centaines de paysans dont plus de cinquante malades des reins ont convergé de la province Centre Nord du Sri Lanka vers le siège de l'ONU et de la FAO dans la capitale Colombo et demandé compensation pour les dommages subis par les fermiers, les terres cultivables et les ressources en eau.
En demandant compensation, les paysans tiennent la FAO responsable de plus de 20000 morts, de plus 20000 malades incurables des reins et de plus de 100000 malades des reins à différents stades de la maladie. L'ONU et la FAO sont directement responsables du carnage pour avoir introduit des produits agrochimiques mortels que n'avaient jamais utilisés les paysans durant leur longue histoire.
Les paysans disent avoir été privés de leur droit fondamental à l'eau reconnu par l'ONU à cause de la pollution de l'eau par des intrants agrochimiques mortels. En transformant leur façon de cultiver la terre, l'ONU et la FAO les ont privé de leur mode de vie et de leur vie même, les obligeant à être des paysans travaillant au profit des multinationales.
La Swarna Hansa Foundation qui a coordonné l'action des paysans envisage de continuer le mouvement à une plus grande échelle et attend un soutien international.
Ce qui suit est la lettre présentée au représentant de l'ONU et de la FAO par les paysans.
Patrick T. Evans
FAO Representative,
Sri Lanka
Dear Sir,
The FAO must pay compensation for the damages inflicted upon the peasants in the North Central Province.
We, the Swarna Hansa Foundation and the representatives of kidney patients in particular and peasants in general in the North Central Province,
Seriously concerned about the rapid increase of deaths due to kidney failure in the North Central Province of Sri Lanka,
Alarmed by the continuous increase of kidney affected persons well over one hundred thousands, in North Central Province alone,
Deeply grieved by the sufferings of more than twenty thousand fatal kidney patients lying on their death beds,
Determined to take suitable course of action to arrest the grave situation,
Mindful of the acceptance of peasants, realized through their empirical knowledge, that the primary cause of the kidney disease is not anything else but the lethal agricultural inputs misleadingly known as agro chemicals,
Convinced by revelations of the eminent research of Professor Sarath Bandara of the Agriculture Faculty, University of Peradeniya, that the major cause of the kidney disease in the North Central Province is the application of lethal inputs - agro chemicals in cultivation for more than thirty years,
Recalling the Food and the Agriculture Organization held its first World Food Day, thirty two years ago in 1979,
Also recalling that World Food Day Programme was initiated by the FAO in order to grow more food with more inputs in agriculture,
Conscious of the fact that FAO has held World Food Days continuously for more than thirty years,
Acknowledging the accepted fact that kidney disease in the North Central Province is a result of application of lethal inputs in agriculture, for more than thirty years,
Conscious of attempts made by the FAO through its sister organization WHO and through several government departments of Sri Lanka to nullify the fact that lethal inputs in agriculture caused the kidney disease,
Mindful of such attempts by the FAO are to abdicate its responsibility for the grave damage caused by lethal inputs –which were introduced and propagated by the FAO, and to mislead the public as well,
Recognizing that FAO is having close collaboration, corporation, and mutual understanding with the multinational companies producing lethal inputs in agriculture, and that FAO only has helped multinational companies to enhance their business, by observing World Food Day,
Deeply concerned about the potential threat to the life of the people, because of pollution of all water resources, caused by agro chemicals introduced and propagated by the FAO, thereby depriving the fundamental human right to water,
Gravely conscious of a possible breakout of a much more grave disaster due to continuous use of lethal inputs in agriculture,
Mindful of the attempts being made by the FAO to encourage and persuade the government of Sri Lanka to further expand application of lethal inputs in agriculture, covering other plantations and home gardens as well,
Acknowledging the UN / FAO by above course of action has over the years committed and continues to commit a grave crime to humanity,
Determined to take immediate preventive as well as punitive actions,
Demand that UN / FAO immediately pay compensation for the damages inflicted upon the people, particularly to families of persons died of kidney disease, families of kidney patients now lying in their death beds, and to those who are affected with kidney disease in the North Central Province.
Presented on this day of 17, Oct. 2011, by kidney patients, representatives of kidney patients, and Swarna Hansa Foundation on behalf of peasants in the North Central province.
