September 09, 2006	Saturday	Sha'aban 15, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, Sept 8: Civil society activists and people affected by the World Bank-funded projects observed hunger strike in front of its country head’s office here on Friday.

ActionAid Pakistan along with the affected people of WB- funded Taunsa Barrage Emergency Rehabilitation and Modernisation Project (TBERMP) and Left Bank Outfall Drain (LBOD) projects, civil society representatives and students participated in the strike.

The protesters chanted slogans against the international financial institutions like “get out World Bank”, “We Don’t Need Aid We Need Our Land Back”, “World Bank The Killer Bank” etc.

The hunger strike was observed to register protest at a very critical time as WB staff is busy making preparations for its annual meeting to be held on September 19-20 in Singapore.

The annual meeting is being arranged at a time when heavy floods due to breaches in World Bank-funded LBOD have played havoc with lives of the people of Mirpurkhas district.

They said the WB should ensure the rehabilitation of thousands of people displaced by its mega projects.

In light of the recommendations of the World Commission on Dams (WCD), the WB should form an independent commission to evaluate the losses of people induced by closure of canals, flooding and diversion of river course and displacement.

The protesters said all the project-induced losses should be included in the cost of the project. The local people should be protected from any further flooding by taking appropriate measures with their consultation. No police force or feudal power should be exercised against the people, and all the left out displaced families should be immediately resettled, they added.

Similarly, they said, in the case of future canals closure, the farmers should be intimated timely and provided alternative source (not loans) of income.

The protesters demanded that without any further delay, the World Bank should immediately release the inspection report on LBOD.

The total loan given for the LBOD project should be converted into a grant and that grant money should be spent on the rehabilitation and development of the people and damages done to the environment by the LBOD project, they demanded.

They said the ecology of the wetlands should be restored and wetlands should be brought to their original condition.

The government and all the donors including World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB) should publicly take the responsibility of the problems created by these projects and announce that there would be no further extension of the LBOD drains, they added.

Some of the World Bank’s own employees and other political workers including the members of National Assembly also visited the protesters to show solidarity with the people affected by these project. PPP MNA from Badin, Fehmida Mirza, was one of the politicians who joined the protesters.

At the end of hunger strike the protesters presented the WB a memorandum carrying their demands.