LAC corruption sentinels for tsunami-hit districts

The Legal Aid Commission for the first time in Sri Lanka will appoint Legal Officers in the tsunami affected districts of Jaffna, Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi, Gampaha, Colombo, Kalutara, Galle, Matara, Hambantota, Ampara, Kalmunai, Akkaraipattu, Batticaloa and Trincomalee to educate the tsunami affected communities on anti-corruption and monitor the complaints of corruption relating to tsunami assistance.

Lawyers who would serve as sentinels of corruption attached to the Multi-Purpose Legal Aid Centers have already been identified after public advertisement. They would undergo training with the assistance of the Bribery Commission and the Transparency International.

Anecdotal stories are numerous about tsunami aid corruption. While some junior officials have been apprehended by the Bribery Commission officials. Tsunami victims feel hopeless due to an absence of a mechanism close to their villages.

LAC Chairman, S.S. Wijeratne stated that lack of awareness on the anti-corruption national laws, and UN Convention against corruption amongst the victims and the absence of 'whistle blower' protection has made corruption endemic.

He also observed that sometime the unhealthy competition among some of the NGOs has exacerbated the situation as unrealistic amounts are paid as wages and rents for local and foreign aid workers creating an atmosphere of 'time to make money'.

The tsunami victims are voiceless and myriads of their aid complaints about discrimination by officials in distribution go unheard and result in retributive discrimination.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB), OECD and Transparency International has already conducted two International Workshops on curbing corruption in tsunami relief operations in Jakarta and China. But the reports of these Conferences need to be translated and made available to the people. The LAC which has 17 Multi-Purpose Legal Aid Centers islandwide would add these challenges to their anti-corruption programme.

Wijeratne lamented that though Sri Lanka was one of the first countries in the world to ratify the 2003 UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), so far no legislation has been passed by the Sri Lanka legislators. There is no general awareness about the UN Convention and no specific UN Agency is assigned to promote the needed ratifications. UNHCR could become one of the pompous UN documents about which only Annual Conferences would be held.

Sentinels of Corruption would provide a protection to tsunami victims who are now pathetic victims of corruption.

As a preliminary step, the LAC and the Alternative Dispute Resolution Institution (ADRI) are training Grama Niladharies on the ill-effects of corruption.

Justice Ameer Ismail, CIABOC Chairman and Chairman local chapter of the Transparency International, J.C. Weliamuna have contributed as resource persons to the training programme.