Probe X-Press Pearl disaster against backdrop of Port City and Selendiva  projects – Church spokesperson

By Shamindra Ferdinando

The Catholic Church was quite concerned about the long-term impact of the sinking of the container carrier X-Press Pearl off the Colombo port, Rev. Father Cyril Gamini Fernando said yesterday.

The ecological disaster the ill-fated ship had caused couldn’t be compensated for with a one-off payment, Rev Father Fernando said, urging the government to set the record straight.

Responding to The Island queries, the parish priest of Kurana St Anne’s Church said that he had raised the possibility of a conspiracy to deprive the fishing community of their livelihood when he addressed the media last week at the Archbishop’s House alongside the Archbishop of Colombo Rt. Rev. Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith.

The arrival of the ill-fated vessel in Sri Lankan waters on May 19 and its sinking two weeks later underscored the need for a comprehensive inquiry, Rev Fernando said.

According to the former Spokesperson for the Catholic Church, the X-Press Pearl disaster should be examined, also taking into consideration the recent passage of the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill in Parliament and the Cabinet approval for Selendiva Investments Ltd. to facilitate foreign investments in Colombo and its suburbs.

Noting the concerns raised by the Opposition and the government’s assurance that properties wouldn’t be sold to external parties, Rev Fernando said that the people should watch the direction the SLPP government was moving in. Government intervention in Muthurajawela wetlands, too, was a matter of serious concern, Rev Fernando said, calling for a public discussion on high profile government projects.

Selendiva has taken over three ventures—Hotel Developers (Lanka) PLC, which is the owning company of Hilton Colombo, Canwill Holdings Ltd., owners of the proposed Grand Hyatt Colombo and residences that are under construction and Grand Oriental Hotel (GOH). Accordingly, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, in his capacity as the Minister of Urban Development and Housing  has secured cabinet approval to move ahead with three investment portfolios—’Colombo Fort Heritage Square’, ‘Immovable Property Development’, and ‘The Government — Owned Hospitality Sector’, under Selendiva Investments.  Former UDA Chairman Nimal Perera heads Selendiva Investments.

Successive governments had advanced their own agendas at the expense of national interest, Rev Fernando said, urging the proponents of such current projects to explain whether the previous exercises had benefited the country.  “The Covid-19 prevention programme is obviously in turmoil,” Rev Fernando said, dismissing claims that the Church caused unnecessary friction by taking a public stand on the issues at hand.

Rev Fernando said that the Church couldn’t keep quiet when the livelihood of thousands of fisher families already struggling to make ends meet due to Covid-19 fallout were deprived of an opportunity to resume fishing. Inclement weather had affected more people with over 200,000 displaced and caused over a dozen deaths, Rev Fernando said.

He said the public appreciated the stand taken up by the Church as regards several contentious issues ranging from inordinate delay in punishing those who masterminded the Easter Sunday massacre and denial of the sole livelihood of fisher families.