To: ALL CONCERNED IN HUMANITARIAN ENDEAVOURS -WE REQUIRE YOUR URGENT ACTION

Brisbane City Council, Australia, is suing the Tamil wife of a Sinhala Human Rights activist in Mt Gravatt, for clearing the bush weed Lantana, from her back garden, on the pretext of preserving the flora for future generations.

While extensive tracts of relatively intact bush land, with lantana camara, the botanical name for the family of scrubby bushweed,verbenaceae, remain intact and in close proximity to Brisbane, the City Fathers have targeted a Sri Lankan settler, who bought a track of bush land in 1976 and developed it years ago. Brisbane City Council are now demanding eviction of this family from their land and their home or cough up A$450,00, about one tenth of its present value. It appears to be age discrimination of sorts.

In Australia, Lantana camara is one of 20 weeds of national significance and is declared a Class 3 noxious Weed in Queensland, under the Land Protection (Pest & Stock) Route Management Act 2002. However, biological control of this scrubby bush which chokes and disturbs forests areas, infesting natural resources and water conservation, started as early as 1914. Today, the costs of clearing these dense thickets are considerable.

The control methods available for lantana clearance fall into three categories, mechanical, chemical and fire. The Sri Lankan family of Dr.Brian Senewiratne, a Consultant Physician, in his early eighties, has incurred to date well over A$ 270,000 in legal bills, defending his right to clear this invasive weed, this dense thicket, toxic not only to humans but to cattle and sheep, by using mechanical means, without the use of chemical spot spraying or the impractical use of fire control; the former, due to impact on other plant species and the latter method being not legally permitted.

Brisbane City Council is adamant to harass this citizen, perhaps for a completely different reason. The adjacent reality is that Dr.Brian Senewiratne is a vibrant firebrand for humanitarian concerns, particularly the rights of Tamils and their struggle for survival in Sri Lanka. Could it be that the Brisbane City Council are trying to court favour of the government of Sri Lanka?

We appeal to all individuals around the world to support this Sri Lankan to exercise his right to clear his own land, with reasonable use of mechanical means and to control the threat posed by its overgrowth to biodiversity and the environment

Your support including financial will be much appreciated, before it is too late:

Please write to your local news media protesting this violation of human rights and/or send a fax to:

1). Lord Mayor Brisbane City Council,
His Worship Cllr. Campbell Newman

Fax: Brisbane, Australia +61 7 3403 9930

2). Chairperson, Environment and Sustainability Committee

Cllr. Helen Abrahams - email: duttonpark.ward@ecn.net.au

Her Team: Cllr.Felicity Farmer; Cllr Ann Bennison; Cllr.Steve Griffiths; Cllr.Faith Hopkins; Cllr.Geraldine Knapp and Cllr.Norm Wyndham.

Fax: Brisbane, Australia +61 7 3403 9930

3). APPEAL FOR FUNDS: Dr Senewiratne has incurred to date well over A$ 270,000 in legal bills, defending his right and exhausted all his retirement savings:

PLEASE BE GENEROUS IN YOUR FINANCIAL HELP and Contact:

Source: Tamil Writers Guild
Date: 27 March 2007