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RTI Com. takes note of Vedda chief’s advice
View(s):Adivasi (Vedda) community leader Uruwarige Wannilaththo’s has warned about the Right to Information Act being abused to settle personal grievances.
Uruwarige Wannilaththo
His warning was included in a statement the Right to Information Commission issued to mark International Day for the Universal Access to Information.
The Adivasi leader warning came when he addressed a meeting of senior public officials in Badulla.
Addressing the gathering, he conveyed the good wishes of his community to the RTI Commission and observed that even the Adivasi people had been using the RTI Act in regard to land disputes. The meeting was presided over by the RTI Commission and the Badulla District Secretary on October 4.
Separate sessions were held with members of community-based organisations (CBOs) in the Mahiyangana Division to educate them on the benefits of the RTI Act.
This was the culminating programme in a series of discussions held in Colombo and in the provinces by the RTI Commission to mark International RTI Day. The programme continued the public outreach of the RTI Commission and saw similar discussions being held in Jaffna, Panama (Ampara), Kilinochchi, Ambagamuwa (Nuwara Eliya), Suriyawewa (Hambantota) and Karuwalagaswewa (Puttalam). The discussions centered on the recent publication of two volumes on The Selected Orders of the Right to Information Commission of Sri Lanka (2017-2018) and on Reflections on Sri Lanka’s RTI Act & RTI Regime.
Volume One contains 24 selected Orders on the impact of RTI on various subject matter, ranging from declarations of assets and liabilities of politicians and bilateral agreements to release of police complaints, environment-related policy and permits etc.along with a General Index of Orders. Both Volumes are published in Sinhala, Tamil and English.
It its statement, the RTI has pointed out that, since its inception in 2017, the Commission has seen an increase in the number of appeals to the Commission with deeper appreciation among citizens in regard to utilising the right to information. From individuals seeking information on personal land related matters to collective groups coming together to seek information on development projects in the public interest, the Commission has observed a wide range of information requested across diverse public authorities.
During the past two years, the number of appeals to the Commission has seen an upward trend. While there were 230 appeals received in 2017, in 2018 there was an exponential increase in the number of appeals, resulting in 800 appeals. By August 2019, the Commission received more than 650 appeals. A majority of appeals have been received from the Western and Southern Provinces while there is a significant number of appeals from the Badulla, Kurunegala and Kandy Districts as well.
The Commission has issued more than 1, 500 reasoned orders, releasing information in the majority of appeals heard before it. The appeals related to a broad range of issues including corruption in the state sector, responding to disclosure requests for information relating to the Government’s transitional justice policies and balancing the right to privacy with the overriding public interest. Presently, there are three appeals pending before the Court of Appeal against the decisions of the Commission.
The RTI Commission has also begun building partnerships with other Independent Commissions such as the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka and the National Police Commission as well as academic institutions such as the University of Colombo and the University of Kelaniya.
The Commission says it will conduct several workshops with partner organisations and Commissions and implement 10 training programmes for leaders of Community-Based Organisations at grassroots level through District Secretaries.
The RTI Act has created a paradigm shift in Sri Lanka with a culture of secrecy gradually evolving to a culture of transparency and accountability. The increasing involvement of women participation in using RTI for advocacy work is noteworthy, the RTI notes.
Furthermore, the increasing visibility and representation of men and women of low income groups is a positive trend in Sri Lanka. While there are success stories that Sri Lanka has experienced during a short period of two years of implementation of the RTI Act, there is much more room for improvement and commitment by public authorities to disclose information in their possession, custody or control. On the part of the Commission it will strive to ensure that the spirit and intention of the legislation is upheld in a manner that citizens of Sri Lanka would reap the benefits of the right to information to the maximum extent possible.