National Resource Protection Movement calls for mass action against unprecedented privatisation 

Members of the National Resource Protection Movement engaged in the protest against privatisation 

– Pix by Pradeep Pathirana

The National Resource Protection Movement (NRPM) in a statement this week called for mass action against unprecedented privatisation.

It alleged that the unmandated Ranil-Rajapaksa regime is threatening to engulf vital institutions, economic stability, and the very future of the nation.

To issue a warning the NRPM on Wednesday staged a joint protest at the Fort Lakehouse roundabout.

“We stand united against the Government’s reckless plan to privatise vital public institutions, including electricity, telecom, insurance, post offices, railways, banks, airports, and many more. This unprecedented sell-off is a direct threat to national security, economic stability, and the very livelihoods of Sri Lankans. It hands over control of critical infrastructure to foreign capital like India’s Ambani and China’s Gochun, raising concerns about exploitation and compromising the nation’s strategic interests,” NRPM statement said.

Adding insult to injury, the Government has silenced dissent by suspending Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) employees and suppressing trade union action. This blatant attack on workers’ rights and the absence of any meaningful public consultation exposes the undemocratic nature of the regime and of this entire process.

The NRPM said it stands alongside trade unions and concerned citizens to raise voices in protest.

This unprecedented privatisation spree is not merely an economic decision; it is an assault on national security, a potential Trojan horse that risks surrendering control of critical infrastructure to foreign capital. We see the names whispered – India’s Ambani and China’s Gochun – circling like vultures, eyeing our resources with predatory intent. Are we to stand idle and watch stripping away a nation’s strategic assets, leaving the country vulnerable and dependent?

But the attack goes deeper, silencing dissent with the brutal efficiency of an authoritarian regime. The suspension of CEB employees, their expertise and experience cast aside, is a blatant attack on workers’ rights. The suppression of trade union activities, their voices stifled and unheard, exposes the undemocratic nature of the process. The Government wants to ram through privatisation without heeding to the concerns of the public, without assuring consent, without even acknowledging the public’s right to determine its own fate.

The NRPM refuses to be silenced. We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with trade unions, with the citizens who see their livelihoods threatened, with the students who fear a future stripped of prosperity and security.

There are alternative solutions to the debt crisis, solutions that don’t involve sacrificing national assets and handing over control to foreign capital. Let us explore those solutions, through open dialogue and democratic processes, not through backroom deals and closed-door meetings.

Respect the rights of our workers. Reinstate the suspended employees and allow trade unions to freely represent their members. Their voices matter, their expertise is invaluable, and their rights must be enshrined.

Open the dialogue, engage with the public. Privatisation is not a decision for a select few to make behind closed doors. We demand transparency, open discussions, and a democratic decision-making process that takes into account the concerns of all Sri Lankans.

But our actions go beyond mere words. The NRPM has taken concrete steps to fight this injustice:

Trade unions in affected sectors are taking legal action to protect their rights and livelihoods. They will not be silenced, and they will not be sold out.

“We sent a letter to the UN Secretary-General highlighting the suppression of workers’ rights. The world needs to know what is happening here, and we will not let this injustice go unnoticed.

We are reaching out to opposition parties, civil society organisations, and concerned citizens to build a broader movement against privatisation. This fight belongs to all of us, and together, our voices will be unstoppable. Together, we can defeat this threat and build a future where prosperity and opportunity are shared by all,” the statement added.