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The Law & Society Trust expresses its grave concern and deep sadness regarding the violence unleashed against residents of Mannar who were peacefully protesting the ongoing wind turbine project that threatens their environment and livelihoods. Reports indicate that police forces resorted to brutal attacks against community members who were resisting the sudden transport of turbine parts to Mannar, despite the government’s repeated assurances of dialogue and transparency before advancing the project. For several months, the people of Mannar have raised serious concerns about the impact of the wind farm projects on their lives and livelihoods. Communities have consistently pointed to flooding caused by altered water flows, contamination of drinking water, the spread of disease, the disruption of fisheries and agriculture, and significant ecological damage, including harm to migratory bird patterns. These concerns are neither new nor unfounded. They are rooted in lived experiences and well-documented environmental risks. It is especially troubling that these incidents occurred after the President himself pledged to suspend further work until a committee report was finalized and shared. The government has chosen to move forward without disclosing the report’s findings or engaging in any meaningful consultation with affected communities. The attempt to proceed unilaterally and the use of police force to silence legitimate dissent constitute a serious violation of democratic rights, human dignity, and the constitutional guarantees of freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. The Law & Society Trust, which for more than four decades has worked to advance human rights, equality, dignity, and justice in Sri Lanka, calls on the government to: 𝑰𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒄𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒄𝒆 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒕 𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝑴𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒂𝒓; 𝑬𝒏𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒇𝒖𝒍𝒍 𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒑𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒃𝒓𝒖𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚; 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒗𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒈𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒗𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒔; 𝑹𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒆 𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒅𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑴𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒂𝒓 𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒋𝒆𝒄𝒕, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒖𝒊𝒏𝒆, 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅-𝒇𝒂𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒈𝒖𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒏𝒐 𝒅𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒑𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒋𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒄𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒓 𝒆𝒏𝒗𝒊𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔, 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒚, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒆𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔. Development cannot come at the expense of the lives, livelihoods, and dignity of people. The people of Mannar, like all communities in Sri Lanka, have the right to be heard, to live in safety, and to protect their environment. It is the responsibility of the government to respect and uphold these rights. Law & Society Trust Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Introduction According to the data from the Department of Census and Statistics the countries’ poverty level has projected 14.3% in 2019. The data indicated 14.2% of women and 16.8% of children are under poverty rates.[1] However due to the covid 19 impact, economic crisis and the unrest in the political situation there is increased food insecurity to over 6.3 million people and it’s about 38% of total households of the country.[2] The plantation people / Malayaga Tamil people, especially women and children are suffering form a significant level of poverty, malnutrition, underweight and food insecurity comparing with other rural and urban sector people. The World Bank report indicates that some urgent action is needed to reduce these high rates of malnutrition and underweight among the plantation community.[3] The poverty headcount denotes that the plantation sector poverty percentage is very high (33.8%) comparing with other urban (6%) and rural poverty (15%) line in Sri Lanka.[4] Nuwareliya District, home to more than half of the plantation population, is listed as 4th most impoverished districts in Sri Lanka. according to data from the Department of Census and Statistics 26.3% of the population lives below the poverty line in the Nuwareliya district. The people who were migrated from south India in colonial period have been subjected to various oppressions and exploitation by colonial rulers and post-independence rulers and are still living in a state where their basic needs and rights are not available. More than one million people who are living in the planation sector are landless and homeless, that makes them a highly impoverished and malnourished community in the country. Food insecurity is more prevalent in plantation sector as compared to other areas in Sri Lanka. Lack of land for food production is a major problem and with employment only in the plantation sector, additional income and alternative activities are very limited for these people. The Bogawandalawa area in which this study took place is entirely built up of tea estate-based livelihoods. The contribution of women in this economic and livelihood system is very high. While most of the men have gone to work in cities, women bear the full burden of the family. Due to the limited access to land, there is a need to both advocate for land rights to increase access to agriculture and housing, to strengthen networks to increase awareness and sharing of knowledge as well as increase their collective influence and to engage with alternative forms of agriculture, all of which strengthen food security and food sovereignty. Project Implementation LST has provided 8 trainings to women farmers from 2020 – 2022 on economic social and cultural (ESC) rights. The women farmers and activists were selected throughout all of Sri Lanka. These trainings were on women’s issues and how they can be overcome, how to apply a collective model to agriculture, how to do small-scale production and agroecology, how to develop marketing strategies, and on food security and sovereignty. Arulappan Idayajothi was represented by Bogawandalawa in these trainings. She talked about the existing livelihood activities in her village and what the gaps and shortcomings are. Moreover, she spoke about and encouraged ways that women farmers and activists can collectively engage with these issues which they then collectively developed into a proposal. This proposal is used to reach out to the government, INGOs, and other interested individuals who can support in the implementation of the proposal. A training session for the Bogawandalawa women farmers provided by Vikalpani National Federation LST has worked collaboratively to create spaces in the national, provincial, and local level for women farmers and activists to get involved and strengthen their role in politics. For example, video campaigns were created for women farmers and activists running in the local election, including Arulappan Idayajothi, to spread their platform to wider audiences, to create visibility, and to provide opportunities for them to get involved in politics, which can create change and allow for advocacy through new avenues and spaces. Moreover, the women farmers who were trained, other women’s organizations, and LST worked collectively to establish the National Women’s Economic Forum in 2020, which provides women farmers with training and networking opportunities. LST also hosts national-level discussions, symposiums, media conferences, and more to strengthen the rights-based movements on land rights, housing rights, women’s rights, and food security rights, and to strengthen the involvement of women farmers who actively participate and lead discussions in these gatherings. Results In Bogawandalawa we have seen results from the work LST has carried out and the work the village does in three key areas: networks, land rights, and agriculture. Networking There are two ways that we have seen networks being strengthened in Bogawandalawa. We have seen it both internally within the community and externally with other communities and stakeholders. We have seen the strength of collective work and the sharing of resources among women farmers. Arulappan Idayajothi, who attended our training, went back to her village and restructured and reactivated an existing but inactive women’s organization. She reached out to them and gathered the 60 women and shared the training she had taken on ESC rights, food security, food sovereignty and agroecology with these women farmers. Through this work she was able to reignite the network amongst the community and utilized that network to share knowledge and work on collected farming and marketing, which has led to improved food security for the community. She didn’t stop there. Arulappan Idayajothi continued to engage the women farmers of her community by taking them to conferences, workshops, and other opportunities that took place across the country and connected their local women’s group to ones in other areas like Vavuniya, Polonnaruwa, Wellawaya, and more. This has helped them build relationships, share knowledge and experiences, share resources and advocate together for their rights. The Bogawandalawa Women’s Society is also working with the National Women’s Economic Forum, which allows them to receive training and be connected to women farmers nationally, giving them the space to work collaboratively and advocate collaboratively.

Technology has seamlessly integrated into our daily lives in today’s digital era. From social media interactions and online banking to e-commerce and cloud storage, digital platforms have revolutionized how we connect, work, and share information. However, with this convenience comes an ever-growing concern on digital security. Many individuals unknowingly expose personal information online, making them vulnerable to cyber threats such as phishing attacks, data breaches, and identity theft. While these risks are real, the solution is not to fear technology but to understand and implement effective security measures. Digital security is about being informed, taking precautions, and making conscious choices to protect data and privacy while continuing to benefit from technological advancements. Understanding Digital Security Risks As digital connectivity expands, so do the tactics used by cybercriminals. One of the most widespread threats today is phishing, where fraudsters impersonate legitimate organizations to trick individuals into revealing sensitive information. Phishing emails and fake websites have been responsible for over 40% of global data breaches, according to a 2023 report by IBM Security. Another major concern is data breaches. In 2021, Facebook experienced a security failure that exposed the personal data of over 530 million users worldwide. Similarly, social engineering attacks have become more sophisticated, with hackers exploiting human psychology to gain access to confidential accounts. One infamous example is the Twitter Bitcoin Scam of 2020, where cybercriminals hijacked high-profile accounts, including those of Elon Musk and Barack Obama, to promote a cryptocurrency scam. Ransomware attacks have also surged in recent years. The WannaCry ransomware outbreak of 2017 infected over 200,000 devices across 150 countries, locking users out of their systems unless they paid a ransom in Bitcoin. Meanwhile, concerns over data privacy have intensified, as many corporations collect user data without explicit consent. A 2019 investigative report by The New York Times revealed how mobile apps were secretly tracking and selling users’ location data to third parties. Awareness Over Fear: The Key to Online Safety Rather than avoiding digital platforms due to security concerns, users must adopt smarter practices to safeguard their information. One of the most effective steps is using strong, unique passwords for different accounts. Studies show that weak passwords, such as “123456,” remain among the most commonly used, making it incredibly easy for hackers to gain access. Two-factor authentication (2FA) and Multi-Factor authentication add an extra layer of security, ensuring that even if a password is compromised, unauthorized access is prevented. Caution is also essential when dealing with emails and links. Cybercriminals frequently disguise fraudulent emails as legitimate messages from banks or government agencies. Google’s Transparency Report states that over two million phishing websites are detected annually, highlighting the need for vigilance when clicking on links or downloading attachments. Another important measure is limiting the personal information shared on social media. Many identity theft cases have been linked to users unknowingly posting sensitive details online. A study published in the Journal of Cybersecurity Research found that over 67% of identity theft victims had shared personal data on social media without realizing the risks. Keeping software updated is another crucial aspect of digital security. Hackers often exploit vulnerabilities in outdated software to gain control of systems. According to Microsoft’s 2021 Security Report, 99.9% of cyberattacks could have been prevented if systems had been updated with security patches. Ensuring that operating systems, browsers, and security applications are regularly updated highly reduces the chances of falling victim to cyber threats. Digital Security as a Shared Responsibility The growing emphasis on cybersecurity is not limited to individual users. Governments and corporations worldwide are taking steps to strengthen data protection laws and security regulations. The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has set strict guidelines on how businesses collect and use personal data, forcing companies to be more transparent about their privacy policies. In Sri Lanka, the Personal Data Protection Act (2022)aims to ensure responsible data handling by organizations, giving citizens more control over their personal information. This shift highlights that cybersecurity is not just an individual responsibility but a collective effort. Companies must prioritize data security, governments must implement protective policies, and individuals must take personal responsibility for securing their online presence. By working together, a safer and more transparent digital ecosystem can be created. The rise of cyber threats should not discourage people from using digital platforms. Instead, it should serve as a reminder of the importance of being informed and adopting smart security practices. The key to navigating the digital world safely is awareness over fear—understanding the risks, taking necessary precautions, and making educated decisions about online interactions. By implementing strong passwords, enabling security measures, staying cautious online, and staying informed about evolving threats, individuals can confidently engage with technology without compromising their privacy or security. Digital security is not about avoiding technology—it is about using it wisely.   By Nisanka Weheraduwa. References IBM Security. (2023). Cost of a Data Breach Report 2023. Retrieved from www.ibm.com/security/data-breach Whittaker, Z. (2021). Facebook data leak: 530 million users’ data exposed online. TechCrunch. Retrieved from www.techcrunch.com Europol. (2017). WannaCry ransomware attack. Retrieved from www.europol.europa.eu Thompson, S., & Warzel, C. (2019). How your phone tracks your every move. The New York Times. Retrieved from www.nytimes.com Google Transparency Report. (2022). Phishing site detections. Retrieved from www.transparencyreport.google.com NordPass. (2023). Most commonly used passwords worldwide. Retrieved from www.nordpass.com Microsoft Security Report. (2021). Cybersecurity insights and best practices. Retrieved from www.microsoft.com/security Pew Research Center. (2021). Understanding social media privacy settings. Retrieved from www.pewresearch.org Smith, J., Patel, R., & Lee, A. (2020). Impact of social media on identity theft risks. Journal of Cybersecurity Research, 12(3), 45-58. European Union. (2018). General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Retrieved from www.eugdpr.org Government of Sri Lanka. (2022). Personal Data Protection Act. Retrieved from www.gov.lk