8/10/2019 Only 2% Chinese Aid to Sri Lanka Are Grants While India Provides 33% as Grants

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Only 2% Chinese Aid to Sri Lanka areGrants While India Provides 33% AsGrants

By R. Sampanthan. MP--15/11/2014

Sir, non-alignment has been the cornerstone o o!r "oreignPolicy. #t may be that there $ere times $hen $e %e&iate% rom this policy, b!t that hasbeen rare an% has ha% its o$n conse'!ences.

(enerally, $e ha&e been stea%ast in o!r a%herence to the policy o non-alignment.)e ha&e maintaine% an e'!i%istance an% # $o!l%, in that conte*t, li+e to pose the'!estion, $hat has been the policy o the present (o&ernment as this (o&ernment,

or narro$ parochial %omestic consi%erations, sacriice% this policy o non-alignment$ith conse'!ences $hich can be %ire or the $hole co!ntry

his has happene%, Sir, thro!gh acti&ities in se&eral areas tra%e, economic co-operation to an !nprece%ente% %egree $ith one co!ntry, %eence co-operation again$ith the same co!ntry an% geostrategic co-operation incl!%ing maritime co-operation$ith that same co!ntry. here are concerns in Sri an+a.

#n act, o&er the h!ge proects being !n%erta+en by hina in Sri an+a, $hich are

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some$hat lac+ing in transparency, an% e&en $itho!t being e*plicitly re'!este% by Srian+a on loans $ith high rates o interest, it is allege% that some proects are &eryl!crati&e to some in%i&i%!als.

# $ant to rea%, Sir, certain comments that appeare% in 3he S!n%ay imes ne$spaper recently. his is $hat it says. # '!ote

“Contemporary bilateral ties between the two countries, ….” that is Sri Lanka and China.“…….however, are neither straightforward nor transparent and keyelements of the relationship have caused serious worry across the alk Strait. !ew "elhi has always been wary of China#s geostrategicinterests in South $sia. %ut nothing has raised its hackles more inrecent times than China#s aggressive e&pansion into Sri Lanka andColombo#s un'uestioning acceptance of it.” 

#n another paragraph it says, # '!ote

“(he domestic picture is also dis'uieting. (he most alarming aspect ofthe Sino)Lanka alliance is that citi*ens are kept deliberately ignorant ofwhat is really going on. (his might work for China which operates onthe principle that what its people do not know will not hurt them. %ut itis not what Sri Lanka, once an open and vibrant democracy, needs.” 

So, Sir, the &ie$ is being e*presse% by a n!mber o people that insoar as the hina-Sri an+a relationship is concerne%, many things $ere happening secretly an% $itho!t

the p!blic +no$ing abo!t it. By acting in this $ay, is 2 Sri an+a preser&ing itsso&ereignty Sri an+a ho$ls that its so&ereignty is being breache% by sections o theinternational comm!nity $ho merely call !pon Sri an+a to obser&e treaties an%con&entions to $hich Sri an+a has &ol!ntarily s!bscribe% an% $hich Sri an+a isbo!n% to hono!r.

#t $o!l% be rele&ant, Sir, to loo+ at the role playe% by hina %!ring the regime oPresi%ent Mahin%a Raapa+sa as compare% $ith its role o&er a long perio% o time,incl!%ing perio%s o Sri an+a "ree%om Party r!le !n%er Prime Minister Mrs. Sirima&oBan%aranai+e an% the s!bse'!ent r!le o the S"P !n%er Presi%ent han%ri+a

Ban%aranai+e !marat!nga.

he total assistance e*ten%e% by hina to Sri an+a %!ring the perio% 1671 to 2012,aro!n% 41 years, $as 8S 9ollars 5,05: billion o $hich 8S 9ollars 4,7:1 billion,appro*imately 64 per cent, $as e*ten%e% bet$een 2005 an% 2012, aro!n% se&enyears, that $as %!ring the term o Presi%ent Mahin%a Raapa+sa. he !n%ingpromise% by hina in the perio% 2012 to 2014 is sai% to be aro!n% 8S 9ollars 2.1;billion, the maority as a loan< o the total !n%ing in the perio% 2005 to 201=, only 2 per cent is grant $hile 6; per cent is loan. #n contrast, # $o!l% li+e to loo+ at #n%ian

8/10/2019 Only 2% Chinese Aid to Sri Lanka Are Grants While India Provides 33% as Grants

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assistance to Sri an+a. #t is appro*imately 8S 9ollars 1.= billion, one-thir% o thatamo!nt is by $ay o grant.#s this a clear in%ication o Presi%ent Mahin%a Raapa+sa>s insensiti&ity to the concernso neighbo!ring #n%ia, recogni?e% as the regional po$er in So!th @sia, or is it thep!rs!it o a %eliberate, pre-%etermine% programme to !n%ermine #n%ian interests an%thereby isolate #n%ia so as to ree itsel rom obligations an% commitments ma%e to

#n%ia not only in the interests o reconciliation, peace an% harmony $ithin Sri an+ab!t also in the region Ao co!ntry has greater lin+s $ith Sri an+a politically,economically, socially an% c!lt!rally than #n%ia. @re these actions inten%e% to!n%ermine all these lin+ages $hich ha&e their roots in both geography an% history

Sir, # $ant to pose this '!estion. #s a position so!ght to be create% $here #n%ia $ill notbe able to play any role in Sri an+a in +eeping $ith #n%ia>s role o&er the past three%eca%es an% consistent $ith #n%ia>s historical, geographical an% c!lt!ral lin+s $ith Srian+a

9oes Presi%ent Mahin%a Raapa+sa thin+ that hina $o!l% be s!pporti&e o hisp!rs!ing a narro$ political agen%a in Sri an+a his is the '!estion that is most$orrisome rom the point o &ie$ o people $ho are concerne% abo!t the !t!re. hereis also a great %eal o concern that s!ch a co!rse o action $o!l% not be in theinterests o Sri an+a, #n%ia or the region.

co!rse, there is also the possibility o the &ery large loans that ha&e been gi&en byhina to Sri an+a being con&erte% into e'!ity an% it is a matter o gra&e concern tomany Sri an+ans $ho are concerne%C $ith protecting the co!ntry>s in%epen%ence ine&ery $ay.

Sri an+a claims that it $ill ha&e operational control o&er many proects e*ec!te% byhina. o $hat e*tent this $ill be possible is '!estionable. he e*tent o in%ebte%nesso Sri an+a to hina $o!l% res!lt in Sri an+a being %enie% the opport!nity toe*ercise any s!ch operational control.

here is %eence co-operation bet$een Sri an+a an% hina $hich in recent times hasrecei&e% prominence. here $ere reports mi% this year o the establishment o aMaintenance "acility in rincomalee by hina. his proposal ha% abinet appro&al.his $o!l% ha&e been in contra&ention o the #n%o-Sri an+a @greement.

 @ hinese s!bmarine along $ith a hinese $arship %oc+e% in the olombo Port inSeptember 2014. #t %oc+e% again in the olombo Port on its ret!rn. ho!gh &ario!sass!rances are gi&en by Sri an+a D $hen things that %i% not happen earlier happenno$, they ca!se concern an% raise the '!estion o $hether there is ne$ thin+ing,$hether it is so!ght to !n%ermine an% marginali?e #n%ia by hinese %ominance D themillion-%ollar '!estion being $ith $hat conse'!ences e&ent!ally, both or #n%ia an% Srian+a.

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# $ant to raise, Sir, some other matters o concern, $hich are strategic in nat!re. Someo these matters reache% some stage o inality $hen the hinese Presi%ent, EiFinping !n%ertoo+ a State Gisit to olombo on the 1:th an% 17th o September 2014.he irst $o!l% be the olombo Port an% arbo!r. @s o no$ 70 per cent o thetransshipment b!siness in the olombo Port is #n%ia-relate%. he So!th ontainererminal at the olombo Port has been %e&elope% an% or a perio% o =5 years $ill be

operate% by a consorti!m le% by hina an% the Sri an+a Ports @!thority. #t $as herethat the hinese $arship an% s!bmarine %oc+e% recently.ambantota arbo!r an% Port "or Phase #, hina pro&i%e% 8S =07 million, ;5 percent o the total cost o Phase #. Phase ## $o!l% reporte%ly cost 8S ;10 million. 9!ringPresi%ent Ei>s &isit in September 2014, a S!pply-perate-ranser @greement $assigne%, $hich $ill be &ali% or =5 years, an% o!r o!t o the se&en container berths$o!l% be !se% by a hinese ompany.olombo Port ity Proect his is a mega proect. #t $ill res!lt in the creation o a ne$city by reclaiming 2== hectares o lan% rom the sea at a cost o 8S 9ollars 1.4 billion.#t $as ina!g!rate% by Presi%ent Ei Finping $hen he $as in olombo on 17th

September 2014. !n%re% an% t$enty i&e hectares $o!l% belong to Sri an+a. Hightyeight hectares $o!l% be lease% to hina on a 66-year lease. $enty hectares $o!l%be gi&en o hina on a reehol% basis $hich means that almost hal the lan% or a littleless than hal the lan% $o!l% e&ent!ally be !n%er hina>s control.

Maritime ooperation Sri an+a s!pports hina>s plan to b!il% a 21st ent!ryMaritime Sil+ Roa%. @ Foint ommittee is being set !p on oastal an% Marineooperation to cooperate in search or $rec+age, ocean obser&ation, marine an%coastal ?one management. @ll types o s!r&eys can be carrie% o!t. )hat are theimplications o all these steps he position $o!l% res!lt in hina ac'!iring not merely

inl!ence, b!t %ominance rom the )est to the So!th o Sri an+a. hat $o!l% be thereal position, not merely in some little place. hese acts ha&e establishe%, Sir, the irmgrip that hina has o&er Sri an+a. #s it irstly in Sri an+an interests or in the interestso the Sri an+an people, is it in the interests o o!r neighbo!r, #n%ia, the regionalpo$er in So!th @sia )hat $o!l% be conse'!ences o these steps his is the matter,Sir, that # consi%er my %!ty to raise in this o!se. #n the conte*t o s!ch acti&ities, can$e be sai% to be gen!inely ollo$ing a policy o non-alignment @n% are $e notsacriicing o!r stat!re an% respect on the $orl% scene or narro$ parochial %omesticconsi%erations. #s this not in%icati&e o a shortsighte% an% myopic &ision o(o&ernance that co!l% ha&e %isastro!s conse'!ences or the $hole co!ntry

9espite se&eral commitments ma%e by the Sri an+an (o&ernment- thesecommitments ha&e been gi&en in &ery clear terms to &ario!s sections o theinternational comm!nity, to the Secretary-(eneral o the 8nite% Aations, to #n%ia- tobring abo!t constit!tional arrangements or the co!ntry that $o!l% enable all thepeople to li&e in this co!ntry as e'!al citi?ens this (o&ernment has been %ragging itseet in complying $ith those commitments. here is a &ie$ that the Sri an+an(o&ernment is embol%ene% to %o so beca!se hina is prepare% to be s!pporti&e oSri an+a in $hate&er circ!mstances. his is not air an% not $hat the Sri an+ans

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e*pect rom a great po$er li+e hina. )e s!bmit that hina sho!l% !se its goo%$illo&er Sri an+a in a more reasonable $ay so as to bring abo!t 5 gen!ine reconciliation,peace an% harmony bet$een all the citi?ens in Sri an+a an% thereby enable all theciti?ens in Sri an+a to li&e in peace an% harmonyISpeech ma%e by on MP R.Sampanthan at the parliament on 14th ct 2014J

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