Category: Breaking News

Ni Hao Xi Jingping,

I thought I must write to you now because, for some strange reason you are in the news in our little island. One may have thought it is due to the raging pandemic that has shut us down – even though no likes to use the word ‘lockdown’ – and because that originated in your country. That is not the reason.

You might be surprised to know that some are even suggesting that you are in effect the leader of our land because we seem to do what you want, and give all that you ask for from us. All this is because of the fuss over this ‘Port City’ extending out of Colombo, which we appear to have handed over to you.

It is not that your country has not helped us in the past. We remember how, in the early ‘70s, when we had the world’s first female Prime Minister leading us, Mao Tse-Tung and Chou En-Lai were very good friends of our nation, and we had a very good working relationship with your people.

Your country gifted us a conference hall named after the Prime Minister’s late husband – and that is the major conference venue we have to this day. Later, you also gifted us with our superior courts complex, where ironically, a case against handing over the ‘Port City’ to your country was heard!

I suppose the difference now is that, while your country continues to be generous, you also seem to be asking too much in return. You may have given us billions of Yuan in loans, and a few million vaccines to fight the coronavirus, but you seem to want total control of the ‘Port City’ in return.

What has also changed in that 50 years is that you have now become a major power in the world, if not a superpower. So, just like the Americans and Russians did previously, you also now want to gain control of events in the region to your advantage – and you use smaller nations like us for that purpose.

What was surprising was the ease with which you have won over the ‘R’ clan and the ‘pohottuwa’ chaps. These are the same people who shouted themselves hoarse about selling our assets to foreign powers when they were in the opposition, blaming the ‘yahapaalanaya’ clan for doing that.

Even those who supported the ‘pohottuwa’ at the last elections and helped them to come to power, including those who wear saffron robes, are astonished at this change of heart. They knew that the ‘R’ clan always had a soft spot for you and your Yuan, but they didn’t realise that you would get this far.

All this was also happening in the midst of another disaster of Chinese origin – the coronavirus. It was odd that the laws related to the ‘Port City’ were being rushed through at a time when the energies of the government should have been devoted more to reducing deaths from the deadly pandemic.

These laws were passed when medical experts are demanding a ‘lockdown’, and many asked whether Gota maama had got his priorities correct. I am sure he did, at least from his point of view. What difference would a few hundred more deaths make, if he can have his ‘vistas of prosperity’?

If the powers-that-be got what they originally wanted, some laws which apply to the rest of the land wouldn’t apply to the ‘Port City’. We would have needed a visa to enter the city. Special approvals would be needed for many activities there. It could have even been administered entirely by Chinese!

Naturally, people asked whether we were becoming a Chinese colony! We hear of what is happening in Hong Kong in recent times, and its changes since the British left less than 25 years ago. Many were worried that in this instance, we could have two countries with one system – yours!

Fortunately, the highest court in our land intervened, because in Paradise, people still have the right to go to courts on issues which they feel strongly about. They still dispense justice even though faith in the system is tested now and then, especially when the likes of Senadhipathi walks away a free man.

Sitting in a court house built by your people, they made significant changes to what was originally planned. What that means is that the ‘Port City’ will still go ahead but with changes to ensure that it will be part and parcel of our little Paradise and not something that is entirely ‘Made in China’.

That must have been a disappointment for Gota maama and the ‘pohottuwa’ chaps. Nevertheless, Xi Jingping, we know that the devil is in the detail. Now that you have a foothold in Paradise, you will want more, so we must beware. For now though, hurry up and send us some more vaccines, will you?

Yours truly,

Punchi Putha

PS: Xi Jingping, what are your thoughts about the fear that, in 25 years’ time, when Namal baby is leading this land, the lion will be replaced by the dragon in our national flag and our national anthem will be ‘Chee Lanka Maatha, Apa Cheeeeena Lanka, Namo Namo, Namo, Namo Cheenaa’?

Sri Lankan Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and his wife have tested positive for COVID-19.

In a series of tweets, the Opposition Leader said “Yesterday, my wife was admitted to hospital with symptoms of Covid-19. She subsequently tested positive having done a PCR. Following Health Guidelines, I did a PCR as well and was informed a short while ago that I too, have tested positive.”

He further tweeted, “While my wife is being treated for her symptoms, I remain asymptomatic. We are both currently being treated at hospital.”

“Leading the opposition’s role in ensuring the safety of the people during these extremely difficult times, remains my priority, and I will continue to do my part in this united effort,” Premadasa further tweeted.

He urged the public to remain safe, and follow all Health Guidelines & Strictures as we fight this wave together, as a nation.

A plaque placed in the premises of the Attorney General’s (AG) Department has been removed following an uproar as it had wordings in English, Sinhalese and Mandarin and not Tamil.

The AG’s Department today announced that the plaque was removed as it did not have wordings in Tamil.

The plaque was placed following the opening of an electronic library constructed with Chinese funding at the new building of the AG’s Department.

AG Dappula de Livera and the Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong unveiled the plaque recently.

The AG’s Department was criticised for not including Tamil in the plaque but only English, Sinhalese and the Chinese language.

“It’s an internal E-Library in the AG’s Department, funded by the Government and People of China. Chinese language is displayed as a kind gesture towards China, which is highly appreciated,” the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka had tweeted earlier in response to criticism over the plaque.

Just recently concerns had been raised over a name board placed at the Colombo Port City which had English, Sinhalese and the Chinese language and not Tamil.

A recent meeting between Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Chinese Ambassador Qi Zhenhong was held to discuss urgent financial support for COVID-19, its funding and the country’s mobilisation of foreign financing.

Prime Minister Rajapaksa, who is also Minister of Finance, had briefed China’s top diplomat in Sri Lanka on the financial situation of the country and the position of Chinese financing, informed sources said.

At the meeting, the Chinese Ambassador has agreed to provide another 500,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine soon to support Sri Lanka’s efforts to combat COVID-19, the sources said, adding that there was also a promise of financial support on a short-term and long-term basis.

Meanwhile China is in the lead in providing low interest financial support cash by way of loans but no grants to Sri Lanka during the past few years. The 20-year loan has a concessional fixed interest rate of 2.5 percent, with a 6-year grace period.

It has provided US$ 679.4 million as loans but without offering a single grant to support the country’s public investment programme during financial year 2020/2021 compared to $1.06 billion ($ 1,061.7 million) in 2019/2020, Finance Ministry financial statements revealed.

These Chinese loans of $679.4 million in 2020/2021 include $500 million of Foreign Currency Term Financing Facility extended by the China Development Bank for budget support purposes.

Such loans were sometimes collateralised by strategically important natural assets with high long-term value (even if they lack short-term commercial viability) or with soft to high interest rates.

Although China is not providing any grants to Sri Lanka, other donor countries and multilateral financial agencies are continuously extending grants to the government’s development activities, they said.

Foreign grants from bilateral sources declined to Rs. 2.8 billion in 2020 from Rs. 5.1 billion in 2019, while foreign grants from multilateral agencies also declined to Rs. 2.5 billion in 2020 from Rs. 2.8 billion in 2019.

Development partners, which provided grants during 2020, included the US, Japan and the Asian Development Bank.

The performance of mobilising foreign financing during the period was adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, he pointed out.

Instead of traditional donors like Europe and multilateral agencies that have strict aid guidelines of their own, Sri Lanka instead favours “nontraditional” donors that are newer global financial powers who are more willing to accommodate flexible terms and conditions with funding, he said.

A countrywide travel restriction will come into effect from 11.00 pm tonight and will be lifted at 4.00 am on Tuesday, May 25, and will once again be imposed from Tuesday 11.00 pm and will be lifted on May 28 at 4.00 am.

Head of National COVID-19 Operations Centre General Shavendra Silva told Daily Mirror that no one will be allowed to leave their homes when the restriction is underway except for essential service workers, food vendors and those transporting fruits and vegetables in lorries. The government has instructed everyone to keep businesses closed except for the apparel industry who can work on minimum staff and pharmacies have also been instructed to be open in case of urgent medical requirements.

Silva said people who have to leave home for urgent requirements such as visiting a hospital or requiring medicines from a pharmacy will be allowed to travel to their destination and back but will have to carry their NICS and explain their purpose of travel.

On May 25, when the travel restriction will be lifted at 4.00 am, Silva urged people to prevent leaving their homes to flock supermarkets and grocery stores and leave home only if essential.

He said a government holiday would anyway be in place on May 25 but shops selling groceries and other essential items would be open. “However we urge people not to leave their homes unnecessarily and only one or two members per family should go out to purchase essential items if required,” Silva said.