Category: News

An airport without planes, a revolving restaurant with no diners, a debt-laden seaport – Sri Lanka’s economic crisis has been exacerbated by Chinese-funded projects that stand as neglected monuments to government extravagance.

The South Asian island nation borrowed heavily to plug years of budget shortfalls and trade deficits, but squandered huge sums on ill-considered infrastructure projects that have further drained public finances.

It is now in the grip of its worst financial crisis since independence from Britain in 1948, with months of blackouts and acute shortages of food and fuel plaguing its 22 million people.

After weeks of largely peaceful protests demanding the government resign over its economic mismanagement, things turned violent on Monday after pro-government supporters clashed with demonstrators, leaving at least eight people dead and more than 225 wounded.

Many of the white-elephant projects that helped fuel the crisis now gather dust in Hambantota district, home of the powerful Rajapaksa clan, which used its political clout and billions in Chinese loans in a failed effort to turn the rural outpost into a major economic hub.

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa – who commissioned many of the projects – announced his resignation on Monday, the same day the anti-government protests turned violent.

But his younger brother Gotabaya remains president.

The centrepiece of the infrastructure drive was a deep seaport on the world’s busiest east-west shipping lane, which was meant to spur industrial activity.

Source:https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3177271/how-china-backed-projects-made-sri-lankas-economic-meltdown?module=perpetual_scroll_0&pgtype=article&campaign=3177271

The Party Leaders meeting scheduled to be held tomorrow (11), has been canceled.

The meeting, which was due to take place at the Parliament, has been cancelled taking to account the problematic situation which has arisen regarding the security of the MPs, said Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena.

Accordingly, the party leadership meeting is expected to be held next Monday (16), and that too is uncertain, the Speaker added.

In response to media queries on developments in Sri Lanka, the official spokesperson of Ministry of External Affairs said in New Delhi: “India will always be guided by the best interests of the people of Sri Lanka expressed through democratic processes.”

“As a close neighbor of Sri Lanka, with historical ties, India is fully supportive of Sri Lanka’s democracy, stability and economic recovery.”

“In keeping with our Neighborhood First policy, India has extended this year alone support worth over US$ 3.5 billion to the people of Sri Lanka for helping them overcome their current difficulties. In addition, the people of India have provided assistance for mitigating the shortages of essential items such as food, medicine etc.”

“India will always be guided by the best interests of the people of Sri Lanka expressed through democratic processes.”

Protests were held yesterday (10) in front of the Trincomalee Naval Base, where former Prime Minister and incumbent Government MP Mahinda Rajapaksa is reportedly staying, along with a number of his family members.

Video reports also show a helicopter, reportedly belonging to the Sri Lanka Air Force, being boarded by a few people at the Police Field Headquarters. Reports claim that it was boarded by Rajapaksa’s third son, Rohitha Rajapaksa, and the latter’s wife and children. Claims also state that other family members, including Chamal Rajapaksa and Basil Rajapaksa, are also at the Trincomalee Navy Base.

“Give our money back. Do not protect thieves. They are all murderers,” the protestors chanted in front of the Naval Base, yesterday.

Mahinda Rajapaksa’s son, Government MP Namal Rajapaksa, however, told AFP yesterday that Mahinda Rajapaksa will not flee the country.

Mahinda Rajapaksa’s second son and former Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff Yoshitha Rajapaksa and his wife had reportedly left the country early on Monday morning. Some reports claim that they had landed in Melbourne, Australia, yesterday.

Meanwhile, protests continued into the early hours of the morning in front of Rajapaksa’s former residence, the Temple Trees yesterday, from Monday (9). Video reports show a back gate of Temple Trees being rammed in by protestors and set on fire, with Police firing into the air to disperse them. Protestors were dispersed early yesterday morning, following which Rajapaksa had reportedly left the Temple Trees.

Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned from the Premiership on Monday, but calls for his arrest have started, with Tamil National Alliance Spokesman M.A. Sumanthiran PC stating that Rajapaksa should be held accountable for inciting violence.

On Monday, supporters of then-Premier Mahinda Rajapaksa gathered at the Temple Trees, where they engaged in chants, asking him not to resign. They were addressed by Rajapaksa, inside Temple Trees. Following this, the crowd assaulted the protestors outside the Temple Trees, at “MynaGoGama”, where they were engaged in a days-long struggle, demanding his resignation. The crowd then moved towards “GotaGoGama”, where they assaulted anti-Government protestors, setting fire to many structures near the Galle Face Green that belonged to the protestors.

In retaliation, the homes of several MPs have been burnt around the island, including Medamulana, which the Rajapaksa family has named as their ancestral home in Hambantota.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres wants Sri Lankans to find a solution through dialogue to the crisis in their country, whose Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned amid violent clashes spurred by an economic crisis, his Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq said on Monday.

“We continue to encourage all Sri Lankan stakeholders to find a solution to the current challenges through dialogue and with the interests of the country and the people in mind,” Haq said.

Mahinda Rajapaksa turned in his resignation to his brother, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, as the nation was rocked by clashes between the supporters of the Rajapaksa family and its opponents, and by police, attempts to contain the protests.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa placed the island nation under curfew.

“We’ve also been concerned about the recent violence against peaceful protesters, and we urge calm and restraint, as well as respect for democratic rights, including the right… the freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly,” Haq said.

A member of parliament from the ruling party, Amarakeerthi Athukorala, was found dead after he fired into a crowd of protesters blocking his way and fled the place.

About 200 people were reported injured in the clashes around the country, including in front of the President’s residence.

Sri Lanka is in dire economic straits caused by foreign exchange shortages.

It has sought financial arrangements with India and Bangladesh to import vital food supplies and oil to make up for shortages that have fuelled the protests.