News
CP frowns on govt.’s handling of Chinese ship issue
By Rathindra Kuruwita
Sri Lankan governments have, during the past several years, ruined the relationship, progressive forces cultivated with China, over the past seven decades, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Sri Lanka (CPSL) Dr. G. Weerasinghe says.Commenting on the decision by the government to delay the arrival of Chinese research vessel, Yuan Wang 5, Dr. Weerasinghe said that Sri Lanka had shown itself to be an unreliable partner.
“The damage is done. We have been trying to persuade the government to change its mind and allow the Chinese ship to dock, as scheduled. We are very disappointed at what happened.”
Dr. Weerasinghe said that a few months ago, an Aeroflot flight was arrested in Sri Lanka, over an issue with an Irish insurer. This was done, despite guarantees given by the Sri Lankan government that Russian aeroplanes will not be subjected to any issues created by sanctions levelled against Russia.
“It has been two months now. We no longer receive Russian tourists and, despite what is said officially, the Russian goodwill has been affected,” he said.Similarly, the controversy over the arrival of a Chinese research vessel and the government’s actions have created a rift with China. The government had indicated that it might allow the vessel to arrive in Sri Lanka following the Indian Independence Day, which falls on 15 August, he said. However, this is too little, too late, he said.
“We initially approved a request by China to dock Yuan Wang 5 at Hambantota. This was done on 12 July. Then we decided to walk back on our word on 05 August. By that time the Chinese ship had been at sea for over two weeks. If we had said we can’t accept the ship when the request was made, China would have understood. We have denied a request made in 2017 to dock a submarine that year and China understood where we came from. This is different. China is surprised and disappointed, for obvious reasons,” he said.
The CPSL General Secretary said that China and Russia have been reliable partners for decades and successive governments, despite their ideologies, have cherished these relationships.
“It takes decades to build a relationship, but these can be destroyed in weeks or days. Those who are high on anti-China propaganda will realise that they had been taken on a ride. However, it will be too late then,” he said.
Meanwhile, President of the Sri Lanka – China Friendship Association (SLCFA), attorney-at-law, Ananda Goonatilleke said that Sri Lanka is increasingly becoming a vassal state of India.
“India has made things harder for us in the past. India played a role in creating a war in Sri Lanka. China helped us end it. It has helped us at the international stage. We must assert our independence and sovereignty,” he said.
A group of Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) members, including its Leader Mano Ganesan, met President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Thursday (02) morning at the Presidential Secretariat.
Extensive discussions were held on the issues faced by the Malayagam communities, particularly in relation to education, housing and land, as well as on the urgent measures required to address these concerns. The President paid special attention to all these matters.
Attention was also drawn to the recruitment of qualified Tamil-medium teachers to address the teacher shortage in estate sector schools and this too was discussed at length.
Members of Parliament P. Digambaram and V. Radhakrishnan, along with several other party members, were present at the meeting.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vijitha Herath, held talks with Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Andrey Rudenko at the Foreign Ministry, in Colombo, on Thursday (02), with both sides reaffirming their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations.
The Sri Lanka Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the visiting Russian Deputy Minister noted that Russia regarded Sri Lanka as a long-standing friend.
Rudenko assured that Russia stood ready to support Sri Lanka when required, including in the swift supply of Russian oil to help address the current energy challenges, encouraging Russian investors to explore new opportunities in the country and promoting increased tourist arrivals.
He also expressed Russia’s readiness to provide compensation for Sri Lankan war veterans who had lost their lives in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Minister Herath welcomed Russia’s willingness to assist, emphasising that Sri Lanka valued the support extended by its “old friend”, particularly at a time when the country was facing pressing energy needs.
He noted that the two countries shared nearly seven decades of diplomatic relations and said the present moment provided an opportunity to further strengthen ties, including through long-term trade agreements.
The discussions focused on enhancing cooperation in the fields of energy, investment, tourism and diplomacy, with both sides reiterating their commitment to further deepen the longstanding friendship between Sri Lanka and Russia.
Police yesterday arrested 157 foreign nationals in connection with an alleged organised online financial scam, conducted from a hotel in the Iranawila area in Chilaw.
The suspects were taken into custody during a raid carried out by the Police while they were staying at the hotel in Iranawila.
Police said the arrested group included 143 nationals from China, 13 from Bangladesh and one from Vietnam.
Investigators suspect the group had been involved in a coordinated online financial scam, targeting victims through digital platforms.
The suspects are being detained for further questioning while investigations are continuing to determine the full extent of the operation and whether additional individuals were involved.Police said further inquiries are underway.
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