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Debt restructuring: opposition MP warns of “China go home” protests

Published

4 years ago

2022/12/4

ECONOMYNEXT —TNA Batticaloa District MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam, who has been on the warpath with Beijing over an apparent lethargy in helping the crisis-hit Sri Lanka to restructure its debt, has warned of a “China, go home” protest campaign similar to the “Gota, go home” protests that unseated the country’s powerful former president in July.

The TNA MP told parliament on Friday that Sri Lanka owes 7.4 billion dollars to China, a nearly 20-trillion dollar economy, and if the latter was a true friend, it would agree to either write off this debt or at least help restructure it.

“If China, who has nearly 20,000 billion dollars, is truly Sri Lanka’s friend… offering nine million litres of diesel or half a million kilos of rice isn’t real help,” said Rasamanickam, speaking in Sinhala.

“I say to China and the Chinese embassy that, as 22 million Sri Lankans irrespective of ethnic or religious differences got together to say ‘Go home, Gota’, don’t push us to a place where we will be saying ‘China, go home’,” he said.

The Batticaloa district lawmaker has been raising his voice in parliament and elsewhere in recent days over what he claims is a hesitance on the part of China to assist in Sri Lanka’s debt restructuring efforts. The 2.9 billion dollar extended fund facility (EFF) that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has offered the island is contingent upon the successful restructure of this outstanding debt as well as stringent reforms.

Colombo has been vague at best on the status of ongoing restructure talks with Sri Lanka’s creditors, and opposition lawmakers and others have expressed concern over what seems to be a worrying delay. Rasamanickam and others have claimed that China, Sri Lanka’s largest bilateral creditor, is the reason for the apparent standstill.

Addressing parliament on Wednesday, the TNA MP said China was not Sri Lanka’s friend but rather a friend of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s. He pointed to the Colombo Lotus Tower and the largely unused convention centre in the southern Rajapaksa stronghold of Hambantota as examples.

“What have the Chinese done in this country? If you look at the [Chinese built] Hambantota Port, China has taken it over. Tell me a single investment that the Chinese have made in this country where Sri Lankan people have been given employment [besides labour]. There’s not a single industry,” he said.

“They have forced investments down this country thanks to the Rajapaksa family. Investments that are useless,” he added.If China was a true friend, the MP reiterated, it would help the IMF programme.

“There is no democracy in China, no human rights, Uyghur Muslims are being detained and ‘rehabilitated’. Is such a country trying to turn Sri Lanka into a state like that, a state that doesn’t respect human rights? Is that what China wants?”

The Twitter account the Chinese Embassy in Colombo, known for its sardonic tone, was quick to respond. It said the MP’s understanding of the issue was wrong and incomplete.

“Sorry Mr. MP, your understanding is incorrect and incomplete. China is the biggest supporter to Sri Lanka in fighting COVID=19 and livelihood relief, including in your district Batticaloa. China is also the first responder to Sri Lanka”s financial crisis since its default in April.”

“As a major shareholder of IMF, China has been encouraging IMF and other international financial institutes to promptly support Sri Lanka. China actively participated all the creditors’ meetings of Sri Lanka, and China is not the only or the largest creditor of the island,” the embassy said in a five-tweet long thread.

China also funded the Norochcholai coal plant, the best investment the country has made since Mahaweli projects of the 1980s according to the Auditor General of Sri Lanka.However, China gave several monetary instability loans to Sri Lanka from 1980s onward when forex shortages emerged from money printed under flexible inflation targeting, sometime called ‘bridging finance’ in Sri Lanka.

Such loans were not tied to growth creating reforms unlike budget support loans given by the World Bank and ADB.India also gave credit lines to Sri Lanka in 2022 as forex shortages emerged.

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Advisory for High Waves for the sea areas extending from Colombo to Pottuvil via Galle, Matara and Hambantota

Published

2 hours ago

2026/08/26

Priyan

Advisory for High Waves
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre Issued at 03.30 p.m. on 26 August 2026 Valid for the period until 03.30 p.m. 27 August 2026

An advisory for high waves has been issued for the sea areas extending from Colombo to Pottuvil via Galle, Matara and Hambantota and naval and fishing communities engaged in activities in the aforementioned sea areas, as well as coastal communities living in the aforementioned nearshore areas, are advised to remain vigilant in this regard

The swell waves (about 2.0 m – 3.0 m) height (This is not for land area) may increase in the sea areas off the coast extending from Colombo to Pottuvil via Galle, Matara and Hambantota. There is a possibility that near shore sea areas off the coast extending from Beruwala to Matara via Galle, may experience surges due to swell waves.

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We must create social awareness to ensure the physical and mental well-being of children with disabilities – PM

Published

4 hours ago

2026/08/26

Priyan

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that, given their particular vulnerability children with disabilities require protection, and stressed the need to foster social awareness to protect them from negative social influences while promoting their physical and mental well-being. She emphasized the need to implement awareness programmes for parents, teachers and other members of society towards this end.

The Prime Minister made these remarks on Tuesday [August 25] while visiting and observing the National Institute of Special and Inclusive Education – Shishyodaya, located in Veniwelkola.

The purpose of the Prime Minister’s visit was to observe the institutional structure and gain an understanding of the areas that require further development.

The Prime Minister emphasized that a systematic mechanism should be established to transform the institution, which was established in 2019 outside the basic standards and plans for Inclusive Education, into an institution that provides quality education to children and fulfills the targeted objectives of inclusive education. She also proposed appointing a special committee to make the necessary recommendations in this regard.

The Prime Minister further stated that steps would be taken in coordination with the Ministry of Health to address the shortage of therapists and medical professionals required to provide clinical services to students at the institution. She also stressed that the maintenance of equipment and buildings should be carried out properly using the financial allocations provided for such purposes.

The Prime Minister further noted that finding sustainable solutions to the issues faced by the institution is essential, while immediate interventions should be made to address issues that can be resolved without delay. The welfare of the teachers serving at the institution was also discussed during the visit.

Member of Parliament Anura Panagoda, Chairman of the Homagama Pradeshiya Sabha Kasun Rathnayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education Nalaka Kaluwewa, ministry officials, parents and students were present.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division]

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Govt. determined to press ahead with 22A: Justice Minister

Published

14 hours ago

2026/08/26

Sahan Weerasooriya

Nanayakkara

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Justice and National Integration Minister Harshana Nanayakkara said yesterday that the government would proceed with both the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, and the Judicature (Amendment) Bill, because the government could not achieve its goal by increasing the retirement ages of a section of the judges.

The Attorney-at-Law declared that the government would go ahead with both Bills, whatever the obstacles. The Minister was responding to The Island query whether the government would go ahead with the Judicature (Amendment) Bill that hadn’t been so far challenged in the Supreme Court, pending the decision on the controversial 22nd Amendment facing tough legal challenge.

Nanayakkara emphasised the importance of the enactment of both Bills. The 22nd Amendment seeks to increase the retirement ages of Supreme Court judges to 67 from 65 and Court of Appeal judges from 63 to 65. The Judicature (Amendment) Bill seeks to increase the retirement ages of the High Court judges to 63 from 61, and that of the District court judges and and Magistrates to 62.

Minister Nanayakkara said that the enactment of both Bills simultaneously would make a significant contribution to improve the overall situation, particularly dealing with a backlog of 1.1 million cases.

Joint Opposition and the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL), too, acknowledged that petitions against the Judicature (Amendment) Bill were yet to be filed.