Sri Lanka-China tussle intensifies as Qingdao fertiliser company to pursue arbitration in Singapore
Tuesday’s development comes amid an ongoing turmoil in the island nation due to the country’s worst ever economic crisis, triggering widespread anti-government protests….reports Asian Lite News
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s ruling party, Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) on Tuesday lost its majority in Parliament as 42 MPs announced they would sit independently.
Among the 42 MPs, 14 are from Sri Lanka Freedom Party, 10 belong to constituent parties of the government, and 12 are SLPP MPs, among others, reports Xinhua news agency.
The ruling SLPP-led alliance won 146 seats in the 225-member Parliament in the 2020 general election.
Tuesday’s development comes amid an ongoing turmoil in the island nation due to the country’s worst ever economic crisis, triggering widespread anti-government protests.
On Monday night, Rajapaksa had said that he will not resign, but was ready to hand over the government to whichever party holds 113 seats in Parliament.
On Monday, he held back-to-back political meetings amidst public protests throughout the nation, calling on the President and government to resign, reports the Daily Mirror newspaper.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa, a former Defence Secretary in his brother Mahinda Rajapaksa’s government, played a crucial role to end 26-year-long war against Tamil rebel Tigers.
At the 2019 Presidential election, he was elected President with a sweeping 2/3 majority with over 6.9 million votes.
Lack of dollar reserves and depreciation forced economic crisis lead to severe shortages of fuel, LPG, electricity and essential food and people are demanding Rajapaksa to give up power immediately.
India has also rushed 40,000 tonnes of diesel under a $1 billion credit line given to Sri Lanka. The ship carrying the fuel has reached the island nation, reports SPS Pannu
A consignment of Indian rice is being loaded for immediate shipment to Sri Lanka to help the island nation confronted with an acute shortage of food items.
The rice shipments would increase the availability of food and bring down prices, which have doubled in a year triggering street protests and leading to an emergency being clamped by the government to quell riots in the country.
Amid economic crisis, India to send rice to Sri Lanka as part of $1 billion credit facility signed last month. Reporting: https://t.co/FvXkDuJZhw
About 40,000 tonnes of rice for prompt shipment to Sri Lanka is being loaded at India’s ports in the south which are close to Sri Lanka. This is expected to ensure quick delivery ahead of the festive season in the island nation when demand is expected to shoot up further, according to a Reuters report.
The consignment forms part of the 300,000 tonnes of rice that will be shipped to Sri Lanka in the coming months.
Previous administrations led by the Rajapaksa family had taken Sri Lanka deep into China’s fold which resulted in the country landing in a debt trade trap that is behind much of the current economic crisis. Relations with India had soured at the time.
Colombo has now strengthened its friendship with New Delhi and is receiving help from a more reliable neighbour.
India has also rushed 40,000 tonnes of diesel under a $1 billion credit line given to Sri Lanka. The ship carrying the fuel has reached the island nation.
The Sri Lankan economy is on the brink of collapse as it is running out of foreign exchange reserves and cannot import even essential goods such as food, fuel and medicines.
India is the world’s biggest rice exporter and had agreed last month to provide the $1 billion credit line to help ease shortages of essential items, including fuel, food and medicines.
Cash-strapped Sri Lanka, with a debt burden of $6.9 billion this year, had sought another credit line of $1.5 billion from India to meet its import requirements.
In February, New Delhi provided $500 million to Colombo that helped the island nation in oil purchases. A $1 billion credit line was signed during Sri Lankan finance minister Basil Rajapaksa’s visit to New Delhi earlier this month.
Sri Lanka’s economy has also been battered due to the Covid-19 pandemic adversely impacting tourism and remittances which played a key role in building its foreign exchange reserves. The crisis has also been exacerbated by government mismanagement.
Jaishankar to apprise PM about crisis
Amid political turmoil in India’s two neighbouring nations – Pakistan and Sri Lanka, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar is meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the national capital today.
According to sources, discussions are expected on the current scenario in the neighbourhood.
While speaking to media, MoS MEA Dr Rajkumar Ranjan Singh highlighted the ongoing problems in Sri Lanka and how India has been helping it.
“Indian principles have always been to help others. Situation is very bad in Sri Lanka. There may be several factors but on humanitarian grounds, we’re giving food, fuel to at least cope up with some of the issues faced by the people of Sri Lanka,” he said.
It should be noted that the Sri Lankan government has imposed a nationwide emergency after protesters took to the streets amid a sharp rise in the prices of commodities. Amidst the crisis, India has extended a helping hand having sent food grains and petroleum products to the island nation in past one week.
It is further learnt that Prime Minister Modi has asked the secretaries to think out of the box…reports Asian Lite News
In a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, few senior bureaucrats have warned that the populist sops announced by some states are economically not viable and could lead them to same path as Sri Lanka.
Prime Minister Modi had marathon meetings with secretaries of all the department. Principal secretary to Prime Minister P.K Mishra, cabinet secretary Rajiv Gauna and NSA Ajit Doval were also present in the meeting which lasted for nearly four hours.
Sources said that over two dozens secretaries have expressed their views and this was ninth such meeting of Prime Minister Modi since 2014.
It is learnt that referring to populist sops announced in the recent Assembly polls, few senior bureaucrats said that such sops are economically not viable and can take the state on the same path as Sri Lanka.
“Some secretaries said that populist schemes or sops were announced in the recent Assembly polls in the states, which are already in poor economic conditions. These sops are not economically viable and it can take state in the path of Sri Lanka,” sources said.
It is further learnt that Prime Minister Modi has asked the secretaries to think out of the box.
Sources said the referring to team efforts during the Covid, Prime Minister said that they should act as secretary to Government of India not as secretary to their respective departments.
“Prime Minister Modi also asked secretaries to give suggestions and point out short comings in government policies, including to the department not related to them,” the sources said.
On Monday, Rajapaksa held back-to-back political meetings amidst public protests throughout the nation, calling on the President and government to resign…reports Asian Lite News
Amid the ongoing political upheavel in Sri Lanka triggered by the massive economic crisis, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has said that he will not resign, but is ready to hand over the government to whichever party holds 113 seats in Parliament.
On Monday, Rajapaksa held back-to-back political meetings amidst public protests throughout the nation, calling on the President and government to resign, reports the Daily Mirror newspaper.
Voting will take place when Parliament convenes on Tuesday to see which party holds 113 seats or above.
The President’s Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) SLPP is now trying to hold on to its 113 seats so that it can continue in the government even with a simple majority, while Mahinda Rajapaksa remains the Prime Minister.
If the government fails to show its numbers then a proposal will be made to the Speaker to call for a debate to see who would be the new Prime Minister and as President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has decided, the government will be handed over to the new party.
Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), the main coalition partner the SLPP, announced that all 14 lawmakers would leave the government and stand independent.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa, a former Defence Secretary in his brother Mahinda Rajapaksa’s government, played a crucial role to end 26-year-long war against Tamil rebel Tigers. At the 2019 Presidential election, he was elected President with a sweeping 2/3 majority with over 6.9 million votes.
Lack of dollar reserves and depreciation forced economic crisis lead to severe shortages of fuel, LP gas, electricity and essential food and people are demanding Rajapaksa to give up power immediately.
Thephotographs of Indian troops in Sri Lanka taken during 2021’s Sri Lanka-India joint military exercise ‘Mitra Shakti’ have been released along with the fake news.
Sri Lankan military and Indian High Commission have denied the claims that Indian troops have entered the island nation amid the growing crisis, with people taking to streets against the government.
Defence Secretary Kamal Gunaratne on Saturday denied reports of the arrival of Indian troops which had been circulated on social media and added that the fake news contained official photographs of 2021’s friendly India-Sri Lanka joint military exercise.
The photographs of Indian troops in Sri Lanka taken during 2021’s Sri Lanka-India joint military exercise ‘Mitra Shakti’ have been released along with the fake news, Gunaratne said.
“Sri Lanka’s tri-forces are capable of facing any situation to ensure national security and people should not be misguided by such misinformation,” the Defence Secretary added.
The Indian High Commission issuing a statement denied the alleged news.
“The High Commission strongly denies blatantly false and completely baseless reports in a section of media that India is dispatching its soldiers to Sri Lanka,” it announced.
Troubled by public agitation on streets and ahead of planned Sunday’s major island-wide protest, Sri Lankan government imposed a 36-hour long curfew from Saturday 6 p.m.
A gazette which was issued “in accordance with the powers vested in the Head of State,” the President under the Public Security Ordinance prohibited people from being on any public road, park, recreation or other grounds, railways, sea shores and other such public places during the curfew from Saturday 6 p.m. to Monday 6 a.m.
On Saturday until the curfew was imposed people gathered at places around the capital Colombo and outstation demanding President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to resign.
On Thursday evening a public protest near the President’s house turned violent with police attacking people and later arrested more than 50 of them. Some were released on bail while others were remanded.
Both the police personnel and people were injured while a bus and several other vehicles which belonged to police were set on fire.
SL looks to reduce power cuts
Reliving thousands of those waiting in queues at fuel stations around the country and those hit by 13-hour-long power cuts, 40,000 MT of diesel under the Indian Line of Credit of $500 million arrived at the Colombo harbour on Saturday.
As the shipment arrived, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) announced that 13-hour power cuts would now be reduced to nearly 2 hours from Sunday.
Sri Lanka’s power generation mainly depends on fuel and all except two plants have been shut down due to lack of diesel. For days, the country’s economy has been suffering due to lack of transportation of goods, while mechanised farming and fishing have come to a standstill with no diesel in the fuel stations.
The fourth consignment under the fuel Line of Credit from India followed three previous deliveries on March 16, 20 and 23. Over the last 50 days, India has supplied Sri Lanka nearly 200,000 MT including a consignment of 40,000 MT by Indian Oil Corporation outside the line of credit facility in February 2022.
“In view of the urgent nature of Sri Lanka’s requirement, India worked overtime to expeditiously finalise and implement both the lines of credit within weeks,” the Indian High Commission said.
Indian High Commissioner Gopal Baglay, who visited the Colombo harbour, observed that the fuel deliveries is a concrete manifestation of India’s commitment to the people of Sri Lanka in the current circumstances in line with its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy.
Sri Lanka’s Energy Minister Gamini Lokuge, who visited the harbour to welcome the shipment, thanked India for helping at a critical moment.
Sri Lanka-China tussle intensifies as Qingdao fertiliser company to pursue arbitration in Singapore
“The High Commission strongly denies blatantly false and completely baseless reports in a section of media that India is dispatching its soldiers to Sri Lanka,”said official…reports SUSITHA FERNANDO
Sri Lankan military and Indian High Commission have denied the claims that Indian troops have entered the island nation amid the growing crisis, with people taking to streets against the government.
Defence Secretary Kamal Gunaratne on Saturday denied reports of the arrival of Indian troops which had been circulated on social media and added that the fake news contained official photographs of 2021’s friendly India-Sri Lanka joint military exercise.
The photographs of Indian troops in Sri Lanka taken during 2021’s Sri Lanka-India joint military exercise ‘Mitra Shakti’ have been released along with the fake news, Gunaratne said.
“Sri Lanka’s tri-forces are capable of facing any situation to ensure national security and people should not be misguided by such misinformation,” the Defence Secretary added.
The Indian High Commission issuing a statement denied the alleged news.
“The High Commission strongly denies blatantly false and completely baseless reports in a section of media that India is dispatching its soldiers to Sri Lanka,” it announced.
Troubled by public agitation on streets and ahead of planned Sunday’s major island-wide protest, Sri Lankan government imposed a 36-hour long curfew from Saturday 6 p.m.
A gazette which was issued “in accordance with the powers vested in the Head of State,” the President under the Public Security Ordinance prohibited people from being on any public road, park, recreation or other grounds, railways, sea shores and other such public places during the curfew from Saturday 6 p.m. to Monday 6 a.m.
On Saturday until the curfew was imposed people gathered at places around the capital Colombo and outstation demanding President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to resign.
On Thursday evening a public protest near the President’s house turned violent with police attacking people and later arrested more than 50 of them. Some were released on bail while others were remanded.
Both the police personnel and people were injured while a bus and several other vehicles which belonged to police were set on fire.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said he believed there was a “public emergency in Sri Lanka” that necessitated invoking the tough laws, reports Asian Lite News
Sri Lanka’s President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Friday declared a state of emergency in the country giving the security forces wide authority to arrest and detain suspects with immediate effect.
Rajapaksa has issued the “Extraordinary Gazette” declaring a public emergency after hundreds of protesters gathered in the capital and many of them tried to storm the President’s residence to protest against the government for “poor management of economic policies, which has created mess in the country”.
The President said he believed there was a “public emergency in Sri Lanka” that necessitated invoking the tough laws.
“The Gazette has been issued considering the prevailing situation in the country and in the interests of public security, the protection of public order and the maintenance of supplies and services essential to the life of the community,” said a statement.
This is expected to be the main subject of deliberations by Leaders at the Summit, the MEA said…reports Asian Lite News
The Summit Meeting, which is being held in virtual mode, will be hosted by Sri Lanka, the current BIMSTEC chair.
#BREAKING | PM Modi will attend the BIMSTEC summit on March 30 that will be hosted virtually by Sri Lanka. This is the 5th BIMSTEC to be hosted by Sri Lanka.@SiddiquiMaha shares details.
To prepare for the Summit, meetings of BIMSTEC Senior Officials (SOM) will take place on March 28, 2022 followed by meetings of the BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers (BMM) on March 29, 2022, the MEA said.
The Covid pandemic-related challenges, and the uncertainties within the international system that all BIMSTEC members are facing, imparts greater urgency to the goal of taking BIMSTEC technical and economic cooperation to the next level.
This is expected to be the main subject of deliberations by Leaders at the Summit, the MEA said.
Indian PM, Nepal PM to participate in the Bimstec summit virtually on 30th March to be hosted by Colombo. But foreign ministers of India, Nepal will be present in person in Sri Lanka.
Triggered by a shortage of foreign exchange, with last week’s $1 billion, India has provided $2.4 billion financial assistance to Sri Lanka since January, a report by Susitha Fernando
Proving the priority that India occupies in Sri Lanka specially at a time when the country is facing one of its worst economic crisis, India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will visit Sri Lanka on March 28 to 30.
Visiting on the invitation of Sri Lanka’s Foreign Affairs Minister, G.L. Peiris, Jaishankar’s visit follows Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa’s visit to India early this month and last December and Minister Peiris’ visit to India in February.
“The bilateral meetings and interactions which EAM will have in Sri Lanka highlight the priority that the Sri Lanka occupies for India,” announcing the visit of EAM, the Indian External Affairs Ministry stated.
In a series of financial and humanitarian assistance by India, on March 18, $1 billion credit facility was extended to Sri Lanka as a “short term concessional loan facility”.
Helping to import food, other essential commodities and medicines from India, the SBI had provided the facility following an agreement signed between the two countries during the visit of Lanka’s Finance Minister Rajapaksa.
Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Triggered by a shortage of foreign exchange, with last week’s $1 billion, India has provided $2.4 billion financial assistance to Sri Lanka since January.
Jaishankar, who was present at the signing of the agreement with Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had tweeted: “Neighbourhood first. India stands with Sri Lanka. $1 billion credit line signed for supply of essential commodities. Key element of the package of support extended by India,” Jaishankar tweeted.
Before visiting Colombo, Jaishankar will visit Addu city in Maldives on March 26-27 and will call on President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and is to hold discussions with the Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid.
Both Maldives and Sri Lanka are India’s key maritime neighbours in the Indian Ocean Region and occupy special place in Prime Minister’s vision of ‘SAGAR’ and Neighbourhood First.
Jaishankar’s visit is testimony to the importance that India attaches to its close and friendly relations with the Maldives and Sri Lanka, the External Affairs Ministry reiterated.
Former President Maithripala Sirisena, who had initiated the idea of an APC, too suggested that Sri Lanka should get the support of India and other friendly nations….reports Asian Lite News
At Sri Lanka’s All Party Conference (APC) held in a bid to come out of one of worst economic crises in its history, a former President and an ex-Prime Minster insisted that Sri Lanka should take the help of India and other friendly nations.
Presenting his solutions to the current crisis, former Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe said, “The only way for us now is to make an agreement and get closer to the selected friendly nations. They include India, Japan, China and European Union.”
Meanwhile, former President Maithripala Sirisena, who had initiated the idea of an APC, too suggested that Sri Lanka should get the support of India and other friendly nations.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who invited all the political parties to rally around the APC to find solutions to the present economic crisis, led the APC on Wednesday, but the main opposition — United People’s Power led by Sajith Premadasa — and the Marxist outfit Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna refused to join it, claiming that the government was not genuine with its intentions and the APC was just an eyewash for the present crisis.
Government affiliated and Tamil represented Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC), parties representing the Muslim community and a number of other outfits too boycotted the APC.
However, the United National Party (UNP) represented by its only MP and leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, Sri Lanka Freedom Party led by former President Maithripala Sirisena and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), the country’s main Tamil national party based in the North and the East, joined the APC.
Forwarding TNA’s proposals for economic recovery, MP M.A. Sumanthiran stated that Tamil diaspora funding to support ailing economy could be a real possibility and assured that the party could act as a bridge to negotiate with the Tamil people abroad, who are willing to bring in their funds and invest in the country.
However, MP Sumanthiran representing the former war-torn Northern peninsula claimed that there should be power devolution to the ethnic issue.
“There is no development without devolution. That needs to be done and we can move forward,” he stated.
As suggested by several parties, Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa announced that a new budget with concessions to financially-burdened people would be presented by next month.
