How China Played a Part in Cornering Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka

The 90’s witnessed a total collapse of law and order in Sri Lanka as scores of Sri Lankan government officials and ministers were killed brutally by the Tamil Tigers.

Sri Lanka was finding difficult to keep the bird in their cage as Tamil Tigers grew in strength by the day. The United States government and the Indian government refused to supply arms to the Sri Lankan army as they feared high civilian casualties across the Jaffna peninsula and surrounding areas dominated by the Tamils.

It was then a very interesting development took place. China showed its willingness to supply arms to the Lankans.

The Chinese came into the picture when they increased their arms supply later in the 90’s and continued through the start of the new century.

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In the meanwhile, piracy in the Indian Ocean had increased significantly by the LTTE, as they needed underpinning of arms and personnel from Tamilnadu.

The Chinese felt a threat to its imports which they received through the sea route.

The Saudi oil imports to china were their main concern of the Chinese as they began to ponder an alternative to protect their interests on the Indian Ocean. This essentially meant a need to patrol the Indian Ocean by the Chinese.

China proposed a plan to build a gigantic port in the southern coast of Sri Lanka in 2007, very close to the world’s busiest shipping route, which Sri Lanka readily agreed. There might have been a more hidden aspect to the agreement, as there was a spurt of arms supply since then.

The building of port is seen as a Chinese interest to dominate the Indian Ocean. The China naval force would be strategically placed in the seas, which could mean a territorial capture of some part of the seas that might also be handy in times of war.

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The year 2007 changed Sri Lankan fortunes. The Sri Lankan army had got their share of booty from China in the form of arms and ammunition. There were six added F7 fighters handed over to the Sri Lankan army. The significant increase of arms supplies put the Sri Lankans in good stead against the Tamil Tigers.

The Liberation of Tamil Tigers of Ealam (LTTE) which was so strong against the Lankan assault till 2007 began crumbling against the now superior military attack.

The year 2009 has been the worst for the Tamil Tigers as they find themselves cornered. The entire unit is in a state of chaos, many personnel’s from the top brass of the tigers had surrendered to the might of the rejuvenated Sri Lankan army.

Surely, the supplies from China had made it possible for the Sri Lankan army to almost finish Tamil Tigers stronghold from the island.