Sri Lanka Should Keep China at a Distance

Sri Lanka should keep China at a distance

With Russia, no problem

Sri Lanka has invited Russia and China to partner with it in its development projects. Gazprom of Russia has been invited to help Sri Lanka attain self sufficiency in petroleum products. Sri Lanka wants Gazprom to explore Gulf of Mannar for oil and gas and also to set up a refinery. This will conserve precious foreign exchange for Sri Lanka. There is nothing worrying for India in this offer to Gazprom. This is because Indian oil companies ONGC and Cairn India had already been invited to explore oil in Gulf of Mannar, which they are doing. Petronas of Malaysia is also already exploring. Moreover, Russia is not India’s enemy. In fact, Russia was the only country in the world which stated boldly in the United Nations Assembly that Kashmir belonged to India. For this, India should be ever thankful and grateful to Russia.

Keep China at a distance

But there is another worrying feature for India with regard to Sri Lankan infrastructural work. China is participating very actively in these projects. Second phase of the Hambankota port will be built by the Chinese and the work will commence soon. The 130 km southern railway track from Matara to the pilgrimage town of Katargama is also being laid by the Chinese. Slowly and steadily, Chinese are entering into vital sectors of Sri Lankan economy. This may spread to the extent of having defence cooperation between Sri Lanka and China in future. That will be a big headache for India. China had attacked India in 1962 and still holding 32000 square km of its territory. It is also claiming other parts of India like Arunachala Pradesh. It is also intruding into Indian border time and again to provoke a full fledged war. China considers that an attack on India will be much facilitated if it has naval bases in India’s neighbouring countries. Sri Lanka is one prime choice. India should not allow this to happen. India is Sri Lanka’s largest trading partner and India should use this leverage to press upon the Sri Lankan government to keep China at a distance.

Rajapaksa has his own worries

Sri Lanka’s new friendship with China and Russia has another reason. United Nations has submitted a report about the civil war that was fought in Sri Lanka between LTTE and the Sri Lankan troops two years back. The report speaks of massacre of innocent Tamils and recommends prosecution of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa for the ‘war crimes’. The report also holds LTTE responsible for this carnage, but nobody is talking about LTTE. Many people and human rights organisations are clamouring for prosecution of Rajapaksa. In Tamil Nadu, a resolution to this effect has been passed by the Jayalalithaa government. Therefore, Rajapaksa fears that if something goes wrong, he will need the support of permanent representatives of the U.N. in order to bail him out. Hence, he has sought new friendship with Russia and China.