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Sinister Cultural Marxist
7th January 2017, 11:06
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-38541673


Sri Lanka protest over Chinese investment turns ugly

30 minutes ago

From the section Asia (http://www.bbc.com/news/world/asia)



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Image copyright AP Image caption Hundreds protested against the Chinese investment on Thursday Several people have been injured in southern Sri Lanka during a protest against allowing China to build a port and industrial zone.
The plan envisages the eviction of thousands of villagers around Hambantota port, 240km (150 miles) south-east of the capital Colombo.
Police used tear gas as the protest delayed a ceremony being attended by Prime Minister Ranil Wickeremesinghe.
Opponents say the area is being turned into what they call a Chinese colony.
The government is finalising a 99-year lease of the port area to a company that is 80% Chinese-owned.
A nearby area will be used for an industrial zone where Chinese companies will be invited to set up factories.
The government says local people will be given new land.
The port development is the latest in a series of major investments by China in Sri Lanka's infrastructure.
China has pumped millions of dollars into Sri Lanka's infrastructure since the end of a 26-year civil war in 2009.
China's so-called string of pearls strategy - an attempt to expand its influence in South Asia - is controversial - and watched with particular suspicion by its regional rival, India, says the BBC's Jill McGivering.
The investment is part of its bold ambition to engineer a "Maritime Silk Route" to oil-rich parts of the Middle East, and onwards to Europe, our South Asia analyst says.

willowtooth
7th January 2017, 12:21
It's about privatization, austerity, and our old friends the IMF. The Sri Lankan government owes china money so it seems theyre selling 80% of this port and another 15,000 acres of land, to a state owned holding company. This has been going on for awhile, and I'm sure if Germany or the UK would like to pay off their loan I'm sure the Sri Lankan government will sell it to them just as quickly.


A third worker said: We have information that there is a plan to arrest the leaders of the strike. However, there are others who are ready to take the leadership. We will carry on the struggle until we win our demands. One striking worker commented: All the workers have trained and done technical courses. The Mahinda Rajapakse government promised to give us jobs under the Ports Authority but didnt. We oppose privatisation. This is a struggle against the privatisation.

https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2016/12/12/port-d12.html