Future leadership in Sri Lanka may cancel all corrupt Chinese projects, says Dr Wijaydasa Rajapakshe

Hambantota Port is a contentious issue between Sri Lanka and China and the future leadership in Sri Lanka could cancel all corrupt Chinese projects and deals.

As per International Forum for Rights and Security (IFFRAS), Dr Wijaydasa Rajapakshe, counsel to the President and MP has warned the Chinese President Xi Jinping that a future leadership in Sri Lanka could cancel all corrupt Chinese projects and deals.

In his letter (January 3, 2022) addressed directly to the Chinese President, Dr Wijaydasa termed the Hambantota Port project offered to China as the "most corrupt transaction of a very high magnitude that has ever occurred in the history of Sri Lanka".

Dr Rajapakshe is one of the few courageous politicians who has spoken out against China's debt-trap diplomacy and has had the audacity to write to Chinese President Xi Jinping about 'enhancing mutual cooperation and rebuilding reciprocal trust and confidence between the two countries.'

His six-page letter revealed China's eagerness to trap Sri Lanka with projects that have not produced the expected results but were financed by unsolicited commissions paid to local politicians, reported IFFRAS.

Dr Wijaydasa warned that the next national election, whether presidential or parliamentary, would be combined with a referendum to seek a mandate from the people to restructure or cancel all agreements/contracts that are harmful or disadvantageous to Sri Lanka.

It would also apply to transactions secured by China through corruption, he said, adding that Sri Lanka would not be obligated to repay any loans obtained through such contracts, reported IFFRAS.

Dr Wijaydasa asserted that "In the event of any restructuring, under no circumstances the period of any agreement will be permitted to exceed a period of 15 years from the date of the inception of such contracts."

He stated that any agreement China had made with Selendiva (a private company that leases land to China in Colombo) to take over lands in Colombo would be declared null and void ab initio, with no compensation or payment of damages, reported IFFRAS.

Moreover, he launched a scathing attack on both President Gotabaya and his brother, Basil Rajapakse (currently, Finance Minister) over the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill.

The project was launched in September 2014, when the Chinese President Xi Jinping landed in Colombo to fulfil the dream of Mahinda Rajapaksa, the then Prime Minister of Sri Lanka.

It is widely known that the Rajapaksa brothers, Prime Minister Mahinda, and President Gotabaya, have had a special relationship with China for more than a decade particularly after Beijing helped Sri Lanka with arms and ammunition during the civil conflict that ended in 2009.

The Chinese model of debt-trap diplomacy is well recognized and international financial bodies and research organizations have detailed the aspects of lending by China across the globe.

Earlier, a number of international groups and NGOs had given graphic details of how China had debt trapped Sri Lanka on Hambantota.

( With inputs from ANI )

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