Govt. Looks To Reassure Shipping Lines
Hambantota Clash
by Ashanthi Warunasuiya -Saturday, December 17, 2016
- Protesters cause security concerns
- FMM condemn attack on journalist
- Navy instructed to open camp near Hambantota port
Navy Commander assualting a journalist
The government last week looked to reassure shipping lines calling in at the Hambantota port after a protest by employees led to them virtually taking hostage of a foreign ship before the Navy moved in and set it free.
The government had reached an agreement with China Merchants Port Holdings on operating the Hambantota port.
However temporary employees at the port objected to the agreement, raising fears they will lose their jobs when the new management takes over.
The protesters refused to allow ships to enter or leave the port causing a security concern for the ships transporting vehicles to the port.
Ports Minister Arjuna Ranatunga said that over 90% of the protestors belonged to the infamous “Nil Balakaya” group which was linked to opposition Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa.
The Minister said that legal action will be taken against the protesters who had damaged property at the port during the protest.
He also said that the actions of the protesters had also led to several shipping companies refusing to do future business with the Hambantota port.
The Minister said operations at the harbour were now back to normal.
Meanwhile, opposition Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa said that the people of Hambantota were protesting for a fair reason.
Rajapaksa said that under their administration all 483 employees were to be given jobs.
The agreement between the government and the Chinese company was entered into as a Public Private Partnership to re-develop the Hambantota port. Accordingly, the Chinese firm would be investing USD 11.2 Million for the re-development of the port.
Out of the investment, USD 5 Million will be paid as security as per the contract. After the scheduled evaluation process, the agreement will be signed before January 08.
However, Minister Arjuna Ranatunga was not present when the agreement was reached between the Chinese company and the government.
According to sources he had refused to be present at the occasion due to a dispute between him and the administration regarding the Chinese firm, as he had preferred to hand the contract over to a different company.Deputy Minister Nishantha Muthuhettigama has also submitted a cabinet paper pointing out several issues in handing over the control of the port to a Chinese firm.
Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Parliamentarian Bimal Ratnayake said that when talking about the history of the Hambantota port, it was the JVP who demanded that there should be a port in Hambantota.
In the end the Rajapaksas were also compelled to construct the port. But what they did was steal from the port.
“Under the new government, nothing much has been done to rebuild this port except selling it to China. We are strongly against this move. We have criticisms about the construction of an unnecessary Airport in Mattala and an unnecessary sports stadium in Suriyawewa. But the Hambantota port is essential to the country. What went wrong was the corrupt conduct of its management. Now it has been made worse by the current administration. This is a sale of a national resource. This contract is effective for 190 years. Even the British had acquired Hong Kong from the Chinese for 150 years. If China can develop this port, why can’t our government do the same? Ships do not come to a harbour by checking out the ownership. Apart from that, there are many conditions that have been imposed upon Sri Lanka by this contract. According to the Government this contract is worth USD One Billion. But the government is also prepared to spend 970 Million Dollars to construct a railroad in Habarana, Kurunegala. What country would sell a port to build a railroad? We will not let the government get away with this. We intend to protest as much as we can to stop this.”
However, UNP Parliamentarian Mujibar Rahman said that even though the government is compelled to run the port, in its current condition they are not able to obtain enough revenue even to cover the costs.
“There is no use of keeping it idle. We also have to pay back a huge sum as instalments of interest for the loans that had been taken for this port. At the end, the entire burden is placed upon the general public. It is because of these unnecessary expenses we have been forced to increase taxes. Instead we have decided to enter into an agreement with China to find a way to repay the debts and to get some use out of the port. The opposition is making baseless accusations. It was them who sold the Port City to China and sold the Army HQ land to Shangri-La Hotel. “
During the past week, workers at the Hambantota port took various actions to object to the government’s decision. But Minister Ranatunga said that the conduct of the workers in taking a merchant vessel hostage has made the international community to name Hambantota port as a ‘hazardous zone.’
Expressing his views further, the Minister said “The international community is viewing this as an act of piracy. This is harmful for the reputation of the country. However, we have decided to carry on with the work at the port as usual.”
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe meanwhile said the Navy was last week instructed to open a Navy camp near the Hambantota port.
The Prime Minister said this after meeting the Navy Commander last week. The Navy Commander submitted a report on the recent incident at the Hambantota port to the Prime Minister at Temple Trees.
Speaking to the media later, the Prime Minister said that the Chinese company, with which Sri Lanka is to sign an agreement on operating the port, had requested that a Navy camp be open near the port for security reasons.
The Prime Minister also said that the port was a high security zone and a journalist had entered the premises without proper clearance.
The Prime Minister said the journalist had filed a complaint over the alleged incident at the wrong police station.
He said the complaint was filed at the Tangalle police station when it should have been filed at the Hambantota police station.
Meanwhile several politicians have attempted to resolve the rift between Navy Commander Vice Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne and the journalist who was assaulted by him, by organising a friendly meeting between them.
The Free Media Movement, condemning the attack on journalists by the Navy, including the Navy Commander on the International Human Rights Day (10th December), urged the President to commence a special investigation and take legal action.
Issuing a statement, the FMM stated “The Navy had launched a mission to rescue two foreign ships that were held by the protesting employees of Hambantota, Magampura port and the Navy Commander has attacked the journalists who were reporting the incident, rebuking them using obscene language. This cannot be considered as a mere incident. The attack was led by the Navy Commander, who is one of the three Commanders of the country. He has chased away the journalists who revealed their identity, beating and scolding them using obscene language. Especially the Navy has targeted a few television reporters including Hiru (Roshan Dilip Kumara), Sirasa (Granvil Ratnayake) who had video cameras. This is a very serious incident. At this moment when the right to information is guaranteed by an Act, it is tragic that these reporters from Hambantota who were reporting an incident have been treated as terrorists. Even though affirmed to establish a better media culture, such media suppression is a blemish to the whole country. It was revealed not only to the country, but also to the whole world that the Navy Commander’s attempts to suppress media, whose behaviour was even worse than a person with primary knowledge only. In order to rescue the country from such denounce, the Free Media Movement urges the President Maithripala Sirisena to hold a special investigation on this incident and implement the law, to do justice to journalists.”
