Chinese Colonialism
Are you in the government? Are you in the Rajapaksa family? If not, then the Chinese government is probably no great friend to you.
The Chinese government’s relationship is state to state, not person to person. It is important to remember this, and doubly important to remember that you, unlike Louis XIV or Mahinda VI, are not the state.
The Chinese are building ports, infrastructure and public spaces. Remember who did that last time? It was the British. The British colonial regime built roads, railways, infrastructure and the artificial port of Colombo. They imported docile labourers from India and paid off Sri Lankan elites to serve the regime. They also introduced legislation to allow for the outright sale of land.
What’s happening today? The Chinese are loaning money for road and rail projects in the north. They’re also giving loans for power and infrastructure and they built the artificial port of Hambantota. They import cheap Chinese labor, or deport their own prisoners as forced labor. In the process, they have bought off the Rajapaksa family with arms and funds. That family is now introducing legislation to allow foreigners to buy land outright and has already sold land near the Galle Face Green to a former arms supplier.
There is no doubt that the British pillaged the country and poisoned race relations. The price for casting off that colonial hangover, however, seems to be another stiff drink from the same wretched quaff.
That colonialism consisted of Sri Lankas elite’s selling off the country’s resources to make the British Empire colossally wealthy and secure. Chinese colonialism consists of the Rajapaksa family selling off Sri Lanka’s resources with the added innovation of doing most of it through loans, thus making Sri Lankan taxpayers foot the bill for their own subjugation.
Think about it. Is the Chinese government a friend of Sri Lanka, or a friend of the family? What benefits Sri Lankans directly is human-to-human contact, be it trade, tourism or immigration, on those counts, how does China stack up.
Sri Lanka’s main export partners are the US, Europe and India. Around 1% of an estimated $7 billion USD in exports are to China. China is our second biggest import partner, so they make money off of us. Our people don’t really make money off of them.
Most of Sri Lanka’s tourist arrivals come from India and Europe. Around 2% of an estimated 48,000 tourists in May 2011 were from China. That’s 1,337 people.
Most Sri Lankans working abroad go to the Middle East. According to 2008 data from statistics.gov, one (1) person migrated to China that year.
Most Sri Lankans studying abroad go to Australia, UK, the US or Canada. Up to 15-20,000 Sri Lankans study abroad. In 2008, by Australian estimates, 24% of Sri Lankan students went there. Chinese numbers are unclear. Each year the Chinese government offers 104 scholarships, but it is not yet a major education destination.
So, by all the counts that matter to the Sri Lankan people, China is not our number one friend or partner. But they are number one to the ruling family.
Thus, Mahinda Rajapaksa’s cosy relationship with the Chinese serves his interests much more than the nation’s. He’s turning against the nations that provide business for Sri Lankans, business that puts food on the table. He’s turning against the nations that come and visit us, providing livelihoods for thousands and human connection for more. He’s also turning against the places where ministers and ordinary people try to get visas to study or work.
Make no mistake, Mahinda Rajapaksa is selling out the country to the Chinese to enrich himself and his family. The infrastructure is needed, but the loans and debt are not. And the Sri Lankan people would be wise to question the intentions of the people giving us ‘free money’. From Africa to Asia, the Chinese have shown no compunction about destroying foreign environments or lives to further their own interests. They simply pay off elites and take what they need. And they don’t really need you.
So, welcome to your new colonial masters, and enjoy the new infrastructure. The British built our Town Hall. Now the Chinese have given us a Performing Arts Center a few blocks away.
Exactly said, the SUNDAY LEADER.
Classic writing, hands down best article this week.
Make no mistake then, we all know that the present regime is corrupt beyond any human understanding and riddled with greed.
The head’s have no shame and so, it is no point in stating that they are shameless.
To rob and plunder to this magnitude, whilst the country and its people continue to go down and suffer is a dastardly act, with no room for excuses.
‘The supposed president is very unlikely that he will change his spots now as heading a very,very corrupt and greedy govt….that was elected by the people and paid for by the people…and now the rob and deprive these very people.
The people of Sri Lanka..
This a very well written article. I wish our citizens all read it and realize what their beloved leaders are doing. They voted for them. Daily they get a brain washed version of events from the state media. Thank god for the leader and a few others.
The ‘New colonial masters ‘ rescued Sri Lanka from the terrorists while the West tried to save the LTTE to fight another day. If not for China there would be suicide bombers walking around killing innocent people. It was “Prabhakaran’s killing field”. Would you like the peace today or the so called “good old days” of terrorism under Prabhakaran?
P.A.Samaraweera,
Australia
Why don’t you come and live in the ‘Rajapaksa paradise’ before making comments Mr.Samaraweera? It’s easy to pontify when you live in other countries and do not have to worry about the implications of the decisions being made by a corrupt and nepotistic government.
GREAT ARTICLE
So according to you, Mr. P.A. Samaraweera, this laundering and corruption we experience in our present day to day lives is just a small price to pay for peace in our our mother land? Easy for someone living abroad especially in Australia (where I myself had a stint) to express such an opinion. Of course many would agree that the chaotic war ridden “good old days” weren’t that good but the current state of livelihood is undoubtedly much worse considering the ever increasing taxes, bills, police brutality, traffic congestion and so on.
Please be mindful that the country’s debt is at all time high and with the government implementing all these heartless schemes to further drain the working man’s wallet to pay off these debts, the quality of life in Sri lanka is going no where but downhill.
Chatura de Alwis
Sri Lanka
the people think he is able leader but leader making the people puppet and the leader think able friend china ,but china making the leader puppet.
in the future there will be names like Mahinda Wong, Rajapakse Wong.
like now there are names like “raj Smith” and “raj Jones” right ?
Where’s the issue ?
I am neither Rajapaksa friend or family member, but an ordinary citizen of the country who admire and love Chinese people and their government for their help to my country. For you, who licks the western imperialists boots for $, and did all the dirty work to undermine my motherland, has no reason to criticize China. Coolies are always coolies and they cannot change their habits. This bogus news paper that is being funded by western Christian fundamentalists will publish anything to attack the country and her friend.
Henry:
Yes you should appreciate Chian for its human rights violations and collaboraton with Sri Lanka which is accussed of committing war crimes.
Henry:
Yes you should appreciate China for its human rights violations and collaboraton with Sri Lanka which is accussed of committing war crimes.
Written by a truly uneducated, clueless frog in the Well. Go back to sleep Rip-Van-Winkle and get up in 10 years to see the state of this country.
Strange that you seem to have a western christian name… “Henry”… or are you just too scared to write under your own name? :)
Oh Dear me Henry…
How touching that you are a member of that body of “ordinary citizens of the country who admire and love Chinese people and their government for their help to my country.”
I suppose you do appreciate that the Chnese ‘Help’ of which is speak is mostly hard loans (ie at commercial interest rates) now running at many billions of dollars…oh the payback – mostly over 30 to 40 years; generally, nothing to pay for the first 5 to 10 years. Now if I were cynical, I might think that the real economic problems of attempting to pay these generous loans will not occur till MR’s THIRD term starts.
Wake up Henry, and remember every time you buy a pack of milk powder/loaf of bread/bottle of LPG you are paying tax for these super-developments; one thing is for sure, you can’t eat a Deep water Port…..
PS I think your comments speak volumes about just how un-biased and ordinary you are!!
PPS…I’m quite astounded that you would ever read The Sunday Leader
A funny article from a dumb writer. It was mainly China who helped Sri Lanka to eradicate terrorism. It was China who protected Sri Lanka from recent international threats to isloate the country. China has become the number one friend just simply because of that.
SRILANKA SLEEPING CHINA WORKING
If this is what the majority of our people want what can we do.Its history repeating itself and we will remain the most greatest nation on earth as the saying goes good luck
Chinese are better than the colonial masters and the west who are all out bash
Sri Lanka. Why shoyldn’t the editor ask the west what’s behind bashing Sri Lanka?
A country who shot his own people at Tennaman Square for asking for some freedom is now our bset friend.. Birds of one feather flock together they say…
Lakpriya Senanayake
Whereas the countries who are bombing Libya and Iraq and Afghanistan while ignoring the same requests for freedom in Syria, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia SHOULD be our friends ?????
You have some strange standards for friendship !!
Oh ok, so you guys have a massive problem with China actually helping to develop our country but have no problem screaming for the suddas of the west to take the govt to task. But how ironic that you have a paid advertisement for a Chinese dating website here lol. And tell me what country has ever carried out diplomacy on a person-to-person basis.
You Christian evangelical loonies never cease to amuse me with your badly researched tirades against us Sinhala Buddhists. Clutching at any straw…
Voice of tiger and Voice of America!
What humbug is this.
There is no doubt that the British pillaged the country and poisoned race relations. The price for casting off that colonial hangover, however, seems to be another stiff drink from the same wretched quaff.
—- what is the role of mahavamsa and the sri lankan education system where it is mentioned and the young minds are corrupted to believe Lion race is superior and the owners of the land and dark skinned drvidians are inferior. Dont blame british for everything, be tnkaful to them to give the whole country on the platter, What’s wrong with the budhists??? always wanna expects things from the world and keep all to them. Low life contninues. But you cant mess with all specially Chinese, then checkk carefully what they do in Africa. You cant be off the hook. Rajapakses finished the war with china and india. But freedom and Tamils and over the time to budhists is going to be a big uncertainty. As long as the budhist clergy and sinhalse believe in supremacy, sri lanka is going to be raped forerver. Male child sex where the majority tourists come for. whar’s next?? child sex trade?? what low moral country.
deny some one rights, eventually you deny your own. wait and see.
And where do these majority tourists come from for this famous “Male Child Sex” you speak of ? Certainly not from China.. They come from your wonderful West…!
I agree with the writer. China is hard to read, hard to trust, and seems to have ulterior motives. Western countries are deemed more generous, especially in their gifts of scholarships in education. It seems the Rajapaksa’s are selling the country to the Chinese. We take their loans, pay them to build, employ their prisoners, and have to pay back the loans. It is always a win-win for China. The Rajapaksa family has chosen to be nice to China, because the Western countries calls for accountability, and China looks the other way when it comes to human rights violations, being accused of the same thing.
Well said Randi
One party system : Sri Lanka = China
No freedom for free and open speach : Sri Lanka = China
Opponents harressed/silenced : Sri Lanka = China
Not open for criticism : Sri Lanka = China
Will not hesitate to shoot on its own unarmed people : Sri Lanka = China
Human rights abuse : Sri Lanka = China
The list is never ending…..
It was not the Chinese generals who removed the terrorism. If they got involved, they would have moved down all Sri Lankan. Remember, what happened in Tianenman and Tebet!
The Western World is in deep financial trouble with debt, deficits and loss of demand. As we also know Greece is surely going to default in its Sovereign Debt obligation if it does not agree to a big bail out package by the EU and IMF.
The USA has run out of all Macroeconomic options including printing money and that leaves China the only Saviour of the World at present.the for the USA, UK and Australia. In this situation we are lucky to be in good terms with China and receive their help if not our last resort will be India and if we recall the last time we went to them for loans we also had to give them a part of our family silver.
Our relations with China is a Rolls Royce Bond ( Rubber Rice Pact ) which is a Barter Bond when we helped each other with Rice for Rubber. In my humble opinion the World is at the point at which it has to embrace this concept in these uncertain times we find ourselves devoid of ideas to solve current problems.
Rolls-Royce pact….humbug!!
The only pact in the future will be when Rajapakse (Junior) is President and has to default on the huge Chinese loans, and they will ruffle his hair and take Trinco or Hambantotta as a base for the nice new fleet of aircraft carriers they are building.
There is no such thing as a free lunch, or port or airport….
Mr. Mahinda, in his life never had permanent friends. Some time he hang on Mr. Anura & cut him when comes to power. When his political life crucial time Lassantha, Mangala Sripathi, JVP,& Poor nation of Sri lanka supported. When he comes to power all the friends he abolishes & JVP parliamentarians attached in Jaffna with the state goons. Only three head of forces & his solders done the job more than Mahinda Chinthanaya. All three are treated as slaves & one is still under the cell. Entire nation is feeling very cowardly of this incident. Head of police is very keen to his instruction & brought the entire police to garbage bin. Even head of Buddhist monk priest requisite not consider & all treated with luxury vehicles to shut there mouths. Near future mahinda will treat same way his kin. But all the nation is waiting when Mahinda will come again to ground floor.
Yes – All direct to the basic ingrediants of a dictatorship.
But see what is happening to those dictators. Unthinkable has happened and many have either have been jailed or fled the country. They will always have a sticky ending with nowhere to hide.
Did anybody imagined a year back that Hosni Mubarak, who was the most powerful Arab leader (and a dictator), will ever spend his evening of his life in a jail.
Those in power need to know that it is all temporary and should consider whether it is worth. Greed obscures rational thinking. Good luck!
Of course people, you are all welcome to go back to your pothole-ridden roads, crumbling colonial edifices, perpetually-broken down rail system and British cars
Just raise a shout of “we love our former colonial masters” and kick the Chinese out, as the writer would have you do
The Percy ‘Jilmart’ Bean Prayer
Our Presi-Dunce who art in Hotel de Temple Palace,
Percy ‘Jilmart’ Bean be thy name,
Thy Kingdom come, thy election will be won,
And thy Royal Family of 300+ will be in 7th Heaven.
Give us this day a packet of rice, and a 500 rupee bribe,
And urge us to vote for you, as we voted for you in 2005.
And lead us not into inflation, but deliver us from international conspiracies,
For thine is the army, navy, air force and police,
And the judges and the jury,
And the power and the glory,
Forever and ever,
Amen and Jaya HOO!
Absolutely true ! Sri lankans are taken for a ride but
majority of them don’t seem to understand the chinese or Rajapaksas. They may realize when they start paying up the loans with high interest and left with a vandalized nation. Rajapaksas won’t be there to answer. Our people seems retarded to trust & believe in this rouge regime for so long.
Why complain Enjoy what you get. Chinese can write off their debts in time to come. We can also give them the treatment the Burmese gave the Indian Landlords .And we also remember what we did for the oil companies. Age and Treachery is one thing no one overcomes so are the Rajapakses.
Hate to remind you Sensiv, but far from ‘seeing off the oil companys’ following the crass agreements entered into by CPC, CPC and the Gov of SL are currently being sued for $900…plus interest.
RIDICULOUS ARTICLE .
This article has misleading facts. He shows his white(British) boot licking ideas. Going to Austraia to Study doesn’t means that Australia is a Friend of Sri Lanka. They loot Sri Lankans Mony as British did. Foolish Sri Lankan pay for Australian Universities. They get the benifit not the Sri Lankan. Finally offering PR thay take the Sri Lankan human resources for thier Economic success.
this article is very biased, the news should be unbiased, this does not mension the benifits of having good infrastucture.
You ungrateful people.
Whenever I traveled through from Colombo to project in the south I am disgusted by the sight of the lazy Sri Lankans looking at me with hatred.
I don’t like Sri Lankans. My workers or bosses too feel the same. I have worked around the world in many projects but this the worst treatment I ever experienced.
Thank you
where do most Sri Lankan like to go or migrate to the west or china? Because west treats humans has human-beings and make them their own one day. Does China do it? China does not value human rights and human values.
Chinks are in SriLanka and want to colonise it. LOL
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