Here's a ground report from Colombo on the suicide bombings in Sri Lanka. WION's live camera captures a controlled blast.

Gravitas: SL Easter Massacre: WION live cam captures controlled blast

Sri Lankan President & Prime Minister indulge in a vicious blame game after Sunday's attacks as they pass the buck instead of reassuring the people.

Gravitas: Sri Lanka Easter Massacre: Government indulges in blame game

A wave of deadly bombings takes 290 lives in island nation Sri Lanka. A day later, several questions still remain.

Gravitas: Lanka Easter Massacre: 290 people killed

Churches in Philippines, Indonesia & Egypt have been targeted over the past two years. Is a new terror template emerging around the world?

Gravitas: Blasts in Sri Lanka hint at a new terror template

Who carried out the Sri Lanka terror attacks? What was the motive? What is Sri Lankan Government's response?

Gravitas: Sri Lanka terror attacks: the unanswered questions

Police and politicians backed by the country&#39;s former strongman President Mahinda Rajapaksa joined anti-Muslim riots that rocked Sri Lanka&#39;s Kandy district this month, according to witnesses, officials and CCTV footage reviewed by Reuters.

Scores of Muslim mosques, homes and businesses were destroyed as mobs ran amok for three days in Kandy, the central highlands district previously known for its diversity and tolerance. The government declared a state of emergency and blocked social media platforms for a week to control the unrest.

The role of police and some local Buddhist politicians suggests the Sri Lankan government lost control of elements of its security forces, and that the violence was more than a spontaneous outbreak fuelled by fringe Buddhist extremists and hate-speech spread on social media.

Rajapaksa has denied that he or other leaders of his party were involved. Police said the allegations against officers and politicians were being investigated.

Victims and witnesses, whose accounts were partly backed by CCTV footage seen by Reuters, described members of an elite paramilitary police unit, the Special Task Force (STF), assaulting Muslim cleric and leaders. Local STF commanders declined to comment.

&quot;They came to attack,&quot; said A.H Ramees, a cleric at a mosque where worshippers say they were beaten by police who were supposed to be protecting them. &quot;They were shouting. There was filthy language. They said all the problems were because of us, that we were like terrorists.&quot;

Ruwan Gunasekera, a spokesman for the national police force, including the STF, said a special investigation unit was &quot;probing the deficiencies of the police in the incident&quot;. A second unit was examining the role of political actors, he said.

The riots were the latest example of rising Buddhist nationalism and anti-Muslim sentiment in the region and have unnerved Sri Lanka&#39;s multi-ethnic coalition government, which ousted Rajapaksa in an election in 2015, according to analysts and two sources familiar with the government&#39;s deliberations.

Buddhists make up about 70 percent of Sri Lanka&#39;s 21 million people. Tamils, most of whom are Hindu, account for 13 percent while Muslims make up about 9 per cent of the population.

Sri Lanka&#39;s Law and Order Minister Ranjith Madduma Bandara has said the violence in Kandy was &quot;well organised&quot; and pointed the finger at members of Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), a political party backed by Rajapaksa that scored a huge victory in local elections last month.

At a press conference flanked by senior leaders earlier this month, Rajapaksa said the accusations were politically motivated. In fact, the government fomented the violence to &quot;get the Muslim vote&quot; and to distract from its inadequacies, he said.

TRIGGER FOR VIOLENCE

The violence in Kandy was triggered by an attack on a Buddhist truck driver, H.G Kumarasinghe, by four Muslim men after a traffic dispute on Feb. 22.

As Kumarasinghe lay in a coma, calls for retribution and anti-Islam polemics flooded social media and the government ordered the deployment of 1,000 members of the STF.

Rioting erupted after his funeral 11 days later.

An excerpt of CCTV footage from the first day of attacks reviewed by Reuters showed police letting a large group of men through the cordon protecting the Noor Jummah mosque in Digana, a Kandy township.

The men rush into a multi-story building opposite the mosque. A local SLPP politician, Samantha Perera, can be seen pointing at the higher floors of the building.

Perera confirmed he was the person shown in the footage. He said he was trying to calm the rioters and only found out later the mosque had been attacked. &quot;I am a good Buddhist. I am not instigating violence against anybody,&quot; he told Reuters.

Cabinet spokesman Rajitha Senaratne said Perera was under investigation for &quot;attacking Muslim-owned shops and mosques with stones&quot;. At least three other SLPP politicians, including a national politician, were being investigated and another SLPP councillor has been arrested for setting fire to a mosque, he said. All deny any involvement in the violence.

&quot;There&#39;s a political motive to discredit me, Mahinda Rajapaksa and the party,&quot; Perera said.

&quot;MONSTER BEYOND CONTROL&quot;

Anti-Muslim sentiment has surged in Sri Lanka since 2009, when a long civil war against Tamil insurgents was brutally ended by Rajapaksa amid charges by a United Nations panel of experts of human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings by the military and STF.

As in Myanmar, from where 700,000&nbsp;Rohingya&nbsp;Muslims have fled an army crackdown in recent months, Buddhist hardliners in Sri Lanka have argued that Islam is a threat to the Buddhist way of life.

Though the level of violence is not comparable, the Sri Lankan Secretariat for Muslims, a civil society group, logged more than 600 attacks and threats to Muslims in the past five years, according to director Hilmy Ahamed, who added the rate of anti-Muslim violence had accelerated in the recent years.

&quot;The fear that Muslims are going to take over, are going to deprive you of your welfare, is so widespread,&quot; he said.

Veteran political analyst Jayadeva Uyangoda said Buddhist chauvinism in Sri Lanka was a &quot;monster beyond control&quot;, as local activists draw inspiration from the Buddhist extremists in Myanmar and Hindu radicals in India hostile to Muslims.

&quot;CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?&quot;

About 10 minutes after the incident near the Noor Jummah mosque shown in the CCTV footage, the mob returned via a back road, out of the line of sight of the mosque&#39;s exterior cameras, and threw a petrol bomb into the mosque&#39;s first floor office, according to witnesses Mohamed Niyaskhan, who said he was beaten and left bloodied, and the mosque secretary M.I.M Shukry.

The men burned Korans during 45 minutes of looting and destruction, they said.

Niyaskhan said earlier that day he had prepared food and drinks for STF members protecting the mosque, but they had left shortly before the attack.

&quot;No STF, no police were there,&quot; he said. &quot;They had gone around the corner. Can you believe it?&quot;

Later that day, eight to 10 members of the STF rushed the Hijrapura mosque, also in Digana, according to clerics and worshippers.

The police assaulted worshippers with batons, according to Ramees, the cleric.

CCTV footage shows police in riot gear striking Ramees and another cleric, M.S.M Nizam, four times with batons. A local Buddhist monk, Gerendigala Chanda Wimala, told Reuters he saw the men being manhandled by police and successfully demanded their release.

At about the same time, a local Muslim politician, Abdul Saleem Mohamad Fazil, and a friend Mohamad Faizal, were also attacked by members of the elite police unit, according to the victims and a witness, Father Christy Paul, the prelate at Digana&#39;s Catholic church.

&quot;Three STFs came through the back entrance of the house and started beating us,&quot; said Fazil, who suffered a deep head wound and said he spent in a night in prison after being refused medical treatment.

&quot;They grabbed some bottles from the landing and put them in a bag and said we were making petrol bombs.&quot;

Father Christy said he heard the men&#39;s screams and saw the police hitting them with batons. The men were cowering on the ground and not offering any resistance to the police, he said.

A local STF commander, asked about the incidents described to Reuters, declined to comment, citing restrictions on talking to the media. The law and order ministry referred to the police special investigation into alleged abuses.

Police say they have arrested more than 300 people involved in the riots.

Scores of Muslim mosques, homes and businesses were destroyed as mobs ran amok for three days in Kandy, the central highlands district previously known for its diversity and tolerance

Police and politicians backed by the country's former strongman President Mahinda Rajapaksa joined anti-Muslim riots that rocked Sri Lanka's Kandy district this month, according to witnesses, officials and CCTV footage reviewed by Reuters. Scores of Muslim mosques, homes and businesses were destroyed as mobs ran amok for three days in Kandy, the central highlands district previously known for its diversity and tolerance. The government declared a state of emergency and blocked social media platforms for a week to control the unrest. The role of police and some local Buddhist politicians suggests the Sri Lankan government lost control of elements of its security forces, and that the violence was more than a spontaneous outbreak fuelled by fringe Buddhist extremists and hate-speech spread on social media. Rajapaksa has denied that he or other leaders of his party were involved. Police said the allegations against officers and politicians were being investigated. Victims and witnesses, whose accounts were partly backed by CCTV footage seen by Reuters, described members of an elite paramilitary police unit, the Special Task Force (STF), assaulting Muslim cleric and leaders. Local STF commanders declined to comment. "They came to attack," said A.H Ramees, a cleric at a mosque where worshippers say they were beaten by police who were supposed to be protecting them. "They were shouting. There was filthy language. They said all the problems were because of us, that we were like terrorists." Ruwan Gunasekera, a spokesman for the national police force, including the STF, said a special investigation unit was "probing the deficiencies of the police in the incident". A second unit was examining the role of political actors, he said. The riots were the latest example of rising Buddhist nationalism and anti-Muslim sentiment in the region and have unnerved Sri Lanka's multi-ethnic coalition government, which ousted Rajapaksa in an election in 2015, according to analysts and two sources familiar with the government's deliberations. Buddhists make up about 70 percent of Sri Lanka's 21 million people. Tamils, most of whom are Hindu, account for 13 percent while Muslims make up about 9 per cent of the population. Sri Lanka's Law and Order Minister Ranjith Madduma Bandara has said the violence in Kandy was "well organised" and pointed the finger at members of Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), a political party backed by Rajapaksa that scored a huge victory in local elections last month. At a press conference flanked by senior leaders earlier this month, Rajapaksa said the accusations were politically motivated. In fact, the government fomented the violence to "get the Muslim vote" and to distract from its inadequacies, he said. TRIGGER FOR VIOLENCE The violence in Kandy was triggered by an attack on a Buddhist truck driver, H.G Kumarasinghe, by four Muslim men after a traffic dispute on Feb. 22. As Kumarasinghe lay in a coma, calls for retribution and anti-Islam polemics flooded social media and the government ordered the deployment of 1,000 members of the STF. Rioting erupted after his funeral 11 days later. An excerpt of CCTV footage from the first day of attacks reviewed by Reuters showed police letting a large group of men through the cordon protecting the Noor Jummah mosque in Digana, a Kandy township. The men rush into a multi-story building opposite the mosque. A local SLPP politician, Samantha Perera, can be seen pointing at the higher floors of the building. Perera confirmed he was the person shown in the footage. He said he was trying to calm the rioters and only found out later the mosque had been attacked. "I am a good Buddhist. I am not instigating violence against anybody," he told Reuters. Cabinet spokesman Rajitha Senaratne said Perera was under investigation for "attacking Muslim-owned shops and mosques with stones". At least three other SLPP politicians, including a national politician, were being investigated and another SLPP councillor has been arrested for setting fire to a mosque, he said. All deny any involvement in the violence. "There's a political motive to discredit me, Mahinda Rajapaksa and the party," Perera said. "MONSTER BEYOND CONTROL" Anti-Muslim sentiment has surged in Sri Lanka since 2009, when a long civil war against Tamil insurgents was brutally ended by Rajapaksa amid charges by a United Nations panel of experts of human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings by the military and STF. As in Myanmar, from where 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled an army crackdown in recent months, Buddhist hardliners in Sri Lanka have argued that Islam is a threat to the Buddhist way of life. Though the level of violence is not comparable, the Sri Lankan Secretariat for Muslims, a civil society group, logged more than 600 attacks and threats to Muslims in the past five years, according to director Hilmy Ahamed, who added the rate of anti-Muslim violence had accelerated in the recent years. "The fear that Muslims are going to take over, are going to deprive you of your welfare, is so widespread," he said. Veteran political analyst Jayadeva Uyangoda said Buddhist chauvinism in Sri Lanka was a "monster beyond control", as local activists draw inspiration from the Buddhist extremists in Myanmar and Hindu radicals in India hostile to Muslims. "CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?" About 10 minutes after the incident near the Noor Jummah mosque shown in the CCTV footage, the mob returned via a back road, out of the line of sight of the mosque's exterior cameras, and threw a petrol bomb into the mosque's first floor office, according to witnesses Mohamed Niyaskhan, who said he was beaten and left bloodied, and the mosque secretary M.I.M Shukry. The men burned Korans during 45 minutes of looting and destruction, they said. Niyaskhan said earlier that day he had prepared food and drinks for STF members protecting the mosque, but they had left shortly before the attack. "No STF, no police were there," he said. "They had gone around the corner. Can you believe it?" Later that day, eight to 10 members of the STF rushed the Hijrapura mosque, also in Digana, according to clerics and worshippers. The police assaulted worshippers with batons, according to Ramees, the cleric. CCTV footage shows police in riot gear striking Ramees and another cleric, M.S.M Nizam, four times with batons. A local Buddhist monk, Gerendigala Chanda Wimala, told Reuters he saw the men being manhandled by police and successfully demanded their release. At about the same time, a local Muslim politician, Abdul Saleem Mohamad Fazil, and a friend Mohamad Faizal, were also attacked by members of the elite police unit, according to the victims and a witness, Father Christy Paul, the prelate at Digana's Catholic church. "Three STFs came through the back entrance of the house and started beating us," said Fazil, who suffered a deep head wound and said he spent in a night in prison after being refused medical treatment. "They grabbed some bottles from the landing and put them in a bag and said we were making petrol bombs." Father Christy said he heard the men's screams and saw the police hitting them with batons. The men were cowering on the ground and not offering any resistance to the police, he said. A local STF commander, asked about the incidents described to Reuters, declined to comment, citing restrictions on talking to the media. The law and order ministry referred to the police special investigation into alleged abuses. Police say they have arrested more than 300 people involved in the riots.

Police, politicians accused of joining Sri Lanka's anti-Muslim riots

Here is a person who is addressing political rallies, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/gujarat-elections-2017-live-results-27014" target="_blank">taking on the Prime Minister as well as incumbent BJP in Gujarat </a>and is seen by many as the face and focal point of the Patidar agitation. But surprisingly he isn&rsquo;t contesting the elections. So why sue adroit campaigning, such heavy lifting &mdash; merely for the gains of some other political entity or to embarrass a party that&rsquo;s held power in Gujarat for over two decades?

Even a scandalous sex CD a month ago has had little or no impact on this &lsquo;overnight&rsquo; leader who has used the demand for reservations for the influential Patidar community to catapult him to national fame. 24-year-old Hardik Patel, it seems, is using these state polls to address his constituency - the influential Patidar (Patel) community - and test waters for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Today, he did not miss a beat when he took on Prime Minister on his seaplane ride from the Sabarmati River in Ahmedabad, suggesting that the plane perhaps may be put to better use if it helps spray pesticides for farmers.

<div class="ui-state-default">
<div class="twitter-block">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb">
sea plane ????? ????? ??? ???? ??? ?? ?????? ????? ?????? ??? ??? ??? ????? ???? ????????? ????? ?? ???? ??? ?? ??? ?? ?????? ??? ????????? ??? ???? ???? ?? Plane ?? ??? ??? ??? ??? ?????
&mdash; Hardik Patel (@HardikPatel_) <a href="https://twitter.com/HardikPatel_/status/940457143190335488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">12 December 2017</a></blockquote>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#">&times;</a></div>

A day earlier the gracious Mr Patel had taken on the BJP&rsquo;s claims of development by likening the state of Gujarat to the Lanka of Ramayana-fame - Ravana&#39;s city that was said to be made of gold. (Not sure who Hardik sees as Raavana but here I leave it to the discerning readers to hazard a guess).

<div class="ui-state-default">
<div class="twitter-block">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb">
????? ?? ???? ??? ?? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???? ?? ??,????? ?????? ?? ???? ?? ??? ?? ???? ???? ?? ?? ?? !!! <a href="https://t.co/lVnhrEEUjJ">pic.twitter.com/lVnhrEEUjJ</a>
&mdash; Hardik Patel (@HardikPatel_) <a href="https://twitter.com/HardikPatel_/status/940443684067250177?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">12 December 2017</a></blockquote>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#">&times;</a></div>

On the campaign trail in Patan, in north Gujarat, a crowd of over 40,000 chanted his name as Hardik took the stage. In 2012, BJP won 3 of the 4 assembly seats from Patan but insiders are sceptical this time. North Gujarat, on the whole, isn&rsquo;t a BJP stronghold and the party could see itself lose the foothold that it had created in 2012 come December 14 - blame it on the Hardik factor.

The Congress seems to have conveniently hitched a ride on the Hardik-wagon - here is a Patel who keeps harping on the BJP&rsquo;s arrogance and how the party has taken Gujarat for granted. Behind the scenes Congress leaders will concede that this has been one &lsquo;helluva&rsquo; Patel to deal with &mdash; no one would have expected that someone who can&rsquo;t hold elected office would show such political acumen.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/opinion-gujarat-assembly-elections-2017-bjp-remains-buoyant-congress-rides-a-wave-hardik-patel-does-some-heavy-lifting-26524">Opinion: BJP remains buoyant in Gujarat, Congress rides a wave, Hardik Patel does some heavy lifting</a> 
 
In a recent interview with a TV channel, Hardik indicated that he was looking to play a larger role &lsquo;dedh saal baad&rsquo; (one-and-a-half years later). Parliamentary elections are due in April-May 2019. The arithmetic seems spot on. Patel has been canoodling with the Congress but has so far stopped short of joining the party. He says&nbsp;he will if the entire Patidar community asked him to &mdash; and I&rsquo;m not sure entirely how all the Patels in the state are supposed to do that considering that they form about 14 per cent of the 6 crore people of Gujarat.

Hardik may not have been seen visiting temples (Rahul Gandhi seems to have called dibs on that one) but hasn&rsquo;t shied away from bringing up the Ram Mandir issue is Ayodhya. At a recent gathering near Ahmedabad, he said: &ldquo;Ram is in our hearts. The people go Gujarat have even given bricks for the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. But have they given any account of what they did with the bricks?&rdquo;

So here is the curious case of Hardik Patel: A man who is too young to contest the elections, a man with no political party, a man with no specific vision outlined for the movement (Patidaar Andolan) that he claims to represent, a man who is full of rhetoric and a man, who might galvanise the Patel&rsquo;s enough to give the BJP sleepless nights.

In the final analysis, even if the BJP&rsquo;s vote percentage shrinks, their margins of victories fall, some of their heavyweights miss out, the number of seats notwithstanding, Hardik Patel would have announced his candidature for 2019.

(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Hardik Patel, a man with no political party, a man with no specific vision outlined for the movement might give the BJP sleepless nights

Here is a person who is addressing political rallies, taking on the Prime Minister as well as incumbent BJP in Gujarat and is seen by many as the face and focal point of the Patidar agitation. But surprisingly he isn’t contesting the elections. So why sue adroit campaigning, such heavy lifting — merely for the gains of some other political entity or to embarrass a party that’s held power in Gujarat for over two decades? Even a scandalous sex CD a month ago has had little or no impact on this ‘overnight’ leader who has used the demand for reservations for the influential Patidar community to catapult him to national fame. 24-year-old Hardik Patel, it seems, is using these state polls to address his constituency - the influential Patidar (Patel) community - and test waters for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Today, he did not miss a beat when he took on Prime Minister on his seaplane ride from the Sabarmati River in Ahmedabad, suggesting that the plane perhaps may be put to better use if it helps spray pesticides for farmers. sea plane ????? ????? ??? ???? ??? ?? ?????? ????? ?????? ??? ??? ??? ????? ???? ????????? ????? ?? ???? ??? ?? ??? ?? ?????? ??? ????????? ??? ???? ???? ?? Plane ?? ??? ??? ??? ??? ????? — Hardik Patel (@HardikPatel_) 12 December 2017 × A day earlier the gracious Mr Patel had taken on the BJP’s claims of development by likening the state of Gujarat to the Lanka of Ramayana-fame - Ravana's city that was said to be made of gold. (Not sure who Hardik sees as Raavana but here I leave it to the discerning readers to hazard a guess). ????? ?? ???? ??? ?? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???? ?? ??,????? ?????? ?? ???? ?? ??? ?? ???? ???? ?? ?? ?? !!! pic.twitter.com/lVnhrEEUjJ — Hardik Patel (@HardikPatel_) 12 December 2017 × On the campaign trail in Patan, in north Gujarat, a crowd of over 40,000 chanted his name as Hardik took the stage. In 2012, BJP won 3 of the 4 assembly seats from Patan but insiders are sceptical this time. North Gujarat, on the whole, isn’t a BJP stronghold and the party could see itself lose the foothold that it had created in 2012 come December 14 - blame it on the Hardik factor. The Congress seems to have conveniently hitched a ride on the Hardik-wagon - here is a Patel who keeps harping on the BJP’s arrogance and how the party has taken Gujarat for granted. Behind the scenes Congress leaders will concede that this has been one ‘helluva’ Patel to deal with — no one would have expected that someone who can’t hold elected office would show such political acumen. Also read: Opinion: BJP remains buoyant in Gujarat, Congress rides a wave, Hardik Patel does some heavy lifting In a recent interview with a TV channel, Hardik indicated that he was looking to play a larger role ‘dedh saal baad’ (one-and-a-half years later). Parliamentary elections are due in April-May 2019. The arithmetic seems spot on. Patel has been canoodling with the Congress but has so far stopped short of joining the party. He says he will if the entire Patidar community asked him to — and I’m not sure entirely how all the Patels in the state are supposed to do that considering that they form about 14 per cent of the 6 crore people of Gujarat. Hardik may not have been seen visiting temples (Rahul Gandhi seems to have called dibs on that one) but hasn’t shied away from bringing up the Ram Mandir issue is Ayodhya. At a recent gathering near Ahmedabad, he said: “Ram is in our hearts. The people go Gujarat have even given bricks for the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. But have they given any account of what they did with the bricks?” So here is the curious case of Hardik Patel: A man who is too young to contest the elections, a man with no political party, a man with no specific vision outlined for the movement (Patidaar Andolan) that he claims to represent, a man who is full of rhetoric and a man, who might galvanise the Patel’s enough to give the BJP sleepless nights. In the final analysis, even if the BJP’s vote percentage shrinks, their margins of victories fall, some of their heavyweights miss out, the number of seats notwithstanding, Hardik Patel would have announced his candidature for 2019. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Opinion: How Hardik Patel is benefitting the Congress

Apprehensive of increasing influence of China in South Asia, India raises serious objection to the Chinese-funded &#39;Port City Project&#39; in Sri Lanka. A&nbsp;brainchild of former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa, the&nbsp;Port City was meant to be a planned offshore city in Colombo.&nbsp;The Sri Lankan newspaper&nbsp;Daily Mirror&nbsp;today reported on the suspension of the project. Rajitha Senaratne, the&nbsp;cabinet spokesman and health minister,&nbsp;has reportedly said that&nbsp;the project&nbsp;will be suspended and re-written due to pressure from India. Though the Chinese government is yet to respond to the new development, clearly, the project in Sri Lanka has turned out to be the latest contest ground for the two economic superpowers India and Pakistan, as both countries try to extend their geo-political influence over Asia.&nbsp; 
 
According to the health minister, the Indian government had forewarned the Sri Lanka government about the &quot;negatives&quot; in the event Sri Lanka went ahead. Reportedly,&nbsp;India said that once completed, the project will not come under the jurisdiction of Sri Lanka and will leave a &quot;big question mark on Sri Lanka&rsquo;s sovereignty.&rdquo; It seems that India expressed concern to the Sri Lankan government that&nbsp;the project management could prohibit the use of Sri Lanka&#39;s air space and block the country&#39;s aircraft from landing on its properties. 
 
If we accept Rajapaksha&#39;s version of events then the primary objection of India to the project appears to be the possibility of China extending its control over Sri Lankan national space. India understandably objects to Chinese penetration so close to its neck of the wood.&nbsp; 
 
Thus a new contract will be signed, devoid of all clauses which were unfavourable to Sri Lanka, with the megapolis and western development ministry and urban development authority (UDA), including new conditions replacing the ones in the original agreement, Rajapaksa told the cabinet.&nbsp; 
 
The new agreement will be signed by the China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd (CHEC), a part of the China Communications and Constructions Company Ltd. 
 
One of the contentious issues in the original agreement was that 20 hectares of land was to be granted as a freehold to the CHEC Port City (Pvt) Ltd, and the rest on a 99-year lease. However, the new government has decided to give it only under the 99-year lease, scrapping the freehold provision of the past agreement.&nbsp; 
 
Moreover, the agreement now includes healthcare, exhibition and convention centres and the new Colombo International Financial Centre. There will be no restrictions on the development of the North and West ports of the Colombo Harbour. Also, the CIFC building will be set up in the land area reclaimed first, the project company has agreed. They just await a study to confirm that building on the reclaimed land is technically feasible, and that the terms are mutually acceptable.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
(WION)

One of the issues in the old agreement was that 20 hectares of land was to be granted as a freehold, is scrapped in the new agreement

Apprehensive of increasing influence of China in South Asia, India raises serious objection to the Chinese-funded 'Port City Project' in Sri Lanka. A brainchild of former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Port City was meant to be a planned offshore city in Colombo. The Sri Lankan newspaper Daily Mirror today reported on the suspension of the project. Rajitha Senaratne, the cabinet spokesman and health minister, has reportedly said that the project will be suspended and re-written due to pressure from India. Though the Chinese government is yet to respond to the new development, clearly, the project in Sri Lanka has turned out to be the latest contest ground for the two economic superpowers India and Pakistan, as both countries try to extend their geo-political influence over Asia. According to the health minister, the Indian government had forewarned the Sri Lanka government about the "negatives" in the event Sri Lanka went ahead. Reportedly, India said that once completed, the project will not come under the jurisdiction of Sri Lanka and will leave a "big question mark on Sri Lanka’s sovereignty.” It seems that India expressed concern to the Sri Lankan government that the project management could prohibit the use of Sri Lanka's air space and block the country's aircraft from landing on its properties. If we accept Rajapaksha's version of events then the primary objection of India to the project appears to be the possibility of China extending its control over Sri Lankan national space. India understandably objects to Chinese penetration so close to its neck of the wood. Thus a new contract will be signed, devoid of all clauses which were unfavourable to Sri Lanka, with the megapolis and western development ministry and urban development authority (UDA), including new conditions replacing the ones in the original agreement, Rajapaksa told the cabinet. The new agreement will be signed by the China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd (CHEC), a part of the China Communications and Constructions Company Ltd. One of the contentious issues in the original agreement was that 20 hectares of land was to be granted as a freehold to the CHEC Port City (Pvt) Ltd, and the rest on a 99-year lease. However, the new government has decided to give it only under the 99-year lease, scrapping the freehold provision of the past agreement. Moreover, the agreement now includes healthcare, exhibition and convention centres and the new Colombo International Financial Centre. There will be no restrictions on the development of the North and West ports of the Colombo Harbour. Also, the CIFC building will be set up in the land area reclaimed first, the project company has agreed. They just await a study to confirm that building on the reclaimed land is technically feasible, and that the terms are mutually acceptable. (WION)

Sri Lanka: Undue pressure from India over 'Port City Project'

Sri Lanka said on Tuesday it was withdrawing permission for a Chinese company to buy the freehold to 20 hectares of land being reclaimed under a $1.4 billion port project after India objected. 
 
Instead, it will grant the state-owned construction company a 99-year lease on the land next to the port in Colombo, under a new agreement. 
 
&quot;India had a big concern about giving freehold land to China near the Colombo harbour,&quot; government spokesman Rajitha Senaratne told reporters. &quot;We have amended the agreement. There will be no freehold land but it will be on a 99-year lease.&quot; 
 
The government had put the project on hold pending a review of all the big-ticket agreements signed under the previous administration of Mahinda Rajapakse. The former president relied heavily on Chinese investment to rebuild the country&#39;s infrastructure after the end of the island&#39;s decades-long ethnic war in May 2009, a move which some say alienated India. 
 
The Chinese-funded port was also controversial among environmentalists. Senaratne said the developers had agreed to drop a proposed Formula One track and increase public park space, and environmental safeguards would be put in place. 
 
The project is being funded by China Communications Construction Company and was launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping in September 2014 during a visit to Colombo. 
 
Beijing has been accused of seeking to develop facilities around the Indian Ocean in a &quot;string of pearls&quot; strategy to counter the rise of rival India and secure its own economic interests. 
 
But Senaratne said the government had decided to go ahead with the project under new terms. Colombo would set up an offshore banking centre to compete with Dubai and Singapore, he said. 
 
The reclamation represents the biggest-ever single foreign investment in Sri Lanka. It will add 269 hectares (672 acres) of real estate in the congested capital, which has a population of over 650,000. Once completed, the Chinese will have 108 hectares (266 acres) on a 99-year lease for commercial development. 
 
Earlier, 20 hectares of that was to be on a freehold basis. Under the agreement, the Sri Lankan government will get 62 hectares (153 acres) and the rest will be public parks and access roads. 
 
China, the largest single lender to Sri Lanka, secured contracts to build roads, railways, and ports under Rajapakse, who is under investigation over allegations of corruption during his decade in power. 
 
The administration of President Maithripala Sirisena says the terms negotiated by the previous government were unfavourable. But it has still decided to go ahead with many of the Chinese-funded projects. 
 
(AFP)

Government spokesman Rajitha Senaratne said Sri Lanka has amended the agreement, it will grant the Chinese company a 99-year lease instead

Sri Lanka said on Tuesday it was withdrawing permission for a Chinese company to buy the freehold to 20 hectares of land being reclaimed under a $1.4 billion port project after India objected. Instead, it will grant the state-owned construction company a 99-year lease on the land next to the port in Colombo, under a new agreement. "India had a big concern about giving freehold land to China near the Colombo harbour," government spokesman Rajitha Senaratne told reporters. "We have amended the agreement. There will be no freehold land but it will be on a 99-year lease." The government had put the project on hold pending a review of all the big-ticket agreements signed under the previous administration of Mahinda Rajapakse. The former president relied heavily on Chinese investment to rebuild the country's infrastructure after the end of the island's decades-long ethnic war in May 2009, a move which some say alienated India. The Chinese-funded port was also controversial among environmentalists. Senaratne said the developers had agreed to drop a proposed Formula One track and increase public park space, and environmental safeguards would be put in place. The project is being funded by China Communications Construction Company and was launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping in September 2014 during a visit to Colombo. Beijing has been accused of seeking to develop facilities around the Indian Ocean in a "string of pearls" strategy to counter the rise of rival India and secure its own economic interests. But Senaratne said the government had decided to go ahead with the project under new terms. Colombo would set up an offshore banking centre to compete with Dubai and Singapore, he said. The reclamation represents the biggest-ever single foreign investment in Sri Lanka. It will add 269 hectares (672 acres) of real estate in the congested capital, which has a population of over 650,000. Once completed, the Chinese will have 108 hectares (266 acres) on a 99-year lease for commercial development. Earlier, 20 hectares of that was to be on a freehold basis. Under the agreement, the Sri Lankan government will get 62 hectares (153 acres) and the rest will be public parks and access roads. China, the largest single lender to Sri Lanka, secured contracts to build roads, railways, and ports under Rajapakse, who is under investigation over allegations of corruption during his decade in power. The administration of President Maithripala Sirisena says the terms negotiated by the previous government were unfavourable. But it has still decided to go ahead with many of the Chinese-funded projects. (AFP)

Sri Lanka withdraws freehold land offer to China after India's objection

CHANGE PICTURE! IF THIS STORY IS VERIFIED, GET APPROPRIATE PIC,&nbsp;THEN PUBLISH 
 
According to reports in the Sri Lankan press, the&nbsp;Sri Lankan government has received the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers to enter into a treaty with Ukraine to extradite criminals hiding in the Eastern European country.

President Maithripala Sirisena in his capacity as the Minister of Defense has presented the proposal to the cabinet for approval.

The ColomboPage News Desk reports that&nbsp;the Sri Lankan Co-Cabinet spokesman, Minister Gayantha Karunathilake, said the agreement &quot;will provide the opportunity to request the authorities in Ukraine to receive criminals who have engaged in illegal activities in this country and sought protection in Ukraine&quot;.

The treaty comes as&nbsp;the Sri Lankan government is attempting to arrest a fugitive envoy currently believed to be in Ukraine.

The government has sought arrest and deportation of Sri Lanka&#39;s former Ambassador to Russia, Udayanga Weeratunga, who is a nephew of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, over several allegations including that the envoy supplied weapons to a terrorist group in Ukraine and is connected to the death of an embassy employee.

Comes as South Asian country's former Russian ambassador is wanted for abetting a Ukrainian terror group

CHANGE PICTURE! IF THIS STORY IS VERIFIED, GET APPROPRIATE PIC, THEN PUBLISH According to reports in the Sri Lankan press, the Sri Lankan government has received the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers to enter into a treaty with Ukraine to extradite criminals hiding in the Eastern European country. President Maithripala Sirisena in his capacity as the Minister of Defense has presented the proposal to the cabinet for approval. The ColomboPage News Desk reports that the Sri Lankan Co-Cabinet spokesman, Minister Gayantha Karunathilake, said the agreement "will provide the opportunity to request the authorities in Ukraine to receive criminals who have engaged in illegal activities in this country and sought protection in Ukraine". The treaty comes as the Sri Lankan government is attempting to arrest a fugitive envoy currently believed to be in Ukraine. The government has sought arrest and deportation of Sri Lanka's former Ambassador to Russia, Udayanga Weeratunga, who is a nephew of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, over several allegations including that the envoy supplied weapons to a terrorist group in Ukraine and is connected to the death of an embassy employee.

Sri Lanka enters treaty with Ukraine to extradite criminals hiding in the Eastern European country

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