Chinese Navy ships stopped at SL because it is indeed a very good midpoint in their journey to Pakistan to participate in the naval exercises...!!!

SL the theatre for another cold war-----UPUL JOSEPH FERNANDO

From the question posed by the media to the Chinese representative immediately after he attended the Asia Pacific Submarine conference, it is evident that Sri Lanka (SL) is once again becoming the epicenter of another global cold war of the super powers. The representative of China who attended the conference was Senior Colonel Xie Dongpie , the Deputy Director of the General office of the Chinese Navy Headquarters. To the question asked from him ‘ whether China would make use of naval facilities in SL to base its Navy ships’? .Senior Colonel Dongpie’s answer was ‘China’s naval vessels have stopped at SL Ports for refueling and replenishment of supplies , but the arrangements were purely technical. In the two years 2007 and 2009 , our Navy ships have stopped at SL because it is indeed a very good midpoint in their journey to Pakistan to participate in the naval exercises there’, he further added . There is a speculation that the Chinese may want to have use of a naval base in SL to secure sea lanes through which its energy supplies are transported. Senior Colonel Xie also declared ‘ China’s cooperation with the South Asian countries – SL, Pakistan and Bangladesh in the areas of ship building and Ports construction was purely commercial ’.These statements of Xie Dongpie have triggered speculations that China has plans to use SL’s naval facilities for China’s navy ships.
The fundamental cause of SL’s ethnic war was the Trincomalee harbour . It was Russia’s belief that America may use the Trincomalee harbour to its advantage . As this cold war escalated the SL ‘s ethnic war broke out . The ‘Blitz’ magazine of 26th February 1984 under the caption ‘US digs deeper into SL’, published an article which read thus ‘ in the implementation of its military and strategic designs in South Asia , the Pentagon attaches major importance to its positions in SL . Washington wants to fill in the gap between the US Naval base bay in Trincomalee in the north eastern port of SL. US Defense Secretary Weinberger used his recent visit to Colombo to pressurize SL to increase its involvement in America’s military , political and economic plans aimed at penetration into South Asia , undermining the non aligned movement from within this region. Informed circles say that Weinberger’s visit to Colombo was to pursue the aim of studying the possibility of moving the Head quarters of the Central command (CENTCOM) to Sri Lanka after the setting up of the US Naval base in the Trincomalee Bay……..’

This report greatly embarrassed Russia , the erstwhile Soviet Union. India also felt this embarrassment because India was alongside Russia at that time. Based on an information that America was aiming at taking control of the Trincomalee harbour, India and Russia decided against this and the Govt. of Late JR Jayewardene who was working closely with America. It was Russia more than India which was irritated and distraught over the information that America was fixing its gaze on the Trincomalee harbour. Russia was determined to somehow obstruct this purported move. Russia used India to accomplish this aim. The secret espionage services KGB of Russia and the RAW of India worked together to thwart this move – a consequence of this was the precipitation of the SL’s ethnic war .Training the Tamil armed groups of SL , providing them with arms and commencing a war in the North East were the aims of India, so that it could gain a leverage and thereby intervene in the destabilized north east . This plan worked out .When the Indo -Lanka accord was formulated , India at the behest of Russia incorporated a clause in the accord that on all matters and decisions pertaining to the Trincomalee harbour , India’s consent is mandatory.

Russia which used India then to commence an ethnic conflict in SL entertaining fears and misgivings regarding the Trincomalee harbour is today acting as the saviour of the Colombo Govt. In the recent past, the whole country was awash with posters acknowledging and extolling Russia’s support for the SL Govt. to fight the war. A function too was organized in this connection. In other words , Russia which earlier helped start an ethnic war detrimental to the country has now come forward to end the same war .

Russia which supported the Tamil armed groups and for the separatist Tamil Eelam cause, now lent its support to the SL Govt. to end the war and unite SL. Russia in the past supported terrorism entertaining fears that America will capture the Trincomalee harbour. But today , it helped to stamp out terrorism in order to fortify China’s power balance in the Indian ocean via the Hambantota harbour, and thereby ward off America’s moves to strengthen its power in the Indian ocean via India.

In the 1980s during the cold war when Russia jointly with India started and stoked the SL ethnic war , China stood united with the SL Govt.. Today , Russia joining with China is not only giving assistance to the SL Govt. in the war to eliminate terrorism , but also helping the Govt. to combat the Tamil political struggle and dangers .

According to some sources , the reason for the stance taken by China and Russia is ….

‘ United States ’ incremental global strategy to establish NATO presence in the Indian ocean region. The US has succeeded in bringing the NATO up to the Persian Gulf region. The NATO is swiftly expanding its relationship with Pakistan . But, it is SL which is the jewel in the NATO’s Indian Ocean Crown. Russia and China are determined to frustrate the US Geo strategy.’

What is evident form all this is , SL is once again becoming the epicenter of a new cold war of the World powers .The cause of SL’s ethnic war was the cold war which originated via the Trincomalee harbour. Today , no sooner the ethnic war has ended than there has begun a cold war of the super powers of the new World order via the Hambantota harbour .What consequences are in store for SL from this cold war are unfathomable right now.

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