Sri Lankan port workers protest against proposed deal with India

Colombo, Jul 23 (PTI) Wearing black arm bands, workers of strategic Colombo Port have restarted ir protest against a proposed deal with India to develop a deep-sea container terminal of country's largest and busiest port.

workers ended ir protest on July 3 following a meeting with Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, a day after y h threatened to go on an indefinite strike if government allowed a foreign country to develop Eastern Container Terminal (ECT).

previous Sirisena government signed a "memorandum of cooperation" (MOC) with India and Japan for a tripartite effort to develop ECT which is located just next to USD 500 million Chinese-run Colombo International Container Terminal (CICT).

Although MOC was completed last year, a formal agreement for terminal's development is yet to be signed and tre unions are pressing government to abandon MOC and develop terminal as a 100 per cent Sri Lankan venture.

workers, who launched 'Black Week' protest on Wednesday, alleged that government h reneged on pledge to make ECT operational as a Sri Lankan venture.

" government must say who is pressuring m on this. If it is India, n we will say that port's future will be in danger," Shamal Sumanaratne, a tre union leer told reporters.

port workers have roped in influential Buddhist monk Elle Gunawansa to join m. monk blessed protestors and issued a warning to government.

"We will give this government more time, if y don't want to do right thing, we will take to streets," Gunawansa said.

Prasanna Kaluthar, ar tre union leer, said port workers would ensure 50 million rupees to Treasury every month through ECT's operation as a 100 per cent Sri Lankan venture.

workers said that one of solutions offered at meeting with Rajapaksa was to install three newly-imported gantry cranes at ECT, which is t being fulfilled as due to deliberate delay in work.

y expressed happiness after meeting with Rajapaksa, asserting that y h won round one in getting permission to instal cranes while next step would be to operationalise ECT.

workers said crisis at port would be decisive to government at parliamentary election on August 5.

" government would learn a lesson at election," warned KPP Krishantha, ar union leer.

Both President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his bror and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa have appealed to voters to give m a mandate as large as two thirds of seats in 225-member parliament.

Earlier this month, prime minister told reporters that final decision h been me yet to hand over development of ECT to India.

"This was a diplomatic agreement with India signed by last government – an agreement between President Sirisena and Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi," he h said.

tre unions were protesting against alleged "Indian pressure" to prevent Sri Lanka from developing ECT on its own.

y have called for expediting development of East Terminal and are against handing it over to a foreign country.

Colombo Port is largest and busiest port in Sri Lanka. Located on southwestern shores on Kelani River, it serves as an important terminal in Asia due to its strategic location in Indian Ocean. PTI CORR MRJ MRJ