China calls on Sri Lanka to 'protect and promote human rights'

[Ray]

China calls on Sri Lanka to 'protect and promote human rights'

China has called on Sri Lanka to "make efforts to protect and promote human rights", amid continuing debate over the island nation's hosting of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).

While calling on other countries to "provide constructive assistance", the Chinese government, which has in the past been among Sri Lanka's strongest supporters against the international community's criticism following the end of the war, said it was important for Sri Lanka to protect human rights.

"This is an issue within the Commonwealth, but at the same time I believe that on the human rights issue, dialogue and communication should be enhanced among countries," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Qin Gang told reporters at a press briefing on Monday, in response to a question about the CHOGM summit.

"Due to differences in economic and social development of different countries, there could be differences on human rights protection. So what is important is that the relevant country should make efforts to protect and promote human rights, while other countries in the world should provide constructive assistance," he said.

The comments appear to mark a slight shift in China's earlier strong backing to Colombo on the issue. Only last year, when asked about international criticism aimed at Sri Lanka in the lead-up to a United States-backed resolution at the U.N. Human Rights Council, China lauded Mahinda Rajapaksa's government for making "great strides" in promoting human rights and said it believed that the "Sri Lankan government and people are capable of handling their own affairs".

Last week, China was granted a seat on the 47-member human rights council for a three-year period.

On Sunday, Mr. Rajapaksa said he appreciated China's help in post-war reconstruction efforts, telling reporters in Colombo that China had provided loans for ports, highways and power plants. Even the venue for the CHOGM meeting — the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall — was donated by China in the 1970s and refurbished for the meeting, the State-run Xinhua news agency quoted him as saying.

In 2009, China's loans to Sri Lanka exceeded India's, with Beijing becoming the single largest provider of financial support, offering $1.2 billion.

China calls on Sri Lanka to 'protect and promote human rights' - The Hindu

**********************************************************************

China tussi great ho!

Playing both sides.

Playing safe!

Playing mature!

Rajyapakse will be furious and gnashing, but at the same time, being impotent.

Money speaks, eh China?

 

[Vishwarupa]

Srilanka should protest against chinese.

How can china ask SL to promote & protect human rights when they themselves are not doing.

I feel SL army had china back( in the form of advise) up to clean LTTE brutally.

 

[kseeker]

Srilanka should protest against chinese.

How can china ask SL to promote & protect human rights when they themselves are not doing.

I feel SL army had china back( in the form of advise) up to clean LTTE brutally.

SL doesn't have b@lls to protest against china.

China's suggestion to SL is like, a Crocodile telling an alligator not to feed on the pond fishes in which it lives in.

SL had China's blessings for sure in wiping out LTTE.

 

[t_co]

SL doesn't have b@lls to protest against china.

China's suggestion to SL is like, a Crocodile telling an alligator not to feed on the pond fishes in which it lives in.

SL had China's blessings for sure in wiping out LTTE.

Yep. China gave Sri Lanka nearly a billion dollars during the last year of the conflict - essentially footing the entire war bill for the final phase, as well as loaning radars, fighter-bombers, and satellite support. China wants to make sure that every state surrounding India has zero ethnic issues, and remembers China as the state that has helped them quiet all those ethnic issues down.

 

[Ray]

Yep. China gave Sri Lanka nearly a billion dollars during the last year of the conflict - essentially footing the entire war bill for the final phase, as well as loaning radars, fighter-bombers, and satellite support. China wants to make sure that every state surrounding India has zero ethnic issues, and remembers China as the state that has helped them quiet all those ethnic issues down.

So arming countries around India's rim, to the teeth, is the way to ensure that there are no ethnic issues?

You want them to replicate China's action in Tibet and Xinjiang?

Good idea!

So what is all this false piety of the Chinese on 'human rights' to be maintained in SL?

Arms and human rights just don't mix!

 

[bose]

China lercturing on human rights ?? Is it a new joke ?? China is the biggest violator of human rights...

 

[Free Karma]

Yep. China gave Sri Lanka nearly a billion dollars during the last year of the conflict - essentially footing the entire war bill for the final phase, as well as loaning radars, fighter-bombers, and satellite support. China wants to make sure that every state surrounding India has zero ethnic issues, and remembers China as the state that has helped them quiet all those ethnic issues down.

Quite sad as China itself has a few ethnic issues it's trying to brush under the carpet!

 

[kseeker]

Yep. China gave Sri Lanka nearly a billion dollars during the last year of the conflict - essentially footing the entire war bill for the final phase, as well as loaning radars, fighter-bombers, and satellite support. China wants to make sure that every state surrounding India has zero ethnic issues, and remembers China as the state that has helped them quiet all those ethnic issues down.

That was charming !

Make sure to support all Anti- India elements and they will repay you one or the other way which will hurt Chinese in longer term. Way to go :thumb:

You helped your all weather, greater than mountain , :blah::blah::blah: FRIEND Pakistan, what did you get in return till today or going to get ?

 

[Tolaha]

CCP orders SL not to abuse human rights. Obviously, Big Brother does not like competition! Good of CCP to remind SL that they have exclusive rights to do so!

 

[natarajan]

will sl say mind your business ,the same way they say for others or as usual remain like slave pakistan

 

[amoy]

"Due to differences in economic and social development of different countries, there could be differences on human rights protection. So what is important is that the relevant country should make efforts to protect and promote human rights, while other countries in the world should provide constructive assistance," he said.

Key words above are "constructive assistance" and Chinese are walking the talk >> China to Invest in Sri Lanka's Transport Sector

President Rajapaksa said that his many visits to the East Asian nation have helped him gain a deep and profound understanding of China's political, economic and social dynamics, and that he looks forward to working closely with the new administration.

President Jinping, recalling the long-standing ties between China and Sri Lanka, said that the fact that President Rajapaksa is visiting China for the seventh time is an indication of the strength of the relation between the two countries and said he looks forward to further strengthening bilateral ties during his tenure.

During the bilateral meeting, the two delegations also discussed trade and tourism. The two countries signed an agreement to establish two committees that would work towards a free trade agreement. This would give Sri Lankan products such as apparel, gems and jewelry, tea and rubber wider access in the Chinese market.

In the area of tourism, Sri Lanka and China agreed to work towards the goal of attracting 100,000 Chinese tourists arrivals to Sri Lanka by 2015.

 

[Tolaha]

Key words above are "constructive assistance" and Chinese are walking the talk

CCP may be walking the talk but looking at the above picture, the Lankans don't seem to be following the directions shown by CCP leaders! Why is everybody looking and pointing at different directions!?

 

[amoy]

CCP may be walking the talk but looking at the above picture, the Lankans don't seem to be following the directions shown by CCP leaders! Why is everybody looking and pointing at different directions!?

Chinese come, Chinese go. Lankans know better which direction suits themselves.

When the competition gets fierce join up with a natural ally!

 

[t_co]

How Beijing won Sri Lanka's civil war - Asia - World - The Independent

The answer, in one word, is "China". When the US ended direct military aid in 2007 over Sri Lanka's deteriorating human rights record, China leapt into the breach, increasing aid to nearly $1bn (£690m) to become the island's biggest donor, giving tens of millions of dollars' worth of sophisticated weapons, and making a free gift of six F7 fighter jets to the Sri Lankan air force. China encouraged its ally Pakistan to sell more arms and to train pilots to fly the new planes. And, crucially, China prevented the UN Security Council from putting Sri Lanka on its agenda.

...

The annihilation of the Tigers took practically everybody by surprise. Sri Lanka had been battling it out against the improvised forces of the Tigers since 1983, but victory never seemed close. Under its charismatic founder and leader, the Tigers fought with fanatical zeal in jungle terrain that was ideal for guerrilla warfare, and the government troops, with their cautious, conventional tactics, were no match for them. Whenever victory seemed on the cards, heavy pressure from India and the West brought the two sides to the negotiating table. A ceasefire signed in 2002 was greeted by the outside world as a major step towards achieving a federal solution. That agreement slowly unravelled, but when the war restarted informally in July 2006, the Tigers still controlled nearly one-third of the island.

Sigh... India and the West have a vital interest in seeing Sri Lankans at odds with each other, rather than becoming united enough to defy them. They have an interest in keeping the ethnic issues in Sri Lanka at a 'goldilocks point', just hot enough to cause constant pain and justify intervention, but never hot enough such that one side wins.

However, China has an interest in seeing Sri Lanka united under a friendly government. And in this case, this was also the solution that would minimize civilian death and suffering from this constant civil war. Ergo, China can be said to have done the right thing, even if it was for its own reasons.
@HeinzGud

 

[HeinzGud]

However, China has an interest in seeing Sri Lanka united under a friendly government. And in this case, this was also the solution that would minimize civilian death and suffering from this constant civil war. Ergo, China can be said to have done the right thing, even if it was for its own reasons.
@HeinzGud

China for most part in the late 20th century has been a friend of Sri Lanka. The famous Rubber-Rice agreement is a testimony to that.

 

[HeinzGud]

You helped your all weather, greater than mountain , :blah::blah::blah: FRIEND Pakistan, what did you get in return till today or going to get ?

Do not compare Sri Lanka with Pakistan. China can benefit lot from the friendship with Sri Lanka.

Moreover it is so sad to see India and Sri Lanka drift apart from each other. It shouldn't have happened.

 

[Tolaha]

Moreover it is so sad to see India and Sri Lanka drift apart from each other. It shouldn't have happened.

Anyone with the name "Mahendra" is bad for Indo-Lankan relationship!

 

[t_co]

China for most part in the late 20th century has been a friend of Sri Lanka. The famous Rubber-Rice agreement is a testimony to that.

I was not aware of that agreement; thank you for updating my knowledge base.

 

[t_co]

Do not compare Sri Lanka with Pakistan. China can benefit lot from the friendship with Sri Lanka.

Moreover it is so sad to see India and Sri Lanka drift apart from each other. It shouldn't have happened.

A decade from now, IR students will use the 1980-2010 history of the Indo-Sri Lanka relationship as a case study for how ethnic identity politics, improperly channeled via vote bank politics, distorted and hindered what should have been a normal relationship.

Incidentally, this is how Cuban exile politics + the battleground state of Florida + the US Electoral College have conspired to ---- up the US-Cuban relationship ever since 1991.

 

[Ray]

Do not compare Sri Lanka with Pakistan. China can benefit lot from the friendship with Sri Lanka.

Moreover it is so sad to see India and Sri Lanka drift apart from each other. It shouldn't have happened.

Cheer up with this