Southerners protest against China port deal

by Thusiyan
Dec 14, 2016

Protests have taken place in Hambantota over a proposed deal that will see a Chinese state owned company control an 80% stake in the town's port.

Port workers and local residents blocked a main highway leading into the town to demonstrate against the $1.1 billion deal that will see China Merchants Port Holdings Company gain an 80% share of the port and adjoining land.

China’s ambassador to Sri Lanka, Yi Xianliang, said the deal was part of discussions with Colombo over taking “shares in projects to help the government solve its finance problems".

But the proposal has stoked fury from locals who complain that their 'ancestral lands' are being handed to the Chinese. 

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