Alfred Sexwale** … responding to Indian News Item on Digital Video re Chinese Ship = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lImNIn9P1qg … which is a WION news item with a Indian woman fronting the story
Sri Lanka shouldn’t prevent a ship from docking for fuel and replenishing. It’s a significant inconvenience for those on-board the ship. India is needlessly stirring up trouble by using Sri Lanka to needle China. India is emulating the US in its attempts to dominate the Indian Ocean.
But this case does prove that Hambantota is not a Chinese port as many anti Chinese Sri Lankans frequently claim. The port may have been leased to China, but Sri Lanka has sovereign control, although on this occasion India seems to claim sovereign control over Hambantota.
India’s actions are childish. There is no just reason to prevent a Chinese ship from docking in SL to refuel and replenish. The ship poses no threat to India’s national interests.
It would be a mistake for Sri Lanka to make a habit of allowing India to meddle into Sri Lanka-China relations. It erodes trust and goodwill.
I have seen some idiots in India on social media calling on the Indian government to annex Sri Lanka and make it a part of India. It will never happen, but such expressions shouldn’t be allowed to go by unchallenged.
****************
** Alex Sexwale is a student of China’s Belt & Road Programme.
PIX from …https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hambantota_Port.jpg
ALSO SEE
Anita Inder Singh: “China’s Port Investments in Sri Lanka Reflect Competition with India in the Indian Ocean,” 18 May 2021, https://www.strategicstudyindia.com/2021/05/chinas-port-investments-in-sri-lanka.html?m=1
India had their “Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and other Maritime Zone Act 1976”. This was mainly to prevent fishing in that zone. It prevented China from taking that route.