Days after the Sri Lankan parliament approved a controversial Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill, Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, the former president of Sri Lanka, has said that the country has been brought under the “dominance of a foreign country” and is in process of becoming a “Chinese colony”. 

“After enduring European colonialism for 450 years, our ancestors shed blood and sweat to secure our independence in 1948 and full independence (republican status) in 1972,” she was quoted as saying by Economynext. “All of that has been undermined and our country is now in the process of becoming a colony of China.” 

The bill drew widespread condemnation, and even the apex court had to ask the government to remove 26 provisions that seemed to be violating the country’s constitution.

She said, “The Supreme Court said this was wrong. The people are criticizing it. At a time when no one can go out and speak, when people are dying by the horde [amid the government’s refusal to lock down the country until the last minute] this act was passed secretively in parliament.”

(SAM)