28 March, 2024

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China Given Oil Exploration Rights Along Eastern Coast

A Chinese agency has been given the right to explore for oil along the coast from Point Pedro to the Batticaloa District going 9 miles into the sea from the coast. Strangely the exploration rights have been signed over by the government’s archaelogy agency.

File photo

These designs came to light when the water resources authority was informed so that fisherfolk may not have their livelihood disrupted, and Chinese workers held meetings over the past two days with the Jaffna and Mullaitivu Water Resources authorities.

These water resources executives have been informed that these explorations will be carried out up to 9 miles from the coast for a period of 72 days.

It is noted that as India seeks greater involvement in Sri Lanka, China appears to be countering that through its own projects.

China’s ongoing archaeological excavations on one if the islands West of the peninsula are remarkable. They are said to be looking for the remains of a Chinese ship and its trading ware that sank 500 years ago.

A retired academic said he was puzzled by the archaeology folk’s legitimacy in oil exploration, given their reputation for identifying and declaring the remnants of Tamil Buddhism and findings of South Indian Brahmi inscriptions as belonging to the Sinhalese from a period when there was no Sinhalese language. Buddhist temples, then, using the authority of our archaeologis, sprout all over in places where the only worshippers are from the army.

He added that this is ominous in a period when the government killed tens of thousands of Tamils in Mullivaikal and is bringing Sinhalese to colonize Mullaitivu with focus on Manal Aru which they have renamed as Weli Oya. “Is the government using China to counter the respect that many Tamils have for India?” he asked.

(Reporting for Colombo Telegraph by N. Logathayalan from Jaffna.)

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Latest comments

  • 9
    5

    China should also have oil rights in Mannar Basin, where Indian’s Cairn has been wasting time and delaying on oil and gas exploration. As Dambisa Moyo, Harvard Economist from Africa has said Chinese development aid is better than Fake aid from West.

    US and its Fake “aid” partner Japan are militarizing Lanka and the Indian Ocean against China, though in northeast SL military occupies Tamil’s land, even while US spills hot air about Human Rights while supporting SL military occupations of minorities’ lands.
    Also, Washington IMF-World is pushing Lanka to devalue rupee and causing massive Debt crisis, and blaming China when infact Japan and Japan-owned ADB are together Lanka’s biggest lenders.

    • 1
      1

      Right on Dinuk! CT editors this is a sorry and garbled article btw.

      China is a far better development partner for Lanka than OECD block. Japan has been selling cars and Asian Dev. Bank is giving huge loans and building highways for Japanese cars in Sri Lanka, rather than invest in PUBLIC TRANSPORT that is environment friendly/
      Sri Lanka has too much cars – a car Fetish and car Pollution because of Japan’s Fake aid for Highways to nowhere!
      Western and Japanese Fake to corrupt politicians in Lanka is a “colonialism by other means” . Fake aid is also a corruption racket.
      At least China builds tangible assets like ports and airports and power plants.

    • 4
      0

      No nation invests in another country unless they are significantly benefitted and Sri Lanka leaders are making a mockery of their people by oppressing Tamils, committing war crimes, spend large percentage of GDP for armed forces as foreign powerful nations have evidence of genocide and always blackmail Sri Lanka leaders to surrender. Sri Lanka sovereignty is at stake as it has to surrender to China due to debts and China will decide Sri Lanka’s foreign policy and large numbers of Chinese people move to Sri Lanka as immigrants that will be detrimental to Sinhalese than Tamils!

      Demand for accountability and Justice getting momentum overseas and Sinhala Buddhist perpetrators have to face accountability sooner than later.

  • 6
    0

    “Strangely the exploration rights have been signed over by the government’s archaelogy agency”. What an absolute joke.

  • 4
    0

    Does archaeology cover the seabed ?
    Exploration of the seabed within the the international limit by another nation, for fossil fuel, is a matter for consideration by the Council of Ministers, followed by a bill in parliament, and, if approved, should be supervised by the ministry in charge of Science and Technology.

    The Archaeology department, now ‘discovering’ “Buddhist” sites in the north and east, mostly in premises of ancient Hindu places of worship, may now ‘discover’ ancient stupas & viharas on the sea bed.

    Long ago, in Sirimavo’s time, oil was “discovered” in the Mannar basin, and later proved to be a hoax.

  • 6
    0

    I think that there is some mix-up.
    Oil exploration is not something in which the Dept of Archaeology has a say.
    There is some resentment among some Tamil nationalists about the Chinese archaeological team being allowed access to sites in the North & East.
    Some CT articles seem to match in quality some of the puerile comments that we see on these pages

    • 3
      0

      ” There is some resentment among some Tamil nationalists “

      Are you sure that there is no resentment against Tamils in you?

      Don’t behave like an unruly child. When there is a news piece, you deny it only with evidence. Not with quips.

      • 0
        0

        Mallung
        Tamil nationalists make me laugh amid the tragedy that surrounds us here in Sri Lanka; and you are a classic.
        How can I resent the lot and especially you.

    • 0
      0

      SJ,
      ¤
      “I think that there is some mix-up.”
      ¤
      I agree. The writer creates an odd cocktail of “government’s archaelogy agency”, “water resources authority”, “fisherfolk”, “Chinese workers” and “water resources executives”. I fail to understand.
      ¤
      “Some CT articles seem to match in quality some of the puerile comments that we see on these pages”
      ¤
      Yes.
      ¤
      It would be nice to know the identity of the “puzzled retired academic” and his past in politics. My guess is that he is a certain wannabee TNA MP candidate who may have ideas of trying again.

      • 3
        0

        Lone Wolf

        Cairn India invested more than $100 million being the fees to Sri Lanka and incurred many million dollars in exploration costs in late 2000. The data was stored in Australia. Then Cairn India exited from from Sri Lankan operations, abandoned 2,912 sq km block SL and pulled out because its analysis showed these were not commercially viable.

        Sri Lanka should decide whether its going to raise the countries hopes based on another Mannar myth (belonging to SJ’s dream girl the weeping widow) or give up altogether. The question is whether the black gold is blessing or curse.

    • 4
      0

      SJ

      Well you not only welcome China exploring oil on our shores and seas but also you would be much happier if China rules this island as its autonomous region of rising middle kingdom.

      Your dream is coming true.
      Congratulations.

  • 0
    0

    ‘Why Tamils connect here Tamils with India AND WHY THERE IS “Tamil buddhism”

  • 1
    0

    “Oil Exploration” Familiar story coming from the time of Sirimavo. So far nothing.

  • 3
    1

    These people, don’t know what they have between the ears, no grey matter but excreta. Man, let it be any one who helps us to make the life better for the people, let it be Chinese, Indian etc, for that matter any devils. The Chinese owns oil production well in the US as well. When oil and gas was found in the seventies, off shore Malaysia, they were negotiating with the western oil majors but they offord them very poor terms, then they got better terms from the Japanese, they jointly developed the fields. At that time China was not that significant like Japan. Now Malaysia is the fourth biggest gas producer in the world and Petronas became huge operation. all over the world. Just forget talking China, India, US whatever, just joint with any devils and make country and people’s better. There are no good two cents worth, God forsaken people, just time wasters have all these to wast their times, ruin the country, and not let the people move forward when most of the world is racing to the moon and stars.

  • 2
    1

    It appears, then, with the name of searching their ship, China is doing some other business in Jaffna too. Are they digging the sand for some exotic minerals? Deva was accused all these time of digging the sand with Rapist Army. Now China is digging. Are they checking on Indian Company’s Mannar Oil Research?

  • 3
    0

    Until China fully develops the industrial area which they got around Hambantota is fully developed. No point in them just locking up space without developing them.

  • 3
    0

    If there is fossil fuel, only China can and will find it. Their willingness shows there is!
    A fossil fuel find will not make any difference to us. The filthy mega rich will get giga. The puppeteers will field two teams to keep us busy. The language/religion divide will be the ball!

  • 3
    0

    Few happenings seem to have jigsaw pattern. Late last week UN accused China of holding more than a million Muslims (mainly Uighurs) in secret re-education camps. Labouring for free in SL will be on the curriculum.

    The Lankan Armed Services will grab eateries (for security reasons) and convert into noodle sheds. The restaurants and motels inside the present cantonments are in for a roaring trade. Their is room for expansion. No wonder the camps will never be vacated back to the legitimate owners..

  • 0
    0

    For goodness sake get the f—-ing thing going. We senior citizens have been waiting to see the first barrel of ‘Pesalai Thel’ from 1977 onwards. But nothing has come out. Get the natural gas out with anybodys help. China, America, it doesnt matter who. Get the bloody thing out. It looks as if when these scallywags get the oil/gas out of our shores there will be no more use for fossil fuel. Now that China Is coming out to help us some screwjacks are raising some archeological issues. Damn them all. Get the bloody oil out without wasting time. In fact this should have been done even in preference to highways.

    • 1
      0

      clean slate
      “Get the bloody oil out without wasting time. “

      what if there is really no oil in commercial quantities ?Is this the reason for delay?

      • 1
        0

        Shankar
        There is no commercially viable quantity of oil available anywhere around SL’s sea shores.
        Only available is gas emissions from the rear orifices of those who say so.

      • 0
        0

        There is said to be gas available in commercial quantities, but somewhat deeper in the sea. The initial outlay will justify extraction especially because the excess can be exported.

  • 0
    0

    I am trying to figure out the purpose of publication of this news. Is it to say that another scam is involved? Is it to say that it is bad management in dealing with the power blocks, namely, China and India? The crux of the matter is that we must govern properly and we should not bow to any other nation. We must project and protect our own national interest. If we think that there is a possibility of a resource in any locality in Sri Lanka (including the economic zone of Sri Lanka in the sea) and the exploitation of the resource is in the best interest of the country without harming other considerations like environment, health, heritage and a lot others (the list is standard) then why not do it? In selecting the contractor to do so, a transparent fair process must be followed. Then the country of the contractor cannot be an issue. Unfortunately our record in governance cannot be described as good.

  • 1
    1

    I heard Tamil Budhists were in the island before we came from northern India. Now Tamils dont like us. A seminar organised by the BBS claims that 50% of Tamils in the north and 70% Tamils in the south have immigrated from India in the last 5 years. Now Indians are claiming the government land from the army. And our government is just giving away our sovereignty like candy to Indians.

    • 1
      1

      JS
      It may be worth holding out on material that comes out of your system early in the morning before forwarding it to CT.

    • 1
      0

      Jim Softy

      “In a Seminar organised by the BBS claims 50% of the Tamils in the North and 70% Tamils in the South have immigrated from India in the last 5 years” Atta boy! What are you and Gandassara smoking these days?? Even Gammanpila, Berawansa, Patali R, Dinesh G and their running dogs will not fall for this mindless crap. You gotta have something better to beat stuff like Native Veddah, RSSS, Dr. Gnana and others who are usually on the ball with solid facts.

      BTW, is BBS morphing into Seminars now? Their comfort zone is usually the streets with hordes of young monks with warped minds screaming “onna api enawa” along with unemployed criminal youth bought with a buth gotta and Rs.250 per demo.

      Poor man’s bread up by Rs.5 to Rs.65 per loaf/450gms now. It won’t be long before there are food riots here – when the SLRupee touches the Rs.200/litre mark. The tragedy of Zimbabwe followed by Venezuela And soon Sri Lanka. Who then will the Sinhalese blame?

      Pandaranayagam

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