The ‘Green Left Weekly’ news agency reported that the Sri Lankan government has signed an agreement to give China 1200 acres of land in the Trincomalee area on a long term lease for “defence-related development”.

The land which has been allegedly given to the Chinese Republic is an area populated with over 450 families and with places of religious observances. The news agency reports that all these will lose their lands and places of worship.

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Most of the residents in the designated area said to be Tamil speaking Muslims.

However the Sri Lankan government has been silent regarding the issue so far and the China’s plan for the area has not yet been disclosed to the public, but Green Left reports that China is planning to carry out ‘defence related’ projects in the area. However, the news agency has not yet disclosed the nature and magnitude of these projects.

China has already built a new port at Hambantota, close to China’s trade routes across the Indian Ocean to Africa and the Middle East.

“China's desire for a military presence in Trincomalee is probably related to its rivalry with other countries ― especially the United States and India ― for influence in the broader Indian Ocean region” Green Left says.

The news agency accused Sri Lanka of taking advantage from this rivalry to magnify the country’s development. Adding to that the abundance of land, ports and inland resources makes Trincomalee the ideal location for a long term project, especially at a large magnitude because of the Trincomalee natural harbor.

Green Left also says that despite Sri Lanka’s ‘ignorance’ the US government and its allies Britain and Israel played a major role in aiding the Sri Lankan government in defeating the LTTE  during the three decades of civil war.