Seema Malaka Temple in Colombo city Seema Malaka Temple (designed by Geoffrey Manning Bawa) on the south of the small Beira lake King's Cave-Temple of Dambulla King Valagambahu (89–77 BC) converted the cave into a temple. The complex has 5 sanctuaries (shrine rooms). A cloister was added in the 19th century. Unfortunately, tourist can no longer go too close to these statues (It's blocked with long tables or wooden barriers) since someone sat on a Buddha statue and broke it in 2012. Sigiriya or Sinhagiri Photography is not allowed inside the Sigiriya or Sinhagiri museum, so the 3 are from net Trip to the beach Local cuisines The rice and vegetables are the far tastier here than what I have ever had in India. PolonnaruwaPolonnaruwa was the royal capital, of both the Chola and Sinhalese kingdoms, 1000 years back in 1065 - 1120. It was built by King Nissanka Malla. Atadage Dalada Maligaya (the oldest temple in the Sacred Quadrangle) was destroyed by Tamil & Malayali soldiers of the South Indian invader, Magha the Tyrant or 'Magah' as an act of revenge for killing his brother the King of Polonnaruwa Nissanka Malla & Nissanka Malla's son. Trikay (or trinity), 3-body explaining the Buddhist Dharma; inside the Hatadage:-
Being a Buddhist majority nation, I saw they had lots of respect for greenery and nature. The majority are Sinhalese Buddhists who had fled from North India (who have different script and language) and settled in southern Sri Lanka, while Tamils Hindu minority have lived in the northeastern Sri Lanka for a thousand years, especially, in the coastal areas. The rest of the island is sparsely populated by tribal groups. Gangaramaya Temple in ColomboGangaramaya Temple in Colombo. It was established by 1885. Many of these items are Chinese gifts to the temple. It should be noted that by the 11th century, seafaring merchant communities of Muslims, Tamils, and Southeast Asians had established their shipping and commercial networks, which integrated most of Asia. Chinese seafaring came of age during the Southern Song to the early Ming period, over the period from the 10th to the 15th century. Several polities connected through these Indian Ocean mercantile networks, including in the coastal regions of southern India and the Song period in China, became important participants in overseas commercial and diplomatic activities. Quanzhou as the main maritime commercial town during the Song period. For the most part of the Song period, however, contacts between the Chinese and the South Asian coasts were through Muslim (mostly Arab) intermediaries. The Arab Muslims seem to have also passed on incorrect information about the South Asian coasts. Between 1258 and 1278, Kubilai Khan (Mongolian Emperor Shizu of Yuan) had conquered Korea, most of China, launched attacks on Japan, and was preparing to attack Indian Ocean states. Malabar coast (and in particular Kollam) and Ceylon (Sri Lanka) were seen as vital locations for the Indian Ocean trade. The four diplomatic missions of Yang Tingbi to Southern India between 1280 and 1283 are most revealing about the Mongolian court’s interest. Yang’s main destination was Kollam. Wang Dayuan had travelled to the South Asian coast with Chinese seafaring traders in the 1330s. Knowledge in China about South Asian ports seems to have improved significantly in the early 14th century, with an increase in the presence of Chinese merchants in the region. The seas no longer posed an obstacle for the expansionist policies of the Yongle emperor and his aim to establish hegemony over “all the known world under the Heaven” or the tianxia. With its naval power, the Ming court also wielded significant influence over these regions. At the same time, the coastal regions of South Asia became fully integrated into the Chinese trading and shipping networks. The 14th century witnessed a substantial increase in the presence of Chinese traders and court officials (Mongols and subsequently Ming) in the Indian Ocean, culminating in the famous maritime expeditions of the grand eunuch Zheng He (spelt Cheng Ho in English) between 1405 and 1433. In early life, Zheng He (spelt Cheng Ho in English) was called Ma He, Ma being short for Muhammad, for he was ethnically a Chinese Muslim (Hui people). In 1404, the Emperor appointed him the “Grand Director” of Palace Servants. As an honor, the fourth son of the dynasty’s founder, prince Zhu Di bestowed upon his trusted servant the name Zheng. Zheng He (spelt Cheng Ho in English) would also fight beside Zhu Di in his most important war, a coup to depose his nephew. They succeeded, and Zhu Di became the emperor. The emperor would dispatch Zheng to the Western seas to look for his nephew whom he had deposed from the throne and to promote the virtues of the Chinese civilization. Zheng's fleet of 317, 400-foot-long ships (bao chuan) went from Southeast Asia to Indonesia and Africa and back again nearly a century before Europeans connected the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. It would remain history’s largest fleet until World War I. These expeditions were undertaken to collect tribute and demand obedience towards the Chinese Emperor. Ceylon (Sri Lanka) seems to have formed part of a strategy, where, in 1411, during his third expedition, Zheng He (spelt Cheng Ho in English) successfully instituted a regime change. According to Ming sources, the “king of Sri Lanka” had “insulted” the grand Muslim eunuch when he reached Ceylon during his first expedition to the Indian Ocean in 1405 - 1407. Local Sinhalese sources dispute this narrative and instead suggest that the Chinese had launched a military attack in Ceylon to obtain the famous tooth‐relic at Kandy. Zheng He (spelt Cheng Ho in English) defeated and captured Yaliekunaier (Vira Alakeswara), and plundered Kotte and several prisoners were taken to China, among them Yaliekunaier (Vira Alakeswara) who was brought to the Ming court. While Yaliekunaier (Vira Alakeswara) was pardoned, the Ming court placed its own representative, a person named Yebanaina, in charge of the region. In 1433, on the way home, Zheng He (spelt Cheng Ho in English) died and was buried at sea. In 2012, Sri Lanka had celebrated the 600th anniversary of the grand eunuch (Cheng Ho) Zheng He’s landing on the island nation. China's interest is in using corrupting small nation's government to sell their assets to China for 99 years and become a Chinese puppet so that they can be used as military bases to face US. Sri Lanka doesn’t face any threat of violent aggression from India. India has always been a reliable friend of Sri Lankan people and helped them prosper economically (gave Sri Lanka rollover money, investments & Indian collateral to the World Bank for Sri Lanka to borrow from others), even as Sri Lanka is wealthier than India as per person. It is in India's interest to have a peaceful Indian Ocean, as India rises boats of different sizes.
“Initially, the Red Army Generals were all sweet and honey towards the Tibetans. The Chinese Generals handled the Tibetans delicately and with patience, trying to get them gradually into their fold, trying to win their hearts and minds. It was subtle and hardly visible, and the largesse that poured in was phenomenal…” Sri Lanka's cash cow are the seaports, which are a major route for rising global trade. Interestingly, there are very few electronics, but every other mass-produced items like automobiles had very low import duty. My experience was that island mentality in Sri Lankans make them perceive themselves as superior to its larger neighbour and its biggest partner, India, which is why they look favourably towards Chinese investment. Many nations have debts to China at more than 20% of their GDP. As a result, many of these nations have had to hand over ownership of several investments, and swathes of sovereign territory to the Chinese government. ''Lifting out of poverty' is a euphemism for relocating non-Han (ethnic Chinese) people. Sri Lanka had decided to go ahead with the controversial $1.4 billion special economic zone (SEZ) project, the Colombo Port City project, funded by Beijing. The Sri Lankan parliament passed a controversial bill — the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill — which will establish a Colombo Port City Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and the Colombo Port City Economic Commission (CPCEC). The bill was passed despite stiff resistance from opposition parties and concerns that the Colombo Port City could turn into a ‘Chinese province’ inside Sri Lanka. The proposed new CPCEC is expected to have wide-ranging powers and the port city will not be subject to laws and regulations of the Municipal Council and Urban Development Authority of Sri Lanka, thereby raising concerns that it will not function democratically. Like the currency swap, this has given Beijing sway over its strategic Indian Ocean asset. China and Sri Lankan trade is worth over US$3.6 billion and between 2005 and 2017 Beijing invested US$15 billion in infrastructure development. The largest single foreign direct investment in Sri Lankan history is the business district built on 665 acres (2.6 sq km) of land being reclaimed from the Indian Ocean (destroying corals and requires more natural resources than Sri Lanka can sustainably provide), the city is designed by China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) to be a smaller Singapore, with its own “British-style” tax regulations. In 2018, unable to afford the repayments, Sri Lanka handed control of the Hambantota port to a subsidiary of China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) for at least 99 years, described as “the biggest game changer in 100 years”. This transfer was part of a debt swap totalling USD 1.2 billion by the People's Bank of China. However, Sri Lanka cannot readily dip into the Chinese cash to pay for desperately needed food, fuel and medicines, or even to settle its maturing foreign debts. "Without India, Sri Lanka would have unravelled as Lebanon did" Uditha Devapriya. China had been a key weapons supplier to Colombo as the final years of the 30-year civil war intensified under Prime Minister Mahinda, with Chinese arms sales rising to $1.8 billion. Sri Lanka’s adherence to an ‘India-first’ policy is now “fast fading away”. Ties between India and Sri Lanka began plummeting when Sri Lanka scrapped the strategically important East Container Terminal at Colombo port, which was a tripartite pact with Japan. It instead offered India the West Container Terminal (WCT) as a private deal, unlike the previous government-to-government agreement. India is Sri Lanka's largest trading partner, with bilateral trade accounting for over US$4.6 billion. India expected Sri Lanka to honour its agreement to allow it to operate an East port terminal next to the one operated by China. Sri Lanka had said the port would be 49% operated by India and Japan, with Sri Lanka retaining the majority stake. However, following, Sri Lanka has pulled out of the deal. India and Japan are instead be invited to develop the West terminal on a public-private partnership basis. India now believes that Sri Lanka has taken a firm decision on “completely aligning” with China, even if that means doing away with the balancing act with India. The interest rates on Chinese loans/debt averaged 3.3%, versus 0.7% for Japan's. China seems to be stingy in extending time and reducing interest rates on loans. Many nations including Djibouti, Tonga, the Maldives, the Republic of Congo, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, Niger, Laos, Zambia, Samoa, Vanuatu, and Mongolia now have debts to China at more than 20% of their GDP. As a result, many of these nations have had to hand over ownership of several investments, and swathes of sovereign territory to the Chinese government. Djibouti, heavily indebted to China, offered Beijing a military base, China's first outside its borders. Kenyan government risks losing the lucrative Mombasa port to China should the country fail to repay huge loans advanced by Chinese lenders. It is a strategic foothold along a critical commercial and military waterway. Built at a cost of US$3,6 billion and connecting the Indian Ocean city of Mombasa with Nairobi's capital, SGR is the most expensive infrastructure project since Kenya's independence in 1963. China Exim Bank would become a principle in KPA if Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC) defaults in its obligations. The Inland Container Depot in Nairobi is also at stake, which receives and dispatches freight hauled on the new cargo trains from the seaport. A takeover would also mean thousands of port workers who would be forced to work under the Chinese lenders. Kenya public debt is estimated to be over $49,65 billion, which is more than 56% of its GDP. In 2018, Zambia lost the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport to China over debt repayment. “Only A Drunkard Would Accept These Terms”, Tanzania President rejected China’s killer loans & initiated a renegotiation process by pressing the investors to bring down the lease period to 33 years from 99 years. Chinese workers have built substandard infrastructure, such as a cracking dam in Ecuador and faltering railroads in Ethiopia and Djibouti, indebting themselves to China for decades. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/sri-lanka-colombo-port-city-extension-china-harbour-engineering-company-a8541051.html
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China's claims to Indian territories are based on Tibet's historically irredentist claims on these territories. China highlights Tibet as the core issue with India by laying claim to Indian territories on the basis of purported Tibetan ecclesial or tutelary links, rather than any ethnic Chinese connection. Even though Bhutan’s Buddhist religion is very similar to that of Tibet, Thimpu has maintained a very strict distinct identity. It has not confused its identity with that of Tibet. Bhutan had recognised long ago that threats to its territory do not come from China’s claims but from Tibet’s claims, so Bhutan has maintained the distinction. The same was the case with the Sikkim monarchy till 1975. In Tibet, there is the yellow sect of Buddhism. These yellow sect’s Lamas have historically been an instrument of expansion for Beijing. In India’s Bihar, Bengal, and Odisha, there is the red sect of Buddhism, distinct from that of Tibet.
In Doklam / Donglang, China aim was to build roads & helipad infrastructure, near the Bhutanese border, a permanent forward troop presence too and carry out military training. The entire reason was china trying to prove to Bhutan that Bhutanese security cannot be secure without Chinese hand above them. However, due to the Indo-China agreement, China could not bring additional troops unless India matched their troop numbers. So China created a dispute by coming a few kilometres to build a road inside the Indian patrol area, which led to both sides amassing huge troop numbers. China quickly de-escalated the situation and the Indian media concluded that it was an Indian diplomatic victory (whereas media in China is state controlled). In reality, with the de-escalation, the Indian troop went back whereas the Chinese only vacated the Indian patrol area, but their troops never went back. Instead, Chinese build motorable roads and multiple helipad infrastructure, a permanent forward troop presence and carry out military training. China's "two steps forward, one step back" changed the status-quo on the ground. To subdue your competitor without fighting is the acme of skill. The ultimate slap in the face was the June 2020 expansion of the Chinese claims over Bhutan, by bringing to the fore, one claim that had not figured in any of the 24 rounds of Bhutan-China border talks till now. The Chinese action in unilaterally making the Mochu river the border and occupying all of Doklam goes against the 1890 Anglo Chinese Convention that China invoked in 2017. This clearly said that the border would be at “the crest of the mountain range, separating waters flowing into the Sikkim Teesta from the waters flowing into the Tibetan Mochu.” But today, the Chinese are not on the watershed, but at the very banks of Mochu. Further, all this is in violation of their own solemn commitment in 1998 that during the period the two sides are trying to work out a border settlement, “the status quo of the boundary prior to March 1959 be upheld.” |
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