The Convenor of the Federation of National Organisations (FNO), Dr Gunadasa Amarasekara in a letter to the US Ambassador Julie Chung has asked her not to create an anti-China frenzy by insisting that China is behind the delay in Sri Lanka’s debt structuring process.
Amarasekara said Chung is trying to mislead the people and to create animosity between Sri Lanka and China.
“China has already agreed to help Sri Lanka restructure its debt. China has also donated large quantities of fuel, medicines, food, and school uniform material to help Sri Lanka in this hour of need. Are you trying to make matters worse by creating problems between Sri Lanka and China?” he asked.
Amarasekara said the United States has meddled in Sri Lanka’s internal affairs in the past and urged Chung not to further destabilize Sri Lanka.
“Don’t spread anti-China propaganda and destroy the long-standing friendship between Sri Lanka and China. You are trying to fulfill the US Indo-Pacific strategy. What you can do is to use the US’s power to make the IMF grant us a facility before we restructure all debt. The United States printed three trillion dollars in 2022. Why don’t you use some of that and help Sri Lanka?” he asked.
In a recent interview with the BBC the US ambassador said the greater onus to move was on China, as the biggest bilateral lender.
“We hope that they do not delay because Sri Lanka does not have time to delay. They need these assurances immediately,” Ambassador Chung told BBC Newsnight.
“For the sake of the Sri Lankan people, we certainly hope China is not a spoiler as they proceed to attain this IMF agreement.”