Sri Lanka cancels $200m China, Pakistan weapons purchase

[Neo]

Sri Lanka cancels $200m China, Pakistan weapons purchase​

* Chief of defence staff says order cancelled due to end of conflict​

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka has cancelled a $200 million purchase of ammunition from Pakistan and China after the end of its war with the Tamil Tigers, the island nation's new top military commander said on Wednesday.

General Sarath Fonseka, who as army commander was one of the chief architects of the campaign to destroy the separatist Tigers and end a 25-year war, was named to the newly created post of chief of defence staff on Sunday. "We stopped the orders of $200 million worth of ammunition from China and Pakistan with the war's end," Fonseka said at his swearing-in. He is now in overall command of the military. Tigers no more: The order would have been enough ammunition to fire guns and heavy weapons at the rate seen during the climax of the war, which ended on May 18, Fonseka said. About 800 members of a breakaway Tiger group have also joined the armed forces, he added. Sri Lanka is currently seeking a $1.9 billion International Monetary Fund loan to bolster foreign exchange reserves and solve a balance-of-payments problem, and diplomats are closely watching to see if the military remains a top government priority. Fonseka's promotion, and that of navy chief Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda to the new post of the president's national security adviser, means the military will still have an influential role in President Mahinda Rajapaksa's administration. Fonseka was nearly killed by a Tamil Tiger suicide bomber in 2006, but in three months returned to his post as army commander and launched the offensive that would spell the end of the LTTE.

Western diplomats privately have frowned on plans to add 50,000 people to the security services, saying that Sri Lanka should be spending its money on post-war rebuilding. Overall defence spending this year was estimated at up to $1.74 billion, accounting for 17 percent of the country's total estimated expenditure. The forecast came before the end of a war that has always been a drag on Sri Lanka's $40 billion economy. reuters

 

[duhastmish]

although its bad news - in an economic spectrum for pakistan and china.
But an amazingly happy news for sri lnka and world. atleast one of our neighbor are getting out of the grip of terrorism.

I think its a great news they dont require much of weapons . India pakistan nepaul bangla need to learn a few lesson from them. Lanka was most affected by terrorism.

Pakistan have lost a big defence arm buyer - but i hope they are happy for them still.

 

[Reddy]

This is fantastic news for srilankans - they need not waste taxpayers money on these toys. Let them build a beautiful and peaceful srilanka

 

[xebex]

although its bad news - in an economic spectrum for pakistan and china.
But an amazingly happy news for sri lnka and world. atleast one of our neighbor are getting out of the grip of terrorism.

I think its a great news they dont require much of weapons . India pakistan nepaul bangla need to learn a few lesson from them. Lanka was most affected by terrorism.

Pakistan have lost a big defence arm buyer - but i hope they are happy for them still.

I think the case for SL is differnt than India,Pakistan,Nepal, BD and China because they share border with each other. This is not the case for SL, they dont have to worry about border dispute or illegal border crossing like we do. Like every island nations SL need to focus more on Cost guard and Navy tho.

 

[PeaceForAll]

for them the whole issue of Terrorism begins and ends with LTTE. Once that is gone, they dont need such huge investements atleast for the time being. In case of india, Pak. China, BD, seems like we have unending reasons to invest in arms and ammunitions...

Hope someday peace prevails!!

 

[haji.muhammad]

Now the followers of Buddha will live in peace on their homeland because they have got rid of RAW's **** i.e. Tamil Tigers.

 

[IBM]

Now the followers of Buddha will live in peace on their homeland because they have got rid of RAW's **** i.e. Tamil Tigers.

Lord Budha was born in India. so he was Indian. There r more budisht livivng in India than in Lanka. Raw bleongs to India. so how they can live in peace hahahhaaha Budha smilling..........

 

[SecularHumanist]

Lord Budha was born in India. so he was Indian. There r more budisht livivng in India than in Lanka. Raw bleongs to India. so how they can live in peace hahahhaaha Budha smilling..........

No you are wrong. Buddha was born in Lumbini, Nepal.

 

[H2O3C4Nitrogen]

Good to hear that Sirilanka has got rid of the manace of terrorism. Now they could spend resources in developing their country. I hope they might not become victim of a yet another proxy .

 

[IBM]

No you are wrong. Buddha was born in Lumbini, Nepal.

Ancient India modern day nepal.........i was not entirely wrong

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha

 

[dabong1]

Lets hope the spend the money on the people that where affected the most by the war.

 

[notsuperstitious]

No you are wrong. Buddha was born in Lumbini, Nepal.

OT,but Siddhartha was born in Lumbini. He became Buddha at Bodh Gaya, India

Anyways, great news for Sri Lanka. They already have good human development indicators and will now be able to really take off.

 

[Hyde]

no problem about 200 million dollars, i am happy Sri Lankans successfully defeated Tamil Tigers. I don't mind if we lost some exports with this.

Long Lives Friendship of Pakistan , China & Sri Lanka

 

[Max The Boss]

Sri Lanka President will visit China next year (In 2010).

China is one of the good friends of Sri Lanka.

Long Lives Friendship of Pakistan , China & Sri Lanka.

 

[khabib]

Lord Budha was born in India. so he was Indian. There r more budisht livivng in India than in Lanka. Raw bleongs to India. so how they can live in peace hahahhaaha Budha smilling..........

If you claim Nepal to be your territory than you are right. Atleast
nepal is foreign policy wise a claim territory of india much like bhutan.