Son of former Sri Lankan President jailed over protest

By APD Writer Easwaran

**COLOMBO, Oct. 11 (APD) – ** The son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was ordered to be placed in remand by a judge overnight on Tuesday for leading a protest against projects involving China and India.

Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa and six others were arrested over the protest staged in the southern town of Hambantota last week.

Namal Rajapaksa was ordered to appear before the police to be questioned and he was later arrested together with six others, including some opposition politicians.

They were later produced before a judge and remanded till October 16.

Rajapaksa and the “joint opposition” took part in a protest in Hambantota last Friday against Sri Lanka’s decision to reach agreements with a Chinese and Indian company to operate a port and airport.

Sri Lanka has already signed the agreement with a Chinese company to operate the Hambantota port while it hopes to reach an agreement with an Indian company to operate an airport in the area.

The government says it needs to obtain foreign assistance to improve the port and airport as they were operating at a loss.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)