Chinese Minister of Ethnic Affairs, Pau Yue, is set to arrive in Sri Lanka today and will be touring the island from the 19th to the 23rd. Following the Northern War, Sri Lanka primarily engaged with Western countries on matters of ethnic relations. Numerous Western nations provided guidance, while scholars visited to offer advice and assess progress. This marks the first time Sri Lanka is engaging with China on ethnic relations.
Among the minorities in China, the main minority is the Muslim Uyghurs. Western media alleges that China had detained millions of Uyghur Muslims. International human rights organizations accuse China of carrying out genocide against the Uyghurs. United States, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and others accuse China of committing crimes against humanity. But China says it is successfully fighting terrorists.
During the Sri Lankan war, India and Western nations declined to supply weapons to Sri Lanka, citing allegations of genocide against minorities. However, China stepped in, providing military support throughout the conflict. From the administration of J.R. Jayewardene to that of Mahinda Rajapaksa, China consistently supplied Sri Lanka with weapons. After the war, when Western countries and international human rights organizations accused Sri Lanka of human rights violations, China continued to support Sri Lanka.
When Western nations, including the United States, passed resolutions at the UN Human Rights Commission accusing Sri Lanka of war-time human rights violations, China sided with Sri Lanka. As a result, the Tamil people of the North-East viewed China as an adversary. When the Chinese ambassador attempted to build ties with Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MPs, they responded unfavourably. In response, China launched relief projects directly for the people of the North-East, bypassing the TNA and trying to win public support. The Chinese ambassador to Sri Lanka later praised the electoral defeat of the TNA in the North-East and praised the JVP win in North and east elections.
Against this backdrop, the Chinese Minister of Ethnic Affairs visits Sri Lanka. It remains unclear whether his visit is to advocate for the rights of Sri Lankan minorities or to counsel the National People’s Power government on China’s approach to minority suppression.
