Should Sri Lanka's soul be sold for US dollars?

Colombo(News1st) - US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Alaina B.Teplitz, writing a letter to the American Chamber of Commerce in Sri Lanka, has informed about the business development efforts in Sri Lanka. The Ambassador says that she writes the letter "As there has been a lot of confusion and incorrect information circulating about our efforts regarding the Millennium Challenge Corporation Grant" The letter added that the attachments will clarify how this development assistance was designed to foster greater prosperity for Sri Lanka, while also creating an environment that helps to attract more businesses and investment to the country. She concludes by saying "The United States supports a strong, sovereign Sri Lanka." We find it interesting that the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka should highlight the MCC’s US$450 million as a grant that is given in the interest of Sri Lanka’s prosperity. What is it about Sri Lanka that has suddenly made the US so interested in our prosperity? Perhaps it is the fact that the US Indo-Pacific Strategy has openly identified Sri Lanka as a nation of vital importance to US interests in the region, in particular, when it comes to cooperation on “mutual logistics arrangements in support of Indian ocean security”. While Sri Lanka is nowhere near as powerful economically or militarily as the US, it would be pertinent to keep in mind that this nation and her people are not beggars, waiting for hand-outs. While we welcome partnership in our march towards economic prosperity, it should be done on OUR national objectives, and not according to the whims and fancies of any nation. Of course, one cannot blame the US for pursuing its interests with vigour. The Sri Lankan people can only look on helplessly as its leaders, in their greed to hold on to or grab on to power, allow other nations to pilfer our land, to an extent where a UN rapporteur has summoned the Chief Justice of our country. The Chief Justice of Sri Lanka is the third pillar of the state, where the President himself, has to be sworn in before him. The MCC cannot be accepted as a grant given to Sri Lanka in good faith, until the scope and need for such a grant, in which the funds are to be spent on very focused areas, are taken into consideration along with the impending SOFA and already signed ACSA agreements. If the US Ambassador presumes that a graphically designed info-cards are enough to explain a mysterious grant that focuses on two areas of development identified by a so-called scoping committee packed with ‘yes-men’, then she has completely misunderstood the resentment felt by the people of this country at the thought of being ‘given some money, for subservience.' Sri Lanka cannot be purchased. Not for US$450 million or US$450 billion. Although some of our politicians might be for sale, our people are not.