Sri Lanka's minister of fisheries and aquatic resource development, Mahinda Amaraweera reiterated on Saturday that the government would not sell "even an inch of state owned land to private investors."
"The current government has been successful in its effort to regain State land sold to foreigners by the previous regime," Minister Amaraweera was quoted by Ada Derana as saying.
The minister's statement comes amid criticism among the Sinhala population at what was perceived to be the handing over of land to a stated owned Chinese company at Hambantota port.