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Message: <blockquote data-quote="monson" data-source="post: 21015203" data-attributes="member: 30005"><img src="http://www.island.lk/modules/modPublication/article_title_images/1569359308japan.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />Hambantota port workers held a Japanese vehicle carrier Hyperion Highway and its crew for four days in protest against the proposed agreement between the government and state owned China Merchants Port Holdings Company Ltd to operate the port as a public-private partnership.Hyperion Highway is one of the largest vehicle carriers in the world.Ship’s owner Kawasaki Kisen Kiasha has sought immediate intervention of their local agents ABC Shipping to secure the vessel’s release along with its crew. Twenty five member crew comprised Bulgarians and Filipinos.A senior ABC spokesperson told The Island that the government had been briefed on what he called an extremely volatile situation. "We are deeply concerned about the unexpected crisis involving Japanese K line vessel."Both President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe have been briefed on the situation, the spokesman said................Wartime Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama yesterday told The Island that seizure of a foreign vessel under whatever circumstances was a very serious matter. Bogollagama said that the incident at Hambantota port couldn’t have taken place at a worse time and certain to dent investor confidence.Both Japanese and Chinese embassies in Colombo have been closely monitoring the situation.Sources in Hambantota said that port workers had piled up a mountain of sand on the road leading to the port in a bid to thwart navy vehicles moving in. Responding to another query, sources said that the vessel had been scheduled to pick up some transhipment cargo (vehicles) from India to be taken to Sohar, Oman.Shipping sources told The Island that the crisis at the Hambantota port would have a debilitating impact on the industry. They said that whatever their grievances, preventing a vessel’s departure wasn’t acceptable. Sources said that law enforcement and military authorities responded cautiously due to uncertain situation thereby delaying tangible measures to end the siege on the vessel.Sources said that the owners had expressed their serious concerns to local agents in the strongest possible terms.- <a href="http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=156935" target="_blank">http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=156935</a></blockquote>

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