The president of Sri Lanka Gotabaya Rajapaksa declared a state of emergency on Friday handing over the governance to security forces a day after hundreds of people strided angrily into his house over an out-of-ordinary economic crisis.
President Rajapaksa has imposed an emergency, permitting the military to arrest and detain suspects for a longer duration without trial as demonstrations calling for his resignation spread like a wildfire across the nation.
The emergency was invoked on account of the “protection of public order and the maintenance of supplies and services essential to the life of the community,” he said in a public announcement.
Economic Crisis: Emergency Havoc & No Means To Strive
The South Asian nation is going through its worst downturn since its independence in 1948; grappling with the scarcity of essential items, severe inflation, and crippling power cuts.
According to a report by AFP, Police imposed a nighttime curfew on Friday in the Western Province that consists of Colombo, stretching the no-go zone from the previous night.
Earlier in the evening, dozens of rights activists protested with handwritten placards and oil lamps in the capital.
“Time to quit Rajapaksas,” said one placard. While the other placard read “No more corruption, go home Gota.”
In the hilly area of Nuwara Eliya, activists tried to block the inauguration of a flower exhibition by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa’s wife, Shiranthi, police said.
Protests against the government erupted in the southern towns of Galle, Matara, and Moratuwa, and similar demonstrations were reported in the northern and central provinces. All of this caused gridlock on major routes.
Hundreds of people protested outside the president’s private residence on Thursday night, demanding his resignation.
Before police launched tear gas and threw water cannons, the crowd cried, “maniac, lunatic, go home.”
The situation went out of hand, the crowd turned aggressive, and set fire to two military buses, a police jeep, two patrol motorcycles, and a three-wheeler, reported AFP. Stone-pelting was also reported on the ground.
Police arrested 53 protesters, but according to the local media organizations five news photographers were put behind the bars, and tortured at a local police station, a charge the government would look into.
The deployment of police and military personnel increased on Friday.
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Protests In Sri Lanka: Ministers & Their Comments:
“Both the president and his wife were at their home when the protests were going on,” told Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, denying previous claims that they were away at the time of the incident.
“We had information of a demonstration, but nothing suggesting that it could turn violent. It is a major intelligence failure.”
Transport Minister Dilum Amunugama said “terrorists” backed the unrest.
Rajapaksa’s office said the protestors intended to duplicate “Arab Spring” — an anti-government protest that happened ten years ago in the Middle East in a response to corruption and economic stagnation.
Sri Lanka’s current situation has much to do with the Covid-19 pandemic, which has blown away tourism and remittances.
Many economists believe that the situation turned worst due to the government’s mismanagement and years of accumulated debts.
Notably, according to the latest official data released by Srilankan authorities, inflation in Colombo stood at 18.7 percent in March, while food prices shot up to 30.1 percent.
Diesel shortages have sparked protests across Sri Lanka, with people demonstrating outside empty pumps.
Several state-run hospitals did not have adequate life-saving medicines owing to which routine surgeries had to be halted.
The government has requested a bailout from the International Monetary Fund ( IMF) while seeking more debts from neighbors- India and China.