Sri Lankan protesters undeterred
by state of emergency
STORY: Protesters waved flags and chanted slogans outside President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's office and the official residence of his elder brother, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, demanding the government to step down over a worsening economic crisis.
Some were seen carrying out a mock funeral procession for the prime minister.
Details of the latest emergency regulations were not yet made public, but previous emergency laws have given greater powers to the president to deploy the military, detain people without charge and break up protests.
On Friday, police fired tear gas at dozens of demonstrators outside parliament, the latest in more than a month of sporadically violent anti-government protests amid shortages of imported food, fuel and medicines.
Sri Lanka president declares state of emergency after day of protests
Fri, May 6, 2022
By Uditha Jayasinghe and Alasdair Pal
COLOMBO (Reuters) -Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa declared a state of emergency on Friday following a day of anti-government strikes and protests over a worsening economic crisis.
The measure, which drew immediate criticism from opposition leader Sajith Premadasa and from Canada's ambassador, is effective immediately and was taken in the interests of public security, a government notice said.
Police earlier fired tear gas at dozens of demonstrators outside parliament, in the latest in more than a month of sporadically violent anti-government protests amid shortages of imported food, fuel and medicines.
Hit hard by the pandemic, rising oil prices and government tax cuts, Sri Lanka has been left with as little as $50 million in useable foreign reserves, the finance minister said this week.
Details of the latest emergency regulations were not yet made public, but previous emergency laws have given greater powers to the president to deploy the military, detain people without charge and break up protests.
His order must be approved by parliament within 30 days.
Calling on Rajapaksa to resign, Premadasa said the state of emergency "runs counter to seeking any solution to the crisis".
Canada's ambassador to Sri Lanka, David McKinnon, said the decision was unnecessary.
"Over the past weeks, the demonstrations across Sri Lanka have overwhelmingly involved citizens enjoying their right to peaceful freedom of expression, and are a credit to the country’s democracy," he said.
'SICK AND TIRED OF POLITICIANS'
Hundreds of university students and other protesters gathered on Friday on the main road to parliament where they had started a sit-in on Thursday.
Some hung underwear on barricades as an insult to the political leadership.
"We are here because we are sick and tired of politicians lying to us. We want the president and this government to go home," said Purnima Muhandiram, a 42-year-old advertising professional.
Thousands of shops, schools and businesses closed earlier on Friday as public and private sector workers went on strike, demanding the president and the government step down for their handling of the island's worst financial crisis in decades.
Commuters were left stranded as private bus and train operators joined the strike.
Healthcare workers also joined the strike, though emergency services remained operational.
Rajapaksa has refused to step down, repeatedly calling for a unity government led by him, but opposition leaders plan to move a no-confidence motion against the president and the government next week.
Rajapaksa previously declared a state of emergency on 1 April but rolled it back after five days.
(Reporting by Uditha Jayasinghe and Alasdair Pal; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore, Frances Kerry and John Stonestreet)
Fri, May 6, 2022
By Uditha Jayasinghe and Alasdair Pal
COLOMBO (Reuters) -Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa declared a state of emergency on Friday following a day of anti-government strikes and protests over a worsening economic crisis.
The measure, which drew immediate criticism from opposition leader Sajith Premadasa and from Canada's ambassador, is effective immediately and was taken in the interests of public security, a government notice said.
Police earlier fired tear gas at dozens of demonstrators outside parliament, in the latest in more than a month of sporadically violent anti-government protests amid shortages of imported food, fuel and medicines.
Hit hard by the pandemic, rising oil prices and government tax cuts, Sri Lanka has been left with as little as $50 million in useable foreign reserves, the finance minister said this week.
Details of the latest emergency regulations were not yet made public, but previous emergency laws have given greater powers to the president to deploy the military, detain people without charge and break up protests.
His order must be approved by parliament within 30 days.
Calling on Rajapaksa to resign, Premadasa said the state of emergency "runs counter to seeking any solution to the crisis".
Canada's ambassador to Sri Lanka, David McKinnon, said the decision was unnecessary.
"Over the past weeks, the demonstrations across Sri Lanka have overwhelmingly involved citizens enjoying their right to peaceful freedom of expression, and are a credit to the country’s democracy," he said.
'SICK AND TIRED OF POLITICIANS'
Hundreds of university students and other protesters gathered on Friday on the main road to parliament where they had started a sit-in on Thursday.
Some hung underwear on barricades as an insult to the political leadership.
"We are here because we are sick and tired of politicians lying to us. We want the president and this government to go home," said Purnima Muhandiram, a 42-year-old advertising professional.
Thousands of shops, schools and businesses closed earlier on Friday as public and private sector workers went on strike, demanding the president and the government step down for their handling of the island's worst financial crisis in decades.
Commuters were left stranded as private bus and train operators joined the strike.
Healthcare workers also joined the strike, though emergency services remained operational.
Rajapaksa has refused to step down, repeatedly calling for a unity government led by him, but opposition leaders plan to move a no-confidence motion against the president and the government next week.
Rajapaksa previously declared a state of emergency on 1 April but rolled it back after five days.
(Reporting by Uditha Jayasinghe and Alasdair Pal; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore, Frances Kerry and John Stonestreet)
Diplomats concerned by state of emergency in Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan police officers walk past a closed restaurant during a country wide strike in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, May 6, 2022. Protesters have hung undergarments near Sri Lanka’s Parliament while shops, offices and schools closed and transport came to a near standstill amid nationwide demonstrations against the government over its alleged inability to resolve the worst economic crisis in decades.
Sri Lankan police officers walk past a closed restaurant during a country wide strike in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, May 6, 2022. Protesters have hung undergarments near Sri Lanka’s Parliament while shops, offices and schools closed and transport came to a near standstill amid nationwide demonstrations against the government over its alleged inability to resolve the worst economic crisis in decades.
(AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
KRISHAN FRANCIS
Fri, May 6, 2022, 11:55 PM
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Diplomats and rights groups expressed concern Saturday after Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa declared a state of emergency and police used force against peaceful protesters amid the country's worst economic crisis in recent memory.
The economic and political situation has triggered protests across the Indian Ocean island nation demanding the resignation of Rajapaksa and his powerful ruling family.
Rajapaksa issued a decree declaring a public emergency on Friday. He invoked sections of the Public Security Ordinance that allow him to make regulations in the interests of public security and preserving public order, and for the maintenance of essential supplies.
Under the emergency regulations, Rajapaksa can authorize detentions, seize possession of property and search any premises. He can also change or suspend any law.
U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung tweeted Saturday that she is “concerned” by the state of emergency, adding that “the voices of peaceful citizens need to be heard.”
“And the very real challenges Sri Lankans are facing require long term solutions to set the country back on a path toward prosperity and opportunity for all. The SOE (state of emergency) won’t help do that,” Chung added.
Canadian envoy David McKinnon said Sri Lankans have a right to peaceful protest under democracy and that it is “hard to understand why it is necessary, then, to declare a state of emergency.”
The declaration of emergency came on the same day that shops, offices, banks and schools closed across the country heeding calls for a shutdown in protest against the president and his family. Trade unions have warned of continued strikes from May 11 if they do not resign by then.
The government said Saturday the emergency was declared to create political stability so that reforms can be implemented to help resolve the economic crisis.
It also said the emergency status would help create necessary conditions for negotiations with the International Monetary Fund and other agencies and countries for financial assistance and debt restructuring.
“The emotive protests organized in the capital and many parts of the country have become a threat to public safety,” a government statement said, adding that continued protests will only aggravate the economic difficulties.
Sri Lanka is near bankruptcy. It announced it is suspending repayment of its foreign loans and its usable foreign currency reserves have plummeted below $50 million. The country has $7 billion in foreign loan repayments due this year out of $25 billion to be repaid by 2026. Its total foreign debt is $51 billion.
Police used tear gas and a water cannon twice Friday at protesters near the Parliament who were criticizing lawmakers for not ousting the president and his government, whom they say are responsible for the economic crisis. Protesters are angry that lawmakers elected a government-backed deputy speaker of Parliament by a large majority when the protesters say they should be voting Rajapaksa’s government out of power.
Police first fired tear gas at a student-led protest that began Thursday after the election of the deputy speaker in what was seen as a key victory for the governing coalition. Separately, police dispersed more protesters with tear gas Friday night, also near Parliament.
The rights group Amnesty International said protests have been peaceful and the authorities have unlawfully restricted the right to freedom of peaceful assembly.
Protesters have vowed to continue their demonstrations despite the emergency law, while an occupation of the entrance to the president's office continued for a 29th day Saturday.
KRISHAN FRANCIS
Fri, May 6, 2022, 11:55 PM
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Diplomats and rights groups expressed concern Saturday after Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa declared a state of emergency and police used force against peaceful protesters amid the country's worst economic crisis in recent memory.
The economic and political situation has triggered protests across the Indian Ocean island nation demanding the resignation of Rajapaksa and his powerful ruling family.
Rajapaksa issued a decree declaring a public emergency on Friday. He invoked sections of the Public Security Ordinance that allow him to make regulations in the interests of public security and preserving public order, and for the maintenance of essential supplies.
Under the emergency regulations, Rajapaksa can authorize detentions, seize possession of property and search any premises. He can also change or suspend any law.
U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung tweeted Saturday that she is “concerned” by the state of emergency, adding that “the voices of peaceful citizens need to be heard.”
“And the very real challenges Sri Lankans are facing require long term solutions to set the country back on a path toward prosperity and opportunity for all. The SOE (state of emergency) won’t help do that,” Chung added.
Canadian envoy David McKinnon said Sri Lankans have a right to peaceful protest under democracy and that it is “hard to understand why it is necessary, then, to declare a state of emergency.”
The declaration of emergency came on the same day that shops, offices, banks and schools closed across the country heeding calls for a shutdown in protest against the president and his family. Trade unions have warned of continued strikes from May 11 if they do not resign by then.
The government said Saturday the emergency was declared to create political stability so that reforms can be implemented to help resolve the economic crisis.
It also said the emergency status would help create necessary conditions for negotiations with the International Monetary Fund and other agencies and countries for financial assistance and debt restructuring.
“The emotive protests organized in the capital and many parts of the country have become a threat to public safety,” a government statement said, adding that continued protests will only aggravate the economic difficulties.
Sri Lanka is near bankruptcy. It announced it is suspending repayment of its foreign loans and its usable foreign currency reserves have plummeted below $50 million. The country has $7 billion in foreign loan repayments due this year out of $25 billion to be repaid by 2026. Its total foreign debt is $51 billion.
Police used tear gas and a water cannon twice Friday at protesters near the Parliament who were criticizing lawmakers for not ousting the president and his government, whom they say are responsible for the economic crisis. Protesters are angry that lawmakers elected a government-backed deputy speaker of Parliament by a large majority when the protesters say they should be voting Rajapaksa’s government out of power.
Police first fired tear gas at a student-led protest that began Thursday after the election of the deputy speaker in what was seen as a key victory for the governing coalition. Separately, police dispersed more protesters with tear gas Friday night, also near Parliament.
The rights group Amnesty International said protests have been peaceful and the authorities have unlawfully restricted the right to freedom of peaceful assembly.
Protesters have vowed to continue their demonstrations despite the emergency law, while an occupation of the entrance to the president's office continued for a 29th day Saturday.
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