Sri Lanka curfew aims to curb protests

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka imposed a countrywide curfew starting Saturday evening until Monday morning, in addition to a state of emergency declared by the president, in an attempt to prevent more protests blaming the government for the worsening economic crisis.

The government’s information head Mohan Samaranayake said that the curfew is being imposed under powers vested with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. He drew the ire of protesters who called for his resignation outside his residence on Thursday night, leading to police firing tear gas and arresting scores of people.

“The curfew is an attempt to shut the people up,” said Ruki Fernando, a human-rights activist who headed to a protest in the capital, Colombo, which dispersed early after the curfew went into force.

“I don’t know why a curfew has been declared. What we need now is not a curfew, we need food, gas, fuel and the freedom to express ourselves,” Fernando said.

Rajapaksa assumed emergency powers on midnight Friday amid widespread calls for protests throughout the country last Sunday, as anger over shortages of essential foods, fuel and long power cuts boiled over last week.

Sri Lanka faces large debt obligations and dwindling foreign reserves, and its struggle to pay for imports has caused a lack of basic supplies. People wait in long lines for gas, and power is cut for several hours daily because there’s not enough fuel to operate power plants and dry weather has sapped hydropower capacity.

The covid-19 pandemic dealt a heavy blow to the economy with the government estimating a loss of $14 billion in the last two years. Protesters also point to mismanagement — Sri Lanka has immense foreign debt after borrowing heavily on projects that don’t earn money. Its foreign debt repayment obligations are around $7 billion for this year alone.

The emergency declaration by Rajapaksa gives him wide powers to preserve public order, suppress mutiny, riot or civil disturbances or for the maintenance of essential supplies. Under the emergency, the president can authorize detentions, seizure of property and search of premises.

He can also change or suspend any law except the constitution.

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka, the largest lawyers’ group, said the emergency declaration was not the answer to the country’s problems.

“These protests reflect the desperate situation of the people who are seeking to secure for themselves and their families some of the most basic essentials in life,” the lawyers said in a statement, urging Rajapaksa to revoke the emergency and ensure people’s rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.