CRISIS-HIT SRI LANKA DECLARES A STATE OF EMERGENCY
The move comes after massive protests across the island nation demanding the resignation of the Rajapaksa government.
The crisis-hit Sri Lanka on Friday declared a state of emergency after the crippling strike and protest over the external debt for the second time in five weeks.
Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa today declared a state of emergency citing “public security and the protection of public order and for the maintenance of supplies and services essential to the life of the community.” It will come into effect on May 6 at midnight.
The move comes after massive protests across the island nation demanding the resignation of President Rajapaksa and the entire government over the economic crisis in the country. The first state of emergency was declared on April 1, 2022.
Trade unions staged a nationwide strike demanding his resignation over the crisis. Over 2,000 trade unions participated in today’s nationwide hartal and strike against the President, Prime Minister, and the government, Colombo Page reported.
All Ceylon Transport Workers Union, Sri Lanka Railway Station Masters’ Union (SLRSMU), the University students, and many other unions are protesting today against the Rajapaksa family.
Earlier, President in a special meeting requested Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa to step down from his power as a solution to the ongoing political crisis in the country.
In a special meeting between President and the cabinet Ministers, PM Rajapaksa said that if the new government will solve the economic crisis and could bring an immediate solution, then he would give his blessing to the new government, Daily Mirror reported.
Sri Lanka is struggling with acute food and electricity shortages, forcing the country to seek help from
its neighbours. The recession is attributed to foreign exchange shortages caused by a clampdown on tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic. The country is unable to buy sufficient fuel and gas, while the people are being deprived of basic amenities as well.
The economic situation has led to huge protests with demands for the resignation of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. After the Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa declared an island-wide state of emergency, the envoys of the European Union, the United States, and several other western countries have expressed their concern over the move by the government.
These comments from representatives came after President Rajapaksa declared a state of emergency with effect from midnight on Friday as anti-government protests continue. Delegation of the European Union in Sri Lanka, in a tweet, noted that imposing a state of emergency will not help solve the problems of the country. “A month of peaceful demonstrations has shown how Sri Lankan citizens fully enjoy their right to freedom of expression in the oldest democracy in South Asia. State of emergency will certainly not help solve the country’s difficulties and could have a counterproductive effect,” the EU in Sri Lanka said, reported Colombo Page.
Showing worry over the second emergency in the country by the government, the United States Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie
Chung said, “Concerned by another State of Emergency. 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 won’t help do that.”
Meanwhile, the Swiss Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Dominik Furgler also told that this proclamation will not help in any way. “For weeks the Sri Lankans have been peacefully demonstrating because they are desperate and suffering. To avoid an escalation the causes have to be seriously and credibly addressed now. It’s hard to see how a state of emergency could help in any way,” he said in a tweet.
The Canadian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka David Mckinnon asked the Sri Lankan government why was the announcement of emergency necessary when people were holding peaceful protests.