Sri Lanka under curfew as five killed in clashes
▶ UN condemns violence at protests that left about 200 people wounded
Thousands of soldiers and police were on Sri Lanka’s streets yesterday after the government introduced a curfew.
It was imposed when five people were killed and about 200 injured during demonstrations on Monday about the country’s economic crisis.
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned the same day after weeks of protests.
His departure cleared the way for a “new unity government”, a spokesman said.
Mr Rajapaksa had to be rescued in a pre-dawn operation by the military yesterday after thousands of anti-government protesters stormed his official residence in the capital Colombo overnight, AFP reported.
Police fired tear gas and warning shots to control the crowd.
“After a pre-dawn operation, the former PM and his family were evacuated to safety by the army,” a security official said. “At least 10 petrol bombs were thrown into the compound.”
Mr Rajapaksa’s son Namal, who was once touted as a future leader, said the family had no plans to leave Sri Lanka.
“There are a lot of rumours that we are going to leave. We will not leave the country,” Namal Rajapaksa said. He dismissed anger against his family as a “bad patch”. He said his father would not step down as a Member of Parliament.
The Rajapaksa clan’s hold on power has been shaken by months of blackouts and shortages, in Sri Lanka’s worst economic crisis since it became independent of Britain in 1948.
But President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the brother of Mahinda, remains in office, with wide powers and command over the security forces.
After weeks of peaceful anti-government demonstrations, violence broke out on Monday when Mahinda Rajapaksa’s supporters – many of whom had travelled to the capital from the countryside – attacked protesters with clubs. “We were hit, the media were
hit, women and children were hit,” a witness told AFP.
Police fired tear gas and water cannon to disperse the crowds and declared an immediate curfew in Colombo, a measure later widened to include the entire nation of 22 million
people. Offices, shops and schools were ordered to remain closed yesterday, but authorities said the curfew was due to be lifted this morning.
UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet condemned the violence and urged the authorities to prevent further unrest.
She called for restraint and meaningful dialogue to address public grievances.
“I condemn all violence and call on the authorities to independently, thoroughly and transparently investigate all attacks that have occurred. It is crucial to ensure that those found responsible, including
those inciting or organising violence, are held to account,” Ms Bachelet said.
US ambassador Julie Chung said Washington condemned “the violence against peaceful protesters” and called on the Sri Lankan “government to conduct a full investigation”.
Despite the curfew, anti-government protesters defied police late into Monday night.
Outside Colombo, ruling party MP Amarakeerthi Athukorala shot two people, killing a man of 27, after being surrounded by anti-government protesters, police said. According to officers, Athukorala then took his
own life. His bodyguard was also found dead at the scene, police said.
Another ruling party politician, who was not identified, opened fire on protesters, killing two and wounding five in the south of the island, police said.
Crowds set alight the homes of more than a dozen pro-Rajapaksa politicians, along with some vehicles, while buses and lorries used by government loyalists in and around Colombo were also targets.
Rajapaksa homes in several parts of the country were set alight and a family museum was damaged.
Namal Rajapaksa, the former prime minister’s son, dismissed public anger against his family as a ‘bad patch’