Police crack whip on student march
SRI LANKAN police dispersed hundreds of demonstrators last Saturday (24), a day after severely curtailing protest rights in response to months of unrest sparked by the island nation’s sharp economic downturn.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe has taken a tough line against activists who forced his predecessor to flee the country and resign in July at the peak of the country’s crisis.
Officers in anti-riot gear blocked the student march hours after the government declared the city centre a “high security zone”, outlawing protests in the vicinity.
Police fired tear gas and water cannon to clear out the demonstrators, who were demanding the release of fellow activists detained under draconian anti-terror laws.
Witnesses saw police detain dozens of participants.
Wickremesinghe last Friday (23) ordered a ban on all demonstrations and protests near key institutions, including his office and the homes of military top brass. Sri Lanka’s influential bar association condemned the ban and said it seriously undermined freedom of expression and assembly.
The edict “seeks to significantly curtail the liberty of the citizen, without any reasonable or legal basis,” it said in a statement. Shortly after Wickremesinghe took power, troops dismantled a long-running protest site outside the president’s office and arrested hundreds who had participated in the protest.
Police says three student leaders have been detained under anti-terror laws, while the rest have been released on bail.