Sri Lankan Security Forces have been tasked to shoot law-breakers on sight in a bid to quell anti-government protests on the island.
The Government gave the order after the deployment of security officials, meant to instil calm, rather proved futile as protesters continued with intensified forms of destruction in the city’s capital, Colombo.
Demonstrators are calling for the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa over the island’s worst economic crisis in history. On Monday, May 9, 2022, the President’s brother, Mahinda Rajapaksa, stepped down as Prime Minister amid the violent street clashes.
But the resignation failed to bring calm to the protesters as the violence continued overnight. On Tuesday, May 10, 2022, the government ordered troops to open fire on anyone looting public property or causing “harm to life”. Additionally, the government deployed tens of thousands of armies, ranging from navy and air force personnel to patrol the streets of Sri Lanka’s capital, Colombo.
Latest Casualties
Despite the presence of security officials, the city’s top Police Officer was assaulted on Tuesday (May 10, 2022) afternoon by a mob, accusing him of not doing enough to protect peaceful protesters. At Colombo’s Galle Face Green, on the seafront, crowds also continued to gather.
According to a report by the Police, eight people have died and the capital’s main hospital recorded more than 200 people wounded since Monday’s (May 9, 2020) protest. Some were injured by pro-government mobs, and others were affected after police fired tear gas into crowds. Lawyers acting for the protesters told the media that they are filing cases against supporters of the Prime Minister.
Curfew Extension Over Mass Destruction
The island-wide curfew has been extended to Thursday (May 12, 2022) morning, as authorities find lasting solutions to end the violence.
Evidence of last night’s (Monday, May 9, 2022) rioting is everywhere across Colombo, with buses thrown into the lake, others with windows smashed out and tyres still burning. In the North-East part of the country, protesters gathered in front of Trincomalee Naval Base, where unconfirmed reports suggested that Mahinda Rajapaksa and his family members are seeking refuge after escaping from his Colombo residence.
Reports also disclosed that more than 50 houses of politicians were burned overnight. Crowds are still stationed outside President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s office, with calls for him to quit. Since last month (April 2022), Sri Lanka has been gripped by escalating demonstrations over soaring prices and power cuts.
On Monday, May 9, 2022, the Government supporters clashed violently with protesters in Colombo outside Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Temple Trees residence, and then at the main protest site at Galle Face Green.
Throughout the night, mobs of protesters across the country torched houses belonging to the Rajapaksas, various ministers and MPs. This included a house turned into a controversial museum by the Rajapaksas in the family’s ancestral village in Hambantota in Southern Sri Lanka. Areas near the President’s official residence were also set ablaze, according to reports. A municipal lawmaker died in the hospital after an attack on his house.
No Sign of Change After Resignation
Following Mahinda Rajapaksa’s resignation, protesters attempted to breach the inner compound of Temple Trees where he was staying along with other loyalists. So far, protesters set fire to a bus outside the home, but the Police fired shots and tear gas in a bid to disperse them.
Reports indicated that Mr. Rajapaksa was flown out of Colombo to an undisclosed location on Tuesday (May 10, 2022) morning. However, elsewhere in Colombo, tensions remained high. Men armed with sticks and rods have established roadblocks on the routes leading to-and-fro the airport, and the Police and Security Forces, who are usually a common sight in the area, are now nowhere to be seen.
Experiencing Worst Economic Crisis
Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis after gaining independence from Britain in 1948.
Natives are furious because claims are suggesting that the cost of living has become unaffordable. The country’s foreign currency reserves have virtually run dry, and people can no longer afford essential items such as food, medicines and fuel. The situation has compelled the government to request emergency financial help.
The Government blamed the country’s economic standing on the Covid-19 pandemic, which collapsed Sri Lanka’s tourist trade (one of its biggest foreign currency earners) for the country. But many experts have slammed down the claims made by the Government, saying the crisis should be blamed on economic mismanagement.
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