The Sri Lankan government late on Friday night declared a state of emergency following protests outside president Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s house. “President Gotabaya has issued the Gazette under the powers vested in him by Section 2 of the Public Security Ordinance (Chapter 40), as amended by Act. No. 8 of 1959. Law No. 6 of 1978 and Act, No.28 of 1988,” Sri Lankan news agency Daily Mirror said in a report.
Under these laws, the Sri Lankan security forces can arrest and detain suspects for long periods without trial. The powers were invoked after Sri Lankan citizens set afire a bus late on Thursday night demanding Rajapaksa’s resignation. The nation is facing an economic crisis and essentials like fuel deposits, food and medicines are in short supply angering its citizens.
The police imposed a curfew earlier on Thursday night in Colombo and lifted it on Friday morning but the curfew has been reimposed and the number of no-go zones have increased.
Activists with placards were seen on the road leading to the home of the president in Mirihana. Placards with messages like – ‘Time to quit Rajapaksas’ and ‘No more corruption, go home Gota’ – were seen in the hands of the activists.
The decision to impose a curfew was criticised by Sri Lankan politicians. Jaffna and Kilinochchi member of parliament MA Sumanthiran urged the president to rescind the order. “We call upon President Gotabaya to immediately rescind this gazette notification. You cannot stifle protests and opposition to the regime by declaring a state of emergency. I call upon fellow members of Parliament not to approve this ill-advised move,” he said in a tweet.
Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), according to Daily Mirror, has also threatened to quit the coalition if a caretaker government is not formed to address the issues the nation is facing.
Rajapaksa in his defence said that the emergency order was imposed ‘ in the interests of public security, the protection of public order and the maintenance of supplies and services essential to the life of the community.’ He also said that the protests outside his residence were an ‘act of terror’.
Local media persons told news agency AFP that five news photographers were detained and tortured at a local police station. Police said that they have arrested more than 50 protesters. Two protesters were wounded due to police action on Friday.
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