After President’s resignation: unrest in Sri Lanka continues

Violent unrest continues despite the resignation of Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Rajapaksa. The demonstrators are demanding that his brother, the President, also resign from office.

Burnt out buses in the middle of the streets in the capital Colombo. This can be seen in videos from the Reuters news agency. Now that the day has come a little calm seems to have returned to Sri Lanka. There is a curfew in the country, but many demonstrators did not comply last night.

Mobile phone videos on social media show people shouting as houses burn. It is government officials’ buildings that go up in flames. More than 70 houses and offices burned down completely, and more than 150 cars and buses were damaged, local media write.

Military used against demonstrators

Government critics also wanted to storm the prime minister’s residence. But the government not only used the police with tear gas and water cannons, but also the military. Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned yesterday. As a result, all ministers lost their posts. But Rajapaksa’s brother Gotabaya remains in office as President. Many demonstrators are demanding that he, too, resign from office.

Several people died in the protests and many were injured. Yesterday, government supporters attacked people with clubs and sticks, who had been demonstrating against the government for weeks – so far peacefully. Government members are also said to have shot around, injuring and killing several demonstrators.

Brutal crackdown on demonstrators

Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa calls for a quick clarification of what happened during the night’s protests: “Everyone in the government, including the two Rajapaksas, i.e. the prime minister and the president, must be held accountable. It was a planned attack on the protesters. This was state terror and the Rajapaksas are responsible for it.”

The older brother, the prime minister, fled the capital with family members in a military helicopter and is said to be staying at an army base in the north of the country. Several people are now trying to block the roads to the airport so members of the government cannot leave the country.

Sri Lanka is caught in the worst economic crisis the country has ever seen. The country is almost bankrupt, there is hardly any fuel or medicine left. Many people can no longer even afford to buy enough groceries.

Mainly due to the Corona crisis, hardly any tourists have come to the country in the last two years. For Sri Lanka, this is the most important branch of the economy. An interim government is to be formed. Sri Lanka is hoping for financial aid from China and India and is in talks with the International Monetary Fund.