The government’s Information Ministry said the nationwide curfew would take effect from 6 p.m. (1230 GMT) on Saturday until 6 p.m. (0030 GMT) on Monday. Rajapaksa declared a state of emergency on Friday, sparking fears of a crackdown on protesters. Emergency authorities in the past have allowed the military to arrest and detain suspects without warrants, but the terms of the current powers are not yet clear. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register The island nation of the Indian Ocean with a population of 22 million is struggling with power outages for up to 13 hours a day as the government tries to secure foreign exchange to pay for fuel and other basic imports. Read more . “People are taking to the streets when things are not going well,” Nishan Ariyapala, a 68-year-old Colombo store owner, told Reuters TV. “When people take to the streets, the country’s political leaders must act carefully.” Rajapaksa said the state of emergency is necessary to protect public order and maintain basic supplies and services. Outraged by the shortage of fuel and other basic necessities, hundreds of protesters clashed with police and army outside Rajapaksa’s home on Thursday, demanding his ouster and setting fire to several police and army vehicles. The police arrested 53 people and imposed a ban on traffic in and around Colombo Friday to restrict other sporadic demonstrations. The shops opened and traffic was normal on Saturday, while police remained at some gas stations. “UNDERSTANDING FAILURE” “There has been a failure to understand the aspirations of the people and to sympathize with the plight of the people of the country,” the Sri Lankan Bar Association said in a statement, adding that freedom of speech and peaceful assembly must be respected. Responding to the state of emergency, US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung said: “Sri Lankans have the right to protest peacefully – essential for democratic expression. “I am closely monitoring the situation and hope that the coming days will bring restraint on all sides, as well as much-needed financial stability and relief for those who are suffering,” he wrote on Twitter. Stressing the severe shortage of foreign exchange, a ship carrying 5,500 metric tonnes of cooking gas had to leave Sri Lankan waters after Laugfs Gas (LGGL.CM), the company that ordered it, was unable to procure $ 4.9 million from local banks to pay it. . “People are struggling with an acute shortage of cooking gas, but how can we help them when there are no dollars? We are stuck,” Laugfs Gas chairman WHK Wegapitiya told Reuters. The ongoing crisis – the result of financial mismanagement by successive governments – has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has hit tourism and remittances. It has also marked a sharp turn in political support for Rajapaksa, which came to power in 2019 promising stability. The government has said it is seeking a bailout from the International Monetary Fund and loans from India and China. In the first major food aid in the country since Colombo secured a credit line from New Delhi, Indian traders began loading 40,000 tonnes of rice. read more Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Report by Uditha Jayasinghe Written by Rupam Jain Edited by William Mallard and Mark Potter Our role models: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
