The nation of South Asia is facing severe shortages of food, fuel and other basic necessities – along with record inflation and amputations – in the worst economic recession since independence from Britain in 1948. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa imposed a state of emergency on Friday, the day after a crowd tried to storm his home in the capital, Colombo, and a nationwide curfew was in place until Monday morning. Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), Sri Lanka’s main opposition coalition, denounced the blackout on social media in an effort to quell growing public protests, saying it was time for the government to step down. “President Rajapaksa is better aware that the tide has already overturned his authoritarian rule,” SJB lawmaker Harsha de Silva told AFP. Troops armed with assault rifles marched on a jail holding others detained during a rally on Friday, removing hundreds of protesters by truck. The road was blocked a few hundred meters from the house of the official leader of the opposition, Sajith Premadasa, and the crowd was engaged in a tense confrontation with the security forces for almost two hours before dispersing peacefully. Eran Wickramaratne, another SLB MP, condemned the declaration of a state of emergency and the presence of troops on the city streets. “We can not allow a military occupation,” he said. “They should know that we are still a democracy.” Internet service providers have been ordered to block access to Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter and many other social media platforms, but the blackout has not prevented several small demonstrations elsewhere in Sri Lanka. Police launched tear gas to dissolve students in the central city of Peradeniya, although demonstrations in other regions of the country ended without episodes. Private media reported that the head of the Sri Lankan Internet regulator resigned after the ban took effect. The blackout was canceled later that day after the country’s human rights committee ruled that the defense ministry had no power to impose censorship. Soldiers patrol in Colombo on Sunday against a curfew and a state of emergency. Photo: Pradeep Dambarage / NurPhoto / Rex / Shutterstock The streets of Colombo were largely empty on Sunday, with the exception of opposition protests and long queues of vehicles queuing for fuel. Police say a man died after being electrocuted after climbing a high-voltage pole near Rajapaksa’s house. Residents said they were protesting against the power outage. Mass demonstrations were scheduled for Sunday before the blackout on social media took effect, but organizers postponed rallies until the curfew was lifted on Monday. The escalating protests have led to cracks within the government, with President’s nephew Namal Rajapaksa condemning the partial blackout on the internet. “I will never forgive the blocking of social media,” said Namal, the country’s sports minister. A smaller party has also hinted that it may leave the ruling coalition within a week. The move would not threaten the government’s survival, but would jeopardize its chances of legally extending the country’s emergency decree. Western diplomats in Colombo have expressed concern about the use of emergency laws to stifle democratic dissent and have said they are closely monitoring developments. The powerful Sri Lankan Bar Association has urged the government to lift the state of emergency, which allows security forces to arrest and detain suspects for long periods without charge. Demonstrations of solidarity took place in other parts of the world over the weekend, including the Australian city of Melbourne, home to a large Sri Lankan diaspora. A critical foreign exchange shortage has left Sri Lanka struggling to service its $ 51 billion foreign debt, with the pandemic torpedoing vital revenues from tourism and remittances. The crisis has also left the import-dependent country unable to pay even for essentials. Diesel shortages have sparked outrage across Sri Lanka in recent days, sparking protests over empty pumps, and utilities have imposed 13-hour power outages to save fuel. Many economists also say the crisis has been exacerbated by government mismanagement, years of accumulated borrowing and inappropriate tax cuts. Sri Lanka is negotiating with the International Monetary Fund for a rescue.
