Sri Lanka declares state of emergency as street protests spread amid unprecedented economic crisis
- Emergency declaration provides security forces with sweeping powers allowing military to arrest and detain suspects for long periods without trial
- Protesters want the president to resign amid an unprecedented economic crisis that led to severe shortages of essentials, sharp price rises and power cuts
Sri Lanka’s president declared a state of emergency on Friday giving sweeping powers to security forces a day after hundreds tried to storm his house in anger over an unprecedented economic crisis.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa invoked the tough laws allowing the military to arrest and detain suspects for long periods without trial as demonstrations calling for his ouster spread across the South Asian nation.
The emergency was declared for “protection of public order and the maintenance of supplies and services essential to the life of the community,” he said in a proclamation.
Police arrested 53 people and imposed a curfew in and around Colombo on Friday to contain sporadic protests that have broken out over shortages of essential items, including fuel and other goods.
The Indian Ocean island nation of 22 million people faces rolling blackouts for up to 13 hours a day as the government scrambles to secure foreign exchange to pay for fuel imports.
Earlier in the evening, dozens of rights activists carried handwritten placards and oil lamps in the capital while demonstrating at a busy intersection.
“Time to quit Rajapaksas,” said one placard. “No more corruption, go home Gota,” said another – referring to the president.
