Protesters in Sri Lanka have set fire to the homes of 38 politicians as the country’s crisis deepens, with the government instructing forces to “kill on sight.” Angry Sri Lankans have continued to defy a nationwide curfew to protest what they say is the government’s mishandling of the country’s most significant economic crisis since 1948, according to police. The article is about Sri Lankan Protests Turn Violent.
The violence has left more than 200 people injured and nine people dead. With 22 million people, the country is undergoing a terrible economic crisis, with prices of daily products skyrocketing and widespread power outages lasting weeks. Since March, thousands of anti-government protestors have taken to the streets, calling for the government’s resignation.
On May 10, 2022, the country’s Former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa was rescued by the military in a pre-dawn operation hours after he resigned following confrontations between pro-and anti-government protestors. A senior security source told CNN that the military was deployed after demonstrators attempted to break into the prime minister’s ‘Temple Trees’ private residential compound twice overnight.
His resignation came on May 9, 2022, after live television footage showed government supporters welding sticks, hitting demonstrators, and tearing down and burning their tents across the capital. In addition, dozens of homes were set on fire across the country due to the unrest. Also, armed forces were sent to disperse the protestors, while video footage showed police firing tear gas and water cannons. Until May 12, 2022, a national curfew has been imposed.
However, it is unclear whether the curfew and the prime minister’s resignation will be enough to keep the country’s increasingly explosive situation under control. Many demonstrators claim that their ultimate goal is to push President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the prime minister’s brother, to resign, which he has yet to do.
“Remain calm and halt the violence and acts of revenge against civilians, regardless of political inclinations,” the President said. In addition, the President tweeted, “All efforts will be taken to restore political stability through consensus, within the constitutional mandate, and to tackle the economic crisis.”
To explore more Political articles, Please Click Here!
