- New Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesing has wasted no time in cracking down on protesters.
- Wickremesing ordered an early morning raid Friday on the protesters’ camp near the Presidential Secretariat.
- A number of protesters were evicted and their tents torn down. Theer were nine arrests, and reportedly 50 injuries.
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – New Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesing who got the stamp of approval from the national parliament on Wednesday, and was sworn in on Thursday, has wasted no time in cracking down on protesters.
Wickremesing ordered a raid on the protesters’ camp which has operated since April this year near the Presidential Secretariat.
In the early hours of Friday morning, a number of protesters were evicted and their tents torn down. According to police they arrested nine activists.
The raid, carried out by police officers in riot gear, stunned the protesters and the public.
Many protested the appointment of Wickremesing who was anointed by the recently-exiled former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Until becoming acting president last week he served as the country’s prime minister, an office he has held for six terms.
Sri Lankans are angry with their government’s performance over recent years, having brought the economy to the brink of collapse. Many within the government have been accused of wide-scale corruption.
This week’s appointment of Wickremesing dismayed many as he has been a major face of the government protesters have been complaining about.
Wickremesing, soon after his graduation from prime minister to acting president, and finally president culminated with orders to the police and military to restore law and order. Protesters had overrun the presidential palace and set fire to the prime minister’s residence and formal offices.
None however expected expected the raid on the protesters’ camp, the evictions, and destruction of the temporary shelters, and the arrests of the protesters’ leaders.
Police Spokesperson SSP Nihal Thalduwa said all nine of those arrested would front court later on Friday. “A joint operation involving the military, police, and police special forces was launched in the early hours to recover the presidential secretariat from the protesters as they have no legal right to hold it,” Thalduwa said.
“They beat us really cruelly,” one of the protesters told Reuters news agency. “Mr Wickremesinghe doesn’t know what democracy is.”
Prior to the raids, police and military officers closed the main Centre Road, at Galle Face, setting up barricades at two sections to block access to the Presidential Secretariat. As people were waking in Colombo the barricades were being protected by hundreds of police and soldiers. An ambulance and a fire brigade formed part of the fortress. By late Friday afternoon, Colombo time and into the evening, the barricades and the police and military presence were being maintained.
It should be said the police who fronted the protection detail were unarmed. They were followed by rows of soldiers with large batons. Then followed scores of armored military officers with bulletproof vests and wearing balaclavas, and equipped with sub-machine guns.
The country has been in crisis for several months with sky-rocketing food and fuel prices, and a collapsing economy. Sri Lankans have blamed the former president and former prime minister (now president) for the crisis.
Representatives of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka were at the scene in the early hours of Friday morning following the earlier raids. They were seen taking statements from witnesses and speaking with the press. “The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) condemns the brutal and despicable attack on the peaceful protesters at Galle face vicinity by the Military in the early morning hours today,” the commission’ chairperson, Justice Robini Marasinghe, a former Supreme Court Judge, said in a statement released later Friday.
“A total violation of the fundamental rights of the people by the actions of the Executive (government). The
HRCSL advises the State to identify the perpetrators and take appropriate action and ensure such
actions by the Military or any action within the control of the State to violate the fundamental
rights of the people will never occur in the future. In the meantime, the HRCSL will conduct its
own investigation to ensure that rule of law is maintained,” Justice Robini said.
U.S. Ambassador Julie Chun was also concerned about the raid. “Deeply concerned about actions taken against protestors at Galle Face in the middle of the night. We urge restraint by authorities and immediate access to medical attention for those injured,” Chung posted on twitter.
