In an order late Friday night, the President Gotabaya Rajapakse Enforced strict laws that allow the military to arrest and detain suspects. He said in a proclamation that the state of emergency was necessary to protect public order and maintain essential supplies and services.
Hundreds of protesters, angered by the lack of fuel and other essential items, clashed with police and the military outside Rajapaksa’s residence on Thursday, calling for Rajapaksa’s removal and setting several police and army vehicles on fire.
Police arrested 53 people to quell other sporadic protests and then imposed a curfew in and around Colombo on Friday.
Responding to the state of emergency, US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung said: “Sri Lankans have the right to protest peacefully – essential to democratic expression.”
“I am watching the situation closely and hope that the days ahead will bring restraint from all sides, as well as bring much-needed economic stability and relief to the victims,” she tweeted.
The island nation of 22 million people is battling a rolling blackout for 13 hours a day as the government scrambles to secure foreign currency to pay for fuel import,
The crisis – the result of economic mismanagement by successive governments – has been compounded by covid-19 pandemicWhich has affected tourism and remittances.
The government has said it is seeking a bailout International Monetary Fund Seeking fresh loans from India and China.
Indian traders have started loading 40,000 tonnes of rice for speedy shipment to Sri Lanka in the first major food aid since Colombo received a credit line from New Delhi.