Colombo – Archyde.com
The army and police patrolled the streets of Colombo; The capital of Sri Lanka, with stores gradually reopening Saturday, on the first day following declaring a state of emergency, to face mounting unrest amid an unprecedented economic crisis.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa declared a state of public emergency in all parts of the country late Friday night, and said in a statement: It is necessary to maintain public order, resources and basic services.
Resentment over shortages of fuel and other essentials have erupted, hundreds of protesters clashed with police and the military on Thursday outside Rajapaksa’s residence and set several police and army vehicles on fire.
Police arrested 53 people and imposed a curfew in and around Colombo on Friday.
Sri Lanka, with a population of 22 million, experiences frequent power cuts of up to 13 hours a day, as the government struggles to secure foreign exchange to pay for fuel imports.
The COVID-19 pandemic has drained the country’s lucrative tourism industry and remittances from overseas workers and hurt public finances further due to the massive tax cuts Rajapaksa promised during his 2019 election campaign.
The government said it was seeking a financial rescue package from the International Monetary Fund, as well as requesting new loans from China and India.
