Sri Lanka: Human rights group urges President Ranil Wickremesinghe not to use force on anti-government protesters

An international rights group urged Sri Lanka's President Ranil Wickremesinghe to cease the unlawful use of force against anti-government protestors. They also demanded probe against those responsible for abuses of human rights during the pre-dawn assault on them on Friday, a day after he assumed office.

According to Human Rights Watch group's statement, Sri Lankan security forces on July 22, Friday, forcibly dispersed people at a peaceful protest site near President's Secretariat, assaulted them leaving more than 50 persons injured.

At least nine persons were arrested in the incident at the Galle Face protest site where several key government offices are located.

"Wickremesinghe, who took office on July 21, should immediately order the security forces to cease all unlawful use of force against protesters, release everyone arbitrarily detained, and investigate and appropriately prosecute those responsible for abuses," the statement read.

The rights watch group also urged foreign governments and multilateral agencies that are helping the debt-ridden country in the hour of crisis to emphasise to the new government about the respect for human rights which is critical for economic recovery of the bankrupt nation.

"Just one day after taking office, Wickremesinghe oversaw a brutal assault by security forces on peaceful protesters in the heart of Colombo," said Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director at Human Rights Watch.

Ganguly said it sends a dangerous message to the Sri Lankan people that the new government intends to act through brute force than rule of law.

The statement added that demonstrators were attacked using batons despite holding peaceful protest along with several journalists, two lawyers, despite them announcing they'd leave the protest site later in the day.

Nine people who were arrested were produced in court on July 22 and released on bail.

According to a statement by the Sri Lanka Bar Association the arrested persons included "at least one lawyer and several journalists."

Condemning the attack by security forces, they wrote, "The use of the Armed Forces to suppress civilian protesters on the very first day in office of the new President is despicable and will have serious consequences on our country's social, economic, and political stability."

Sri Lankan economic crisis

Lanka has been witnessing one of the worst economic crisis since Independence in 1948. They have defaulted on international loans as well.

The United Nations warned that 5.7 million people "require immediate humanitarian assistance," with Sri Lankans experiencing extreme shortages of essentials including food, fuel and medicines.

Protests erupt in Lanka

Protesters in March began demonstrating against the Rajapaksa family and demanded the resignation of the entire Rajapaksa family, leading to the resignation of then-Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa on May 9, and his brother, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who fled the country on July 13 and resigned the following day.

State of Emergency declared in island nation

Wickremasinghe, who became the acting president after Gotabaya's escape from Sri Lanka, was on July 20 elected as the new president by the country's parliament.

He had previously described some protesters as "fascists" and declared a state of emergency on July 18.

The new president late on Thursday in an order called out "with effect from July 22, all the members of the Armed Forces for the maintenance of public order".

The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka said the state of emergency was "inappropriate" and called for it to be withdrawn. It called the military attack on peaceful protesters "brutal and despicable".

Diplomats from several countries, including the United States, Britain, Switzerland and Canada, as well as the UN and European Union, have also condemned the assault on the protest site.

Published on: Saturday, July 23, 2022, 03:14 PM IST