Sri Lanka imposes 36-hour curfew as food, fuel and power shortage trigger more protests amid economic crisis

Sri Lanka imposes 36-hour curfew as food, fuel and power shortage trigger more protests amid economic crisis

Krishan FrancisUpdated: Saturday, April 02, 2022, 11:28 PM IST
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Protestors hold banners and placards during a demonstration against the surge in prices and shortage of fuel and other essential commodities in Colombo on April 2, 2022. | (Photo by Ishara S. KODIKARA / AFP)

Sri Lanka’s president declared a state of emergency in the island nation on Saturday, a day after angry protesters demonstrated near his home demanding he resign over the country's worst economic crisis in memory.

Also, a 36-hour nationwide curfew has been clamped from Saturday 6pm to Monday 6 am. Sri Lankans won't be allowed to step outdoors unless they need to procure essential services during the curfew.

Diesel -- the main fuel for buses and commercial vehicles -- was unavailable at stations across the island, according to officials and media reports -- crippling public transport.

Owners of private buses -- which account for two-thirds of the Sri Lanka's fleet -- said they were already out of oil and that even skeleton services might not be possible after today.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa invoked sections of the Public Security Ordinance, which gives him authority to make regulations in the interests of public security, preservation of public order, suppression of mutiny, riot or civil commotion or for the maintenance of essential supplies. Under the emergency regulations, the president can authorize detentions, taking possession of any property and search any premises. He can also change or suspend any law.

The order came a day after dozens of people were arrested following protests near the president's home. There are also calls for an island-wide public protest on Sunday. Rajapaksa's office has blamed “organized extremists” within the thousands of protesters for violence during Thursday night's demonstration, where police fired tear gas and water cannon and arrested 54 people. Dozens of other people were also injured.

The country's former president Maithripala Sirisena's Freedom Party has called on President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to form an all-party government to tide over the crisis, news agency PTI reported.

Sri Lanka has huge debt obligations and dwindling foreign reserves, and its struggle to pay for imports has caused the shortages. People wait in long lines for fuel, and power is cut for several hours daily because there's not enough fuel to operate generating plants and dry weather has sapped hydropower capacity.

Sri Lanka's economic woes are blamed on successive governments not diversifying exports and relying on traditional cash sources like tea, garments and tourism, and on a culture of consuming imported goods.

The COVID-19 pandemic dealt a heavy blow to Sri Lanka's economy, with the government estimating a loss of $14 billion in the last two years.

Sri Lanka also has immense foreign debt after borrowing heavily on projects that don't earn money. Its foreign debt repayment obligations are around $7 billion for this year alone.

According to the Central Bank, inflation rose to 17.5% in February from 16.8% a month earlier. It is expected to continue rising because the government has allowed the local currency to float freely.

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