Lanka government defends imposition of emergency amidst criticism

International

pti-PTI

Colombo,
May
07:
The
Sri
Lankan
government
on
Saturday
defended
imposing
a
state
of
emergency,
saying
it
was
required
to
tackle
the
unprecedented
economic
crisis
plaguing
the
country,
even
as
President
Gotabaya
Rajapaksa
faced
flak
from
the
Opposition
and
foreign
envoys
for
his
decision
which
gives
security
forces
power
to
crack
down
on
peaceful
protests.

In
a
special
Cabinet
meeting
on
Friday,
the
embattled
president
declared
the
state
of
emergency
with
effect
from
Friday
midnight.
This
is
the
second
emergency
declared
in
just
over
a
month.

The
announcement
came
as
student
activists
kept
the
Parliament
under
siege
since
Thursday
night.

The
students
blocked
the
main
entrance
to
the
complex
demanding
the
resignation
of
the
government
for
its
inability
to
handle
the
ongoing
economic
crisis
marked
by
shortages
of
essentials.

In
a
statement
on
Saturday,
the
Government
Information
Department
said,
“Sri
Lanka
is
currently
facing
the
worst
economic
crisis
and
political
instability
ever
after
Independence
due
to
manifold
reasons
both
short
and
long-term.
The
common
perception
is
that
several
reforms
in
the
sectors
of
political,
economic
and
social
fabric
should
be
carried
out
in-depth
to
escape
from
this
grave
situation.”
“Priority
among
them
is
to
manage
the
shortage
of
foreign
exchange
within
the
shortest
possible
time
and
restore
the
supply
of
goods
and
services,”
the
statement
added.

The
government
said
discussions
are
ongoing
with
the
multi-lateral
institutions,
including
the
International
Monetary
Fund,
to
obtain
financial
assistance
and
restructure
outstanding
debt.

“Political
stability
and
peace
in
society
are
two
major
conditions
that
are
demanded
in
building
confidence
and
strength
to
make
such
programs
a
success,”
the
statement
said,
explaining
the
need
for
the
emergency.

Sri
Lanka
is
currently
in
the
throes
of
unprecedented
economic
turmoil
since
its
independence
from
Britain
in
1948.
The
crisis
is
caused
in
part
by
a
lack
of
foreign
currency,
which
has
meant
that
the
country
cannot
afford
to
pay
for
imports
of
staple
foods
and
fuel,
leading
to
acute
shortages
and
very
high
prices.

Thousands
of
demonstrators
have
hit
the
streets
across
Sri
Lanka
since
April
9,
as
the
government
ran
out
of
money
for
vital
imports;
prices
of
essential
commodities
have
skyrocketed
and
there
are
acute
shortages
in
fuel,
medicines
and
electricity
supply.

Despite
mounting
pressure,
President
Gotabaya
Rajapaksa
and
his
elder
brother
and
Prime
Minister
Mahinda
Rajapaksa
have
refused
to
quit
office.

Commenting
on
the
ongoing
negotiations,
the
IMF’s
Colombo
mission
chief
Masahiro
Nozaki
said,
“The
IMF
team
will
engage
with
the
economic
team
of
Sri
Lankan
authorities
from
May
9
to
May
23
in
a
virtual
mission
and
continue
discussions
on
the
authorities’ request
for
an
IMF-supported
programme.”
According
to
IMF
assessment,
Sri
Lanka’s
debt
is
unsustainable.
Therefore,
approval
for
IMF
financing,
including
through
a
Rapid
Financing
Instrument,
would
require
adequate
assurances
that
debt
sustainability
will
be
restored.

Last
month,
the
Sri
Lankan
government
said
it
would
temporarily
default
on
USD
35.5
billion
in
foreign
debt
as
the
pandemic
and
the
war
in
Ukraine
made
it
impossible
to
make
payments
to
overseas
creditors.

The
present
state
of
emergency
gives
the
police
and
the
security
forces
sweeping
power
to
arbitrarily
arrest
and
detain
people.

The
country’s
human
rights
body,
the
main
lawyers’
body,
the
Opposition
and
even
some
members
of
the
diplomatic
community
criticised
the
government
for
its
move.

The
Human
Rights
Commission
of
Sri
Lanka
said
it
was
deeply
concerned
about
the
promulgation
of
an
emergency.
“We
urge
the
government
to
explain
to
the
public
the
reasons
for
this
proclamation
since
protests
have
been
largely
peaceful
and
within
the
ambit
of
normal
police
operations,”
it
said
in
a
statement.

“We
hope
that
freedom
of
speech
and
assembly,
the
rights
associated
with
arrest
and
detention
as
well
as
other
fundamental
rights
and
freedoms
will
not
be
affected
or
derogated
from
during
the
period
of
the
emergency,”
said
the
statement.

The
Bar
Association
of
Sri
Lanka
(BASL)
in
a
statement
issued
said
it
was
“gravely
concerned”
about
the
declaration
of
a
State
of
Emergency
by
the
President.

“As
was
stated
earlier
on
April
2,
2022,
when
the
President
declared
a
State
of
Emergency
for
a
brief
period
of
time,
the
BASL
remains
of
the
view
that
a
declaration
of
a
state
of
emergency
is
not
the
answer
to
the
present
situation
in
the
country
including
the
spate
of
public
protests
and
strikes
which
have
occurred,” the
BASL
said.

They
have
stressed
that
the
state
of
emergency
must
not
be
used
to
stifle
peaceful
protests
and
dissent
or
to
make
arbitrary
arrests
and
detentions.
The
protests
in
turn
must
not
be
violent
and
must
remain
peaceful
at
all
times.

The
main
Opposition
party
Samagi
Jana
Balawegaya’s
leader
Sajith
Premadasa
too
questioned
the
move
and
urged
for
the
resignation
of
the
president.

The
Canadian
High
Commissioner
in
Colombo
David
McKinnon
tweeted,
“Over
the
past
weeks,
the
demonstrations
across
Sri
Lanka
have
overwhelmingly
involved
citizens
enjoying
their
right
to
peaceful
freedom
of
expression,
and
are
a
credit
to
the
country’s
democracy.
It’s
hard
to
understand
why
it
is
necessary,
then,
to
declare
a
state
of
emergency.”
US
Ambassador
Julie
Chung
said
she
was
“concerned
by
another
state
of
emergency.
The
voices
of
peaceful
citizens
need
to
be
heard”.

Apart
from
the
current
clamp
down,
the
ruling
adminstration
declared
an
emergency
on
April
1
after
a
mass
protest.
It
was
revoked
on
April
5.

Since
April
9,
the
protesters
have
been
staying
near
the
presidential
secretariat
with
placards
reading
‘Gota
go
home
gama’ or
‘Gotabaya
Go
home
village’
and
since
April
26
the
‘Mynah
go
home
village’
or
‘Mahinda
Go
Home
Village’,
referring
to
Prime
Minister
Mahinda
Rajapaksa.