Sri Lanka’s worker unions go on mass strike asking govt to quit
2 years, 7 months ago

Sri Lanka’s worker unions go on mass strike asking govt to quit

The Hindu  

Several hundred worker unions in Sri Lanka on Thursday went on a mass strike, backing ongoing citizens’ protests calling for the resignation of the ruling Rajapaksa brothers, as the country battles one of its worst economic crises. “If President Gotabaya Rajapaksa does not heed the call of the people’s struggle within seven days, we will continue agitating until he steps down,” said Ravi Kumudesh, Convenor of the collective of unions. Angry citizens who have been gathering in protest outside the sea-facing Presidential Secretariat for some three weeks now, have begun protesting outside Mr. Mahinda’s official residence as well, waving national flags and displaying caricatures portraying him as Hitler. The political stalemate has sparked concern among Sri Lanka’s big businesses and private sector, who have urged authorities to take swift action, as the social unrest "may deter" any external help coming Sri Lanka’s way.

Sri Lanka Rajapaksa Gotabaya Mahinda President Gotabaya  lankas  quit  worker  rajapaksa  sri  citizens  power  president  govt  resignation  protests  unions  political  asking  strike  mass  gotabaya

History of this topic

Challenges before the new Sri Lankan Government
1 week, 2 days ago

Challenges before the new Sri Lankan Government

New Indian Express  

In 2024, Sri Lanka witnessed seismic political shifts. In the second half of this year, voters installed a hitherto untried president and a new government, with the fervent hope that the old order should give way to a better new order. It’s taken the rather conservative Sri Lankan voters 76 years to move away from feudal parties and experiment with …

Sri Lanka’s Marxist-leaning president appoints his Cabinet after a resounding election win
1 month ago

Sri Lanka’s Marxist-leaning president appoints his Cabinet after a resounding election win

Live Mint  

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka’s new Marxist-leaning president swore in a 21-member Cabinet on Monday after his party secured a two-thirds parliamentary majority in last week’s election. Sri Lanka’s crisis was largely the result of economic mismanagement combined with fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, which along with militant attacks in 2019 devastated the important tourism industry. Sri Lanka’s economic …

‘Need a change’: Sri Lanka’s leftist win sparks hopes, bridges old divides
Trending News
1 month, 1 week ago

‘Need a change’: Sri Lanka’s leftist win sparks hopes, bridges old divides

Al Jazeera  

President Dissanayake’s party has won a two-thirds majority in parliament, including among Tamils and Muslims. Dissanayake’s National People’s Power won a landslide majority in Thursday’s parliamentary election, securing 159 seats in a house of 225 members – representing a comfortable two-thirds majority. They have shown they need a change from the old politics.” Vote for change According to political analyst …

Sri Lanka Leader Seeks to Bolster Power With Parliamentary Vote
Trending News
1 month, 1 week ago

Sri Lanka Leader Seeks to Bolster Power With Parliamentary Vote

Live Mint  

-- Sri Lanka holds its first parliamentary elections since the victory of its outsider leftist president, in a test of his ambitious pledges to combat corruption and rewrite an unpopular International Monetary Fund loan program. Anura Kumara Dissanayake called for early polls on the heels of his victory in the Sept. 21 presidential election, widely seen as a stunning rebuke …

Voting ends in Sri Lanka’s parliamentary election that’s key for its new Marxist-leaning president
1 month, 1 week ago

Voting ends in Sri Lanka’s parliamentary election that’s key for its new Marxist-leaning president

Associated Press  

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lankans voted in a parliamentary election Thursday that is key for the country’s new, Marxist-leaning president to consolidate his party’s power and follow through on promises of economic recovery. The biggest challenge for the NPP — which was founded in 2019 and is a relative newcomer on Sri Lanka’s political scene — is that many …

Terms of Trade | Can the socially retrograde turn economically progressive?
2 months, 3 weeks ago

Terms of Trade | Can the socially retrograde turn economically progressive?

Hindustan Times  

The election of a Marxist-Leninist politician as the president of economically floundering Sri Lanka was a big news point this week. Had Dissanayake and his party taken a principled position against majoritarian ethnic politics in Sri Lanka, would they have managed to protect their political capital, which has been encashed to capture power in these elections? The Jats too realised …

Sri Lanka has entered a new dawn with its new president. What does the diaspora think of Anura Dissanayake?
2 months, 4 weeks ago

Sri Lanka has entered a new dawn with its new president. What does the diaspora think of Anura Dissanayake?

ABC  

For decades, Sri Lankan politics has looked like a revolving door through which the same parties and families have come and gone. Unlike many of Sri Lanka's past presidents, Mr Dissanayake has no political lineage and is from the socialist National People's Power party which he founded in 2019. For some of Sri Lanka's younger generation the election result "was …

Two years after Sri Lanka’s president was ousted by protests – could it all have been for nothing?
3 months ago

Two years after Sri Lanka’s president was ousted by protests – could it all have been for nothing?

The Independent  

In the summer of 2022, Pali Abeywickrama and his friends marched to the presidential palace during Sri Lanka’s popular anti-government uprising. open image in gallery Protesters hold Sri Lankan flags as they stand on top of the office of PM Ranil Wickremesinghe in July 2022 Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya party is at 32 per cent …

Protests ousted Sri Lanka’s last president. Ahead of new election, many are still waiting for change
3 months ago

Protests ousted Sri Lanka’s last president. Ahead of new election, many are still waiting for change

Associated Press  

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Two years ago, tens of thousands of Sri Lankans rose up against their president and forced him to flee the country. Days after Rajapaksa fled the country, Sri Lanka’s parliament replaced him with then-prime minister Ranil Wickremensignhe in a vote that many protesters saw as a victory for the status quo. Pathum Kerner, a 42-year-old physician …

Ramification | Sri Lanka: First presidential election after economic crisis and all weather Colombo-Delhi ties
3 months, 1 week ago

Ramification | Sri Lanka: First presidential election after economic crisis and all weather Colombo-Delhi ties

Firstpost  

Irrespective of the outcome of the election, India, as it has done in the past, will continue to support Sri Lanka in its economic recovery President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena gesture as they arrive at the Election Commission in Rajagiriya to submit his nomination papers for the upcoming presidential election, scheduled for September 21, in Colombo, Sri …

Sri Lankans’ fury forced the powerful Rajapaksa clan out. Now its heir is running for president
3 months, 1 week ago

Sri Lankans’ fury forced the powerful Rajapaksa clan out. Now its heir is running for president

Associated Press  

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — When an uprising ousted Sri Lanka’s president, many saw it as the end of his powerful family’s hold on the island nation after more than 12 years of rule. Alan Keenan, senior consultant on Sri Lanka at the International Crisis Group, said the younger Rajapaksa’s bid for the presidency is a test run that would establish …

Heir apparent to Sri Lanka’s powerful Rajapaksa family will run in September’s presidential election
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Heir apparent to Sri Lanka’s powerful Rajapaksa family will run in September’s presidential election

Associated Press  

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — The man who is considered the heir apparent to the powerful Rajapaksa family in Sri Lanka will contest the presidential election in September, his political party said Wednesday, in an apparent bid to regain his family’s lost power after a humiliating setback two years ago during an unprecedented economic crisis in the Indian ocean island nation. …

Rajapaksas’ party fields Mahinda’s son Namal in Sri Lanka’s presidential race
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Rajapaksas’ party fields Mahinda’s son Namal in Sri Lanka’s presidential race

The Hindu  

Sri Lanka’s ruling party helmed by the Rajapaksa clan, who were booted out of office by mass protests in 2022, on Wednesday named Namal Rajapaksa, son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, as its candidate for the September presidential polls. After Mr. Gotabaya was forced to resign at the height of Sri Lanka’s crushing unprecedented economic crisis in 2022, its MPs …

A railway union strike in Sri Lanka leaves tens of thousands of commuters stranded
5 months, 2 weeks ago

A railway union strike in Sri Lanka leaves tens of thousands of commuters stranded

Associated Press  

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — A railway union strike stopped most trains across Sri Lanka on Wednesday, leaving tens of thousands of passengers to brave the few dangerously overcrowded trains that kept running or be stranded at the station. Hundreds of scheduled train journeys were canceled Wednesday due to the strike, leaving the very few trains that ran jam-packed with passengers. …

Rajapaksas to launch political comeback bid in Sri Lanka
6 months, 4 weeks ago

Rajapaksas to launch political comeback bid in Sri Lanka

Deccan Chronicle  

Sri Lanka's powerful Rajapaksa clan, which suffered political battering due to the country's worst economic crisis in 2022, will launch its political comeback bid on Sunday by targeting the impending elections. Former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, ex-prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and former finance minister Basil Rajapaksa were ousted from power during anti-government protests following the crippling financial and political crisis in …

Sri Lanka political parties flag poll aspirations on May Day
7 months, 3 weeks ago

Sri Lanka political parties flag poll aspirations on May Day

The Hindu  

With a presidential election expected later this year,the May Day rallies ofall main political parties in Sri Lanka seemed a prelude to their poll campaigns. Addressing the SJB’s May Day rally in Colombo, Leader of Opposition Sajith Premadasa, pledged to implement the 13th Amendment to the Sri Lankan constitution, which promises a measure of power devolution to the provinces. The …

Sri Lanka ex-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa gets clean chit in 2022 'unaccounted cash' probe
1 year, 2 months ago

Sri Lanka ex-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa gets clean chit in 2022 'unaccounted cash' probe

Firstpost  

The Bribery Commission informed the court that further legal proceedings regarding this incident would not be taken owing to insufficient evidence to proceed with the matter, the Daily Mirror online reported on Thursday Citing lack of evidence, Sri Lanka’s anti-graft commission has dropped a case against former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa in which more than Rs 17 million was discovered by …

Sri Lanka Urges Return of Missing Artefacts from Anti-Gotabaya Rajapaksa Protests
1 year, 5 months ago

Sri Lanka Urges Return of Missing Artefacts from Anti-Gotabaya Rajapaksa Protests

News 18  

Sri Lanka on Sunday urged the people to return or provide any information regarding valuable artefacts and archaeological items that went missing during the massive protests against the government of the then-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa in July last year, as the island nation marked the first anniversary of the popular uprising. More than 1,000 artefacts, including items of vintage and antique …

AP photos from Sri Lanka, Ukraine were Pulitzer finalists
1 year, 7 months ago

AP photos from Sri Lanka, Ukraine were Pulitzer finalists

Associated Press  

The Associated Press was a finalist in two Pulitzer Prize categories — for breaking news photography of Sri Lanka’s political crisis, and for feature photography of the elderly in Ukraine. Protesters storm Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s office, demanding he resign after president Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country amid economic crisis in Colombo, Sri Lanka, July 13, 2022. Protesters …

Sri Lanka’s worker unions go on defiant strike against government
1 year, 9 months ago

Sri Lanka’s worker unions go on defiant strike against government

The Hindu  

Workers from nearly 40 trade unions in Sri Lanka, employed in sectors including banking, public health and ports, on Wednesday went on a strike, despite an executive order from President Ranil Wickremesinghe declaring many services “essential”, to effectively outlaw protests by workers in those sectors. Therefore, the authorities must respond if they want to avoid it.” The workers are protesting …

Sri Lanka police fire tear gas at election protest; 15 injured
1 year, 9 months ago

Sri Lanka police fire tear gas at election protest; 15 injured

The Hindu  

Police in Sri Lanka on February 26, 2023 fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse protesters angry over a decision to postpone local elections after the government said it cannot finance them because of the country's crippling economic crisis. Thousands of supporters of the Opposition National People's Power party tried to march toward the main business district in capital …

Sri Lanka Returns to Uninterrupted Power Supply After a Year; at Higher Cost
1 year, 10 months ago

Sri Lanka Returns to Uninterrupted Power Supply After a Year; at Higher Cost

News 18  

After a year of load-shedding, Sri Lankans will get continuous power from Thursday, albeit with a hike in tariff in line with the conditions set by the IMF. President Ranil Wickremesinghe has directed officials to ensure an uninterrupted power supply to customers after the tariff revision is implemented, a statement from the President’s Media Division said. The state power entity …

Ex-Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa quizzed over hidden cash stash
1 year, 10 months ago

Ex-Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa quizzed over hidden cash stash

Firstpost  

Protesters occupied his presidential palace for several days, discovering 17.5 million rupees hidden in Rajapaksa’s private quarters that they later turned over to police Sri Lankan police told AFP on Wednesday they are investigating ousted president Gotabaya Rajapaksa over a hidden cash stockpile uncovered when protesters stormed his former residence last year. Protesters occupied his presidential palace for several days, …

Ex-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa returns to Sri Lanka: Report
1 year, 11 months ago

Ex-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa returns to Sri Lanka: Report

Hindustan Times  

Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who was ousted from power last year over his government's mishandling of the cash-strapped country's economy, has returned from Dubai, his first foreign trip since returning to Sri Lanka four months ago. Gotabaya Rajapaksa In Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka's former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Rajapaksa,73, fled Sri Lanka to the Maldives on a Sri Lankan Airforce plane …

INTERVIEW | R. Sampanthan on the Sri Lankan economic crisis: ‘We cannot go on like this’
2 years ago

INTERVIEW | R. Sampanthan on the Sri Lankan economic crisis: ‘We cannot go on like this’

The Hindu  

Published : Dec 01, 2022 10:35 IST Sri Lankan Member of Parliament Rajavarothiam Sampanthan, who has kept together a diverse coalition of Tamil political parties under the umbrella of the Tamil National Alliance since 2001, has witnessed many phases of the struggle since Sri Lanka became an independent country in 1948. Now 89 and largely confined to his official residence …

Sri Lanka’s ousted president Gotabaya Rajapaksa faces arrest calls after return
2 years, 3 months ago

Sri Lanka’s ousted president Gotabaya Rajapaksa faces arrest calls after return

The Hindu  

Deposed Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa faced calls for his arrest on September 3 after returning home from self-imposed exile under the protection of his successor’s government. “He can’t live freely as if nothing has happened.” Mr. Rajapaksa’s government was accused of chaotic mismanagement as the Sri Lankan economy spiralled into a blistering downturn. Sri Lanka’s main opposition alliance, the …

Sri Lanka’s ousted president returns home after fleeing
2 years, 3 months ago

Sri Lanka’s ousted president returns home after fleeing

Associated Press  

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka’s former president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who fled the country in July after tens of thousands of protesters stormed his home and office in a display of anger over the country’s economic crisis, returned to the country early Saturday after seven weeks. Rajapaksa, a former military officer, was elected on promises to uplift the country’s economy …

Sri Lanka’s ousted President Rajapaksa gets government residence, security on return
2 years, 3 months ago

Sri Lanka’s ousted President Rajapaksa gets government residence, security on return

The Hindu  

Sri Lanka’s ousted President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was provided on Saturday with an official residence and security by the government after he returned to the country he had fled in July during economic unrest, two senior officials said. Rajapaksa fled in the early hours of July 13 after massive protests engulfed Colombo and demonstrators enraged with the economic devastation stormed his …

Sri Lanka's former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa comes back after 51-day of self imposed exile
2 years, 3 months ago

Sri Lanka's former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa comes back after 51-day of self imposed exile

Firstpost  

Rajapaksa fled Sri Lanka to the Maldives on a Sri Lanka Airforce plane and then proceeded to Singapore, from where he resigned on 14 July Colombo: Sri Lanka’s former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa was accorded a warm welcome as he returned to Colombo from Thailand amid tight security on late Friday, ending his 51-day self-imposed exile after fleeing abroad following months-long …

Sri Lanka\'s ousted ex-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa returns home from Thailand
2 years, 3 months ago

Sri Lanka\'s ousted ex-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa returns home from Thailand

Deccan Chronicle  

Colombo: Sri Lanka's former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa was accorded a warm welcome as he returned to Colombo from Thailand amid tight security on late Friday, ending his 51-day self-imposed exile after fleeing abroad following months-long mass protests over the country's worst economic crisis. After being welcomed by lawmakers of the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna party, Rajapaksa left the airport …

Former Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa returns to Sri Lanka from Thailand
2 years, 3 months ago

Former Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa returns to Sri Lanka from Thailand

India TV News  

Highlights Sri Lanka’s ousted president returns home after fleeing Gotabaya Rajapaksa came back home nearly 2 months after he fled the country Rajapaksa will be living in a state bungalow close to Wijerama Mawatha in Colombo Sri Lanka news : Former Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Friday returned to the country from Thailand, nearly two months after he fled …

Sri Lanka’s former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa returns home from Thailand
2 years, 3 months ago

Sri Lanka’s former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa returns home from Thailand

The Hindu  

Former Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Friday returned to the country from Thailand, nearly two months after he fled the country following a massive uprising against his government over the island nation’s worst-ever economic crisis. After being received at the airport by several ministers and Parliamentarians of the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna party, Mr. Rajapaksa left the airport …

After Over a Month in Exile, Sri Lanka's Ousted President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to Return Over Weekend: Sources
2 years, 3 months ago

After Over a Month in Exile, Sri Lanka's Ousted President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to Return Over Weekend: Sources

News 18  

Sri Lanka’s ousted president Gotabaya Rajapaksa is all set to return to his home country over the weekend after over a month in exile. Last month, the deposed leader’s party had said he was seeking to return home from his exile in Thailand and had asked his successor, Ranil Wickremesinghe, to guarantee his safety. Gotabaya’s youngest brother Basil Rajapaksa, the …

Sri Lanka's Rights Body Urges Wickremesinghe to Provide Protection to Gotabaya Rajapaksa & His Family
2 years, 4 months ago

Sri Lanka's Rights Body Urges Wickremesinghe to Provide Protection to Gotabaya Rajapaksa & His Family

News 18  

Sri Lanka's top human rights body has urged President Ranil Wickremesinghe to provide adequate protection to the family of his predecessor Gotabaya Rajapaksa as guaranteed by the Constitution and facilitate the former president's return to the crisis-hit country. In a letter, the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka on Monday said that it had received several complaints alleging that the …

Ranil Wickremesinghe: The Rajapaksas’ Puppet on a String
2 years, 4 months ago

Ranil Wickremesinghe: The Rajapaksas’ Puppet on a String

The Diplomat  

Hopes that a new president would usher in a measure of calm to restive Sri Lanka seem to have been dashed, with parliamentarians electing Ranil Wickremesinghe as the country’s eighth president in late July. Wickremesinghe ordered the military and police “to do what is necessary to restore order.” Sure enough, on July 22, Sri Lankan security forces violently cleared the …

Sri Lanka's main Opposition party demands former president Rajapaksa must be tried for misusing funds
2 years, 4 months ago

Sri Lanka's main Opposition party demands former president Rajapaksa must be tried for misusing funds

Firstpost  

Rajapaksa, 73, fled the country and resigned last month in the face of a popular uprising against his government for mismanaging the island nation’s economy Colombo: Sri Lanka’s former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa has the right to return to the country, but he must be tried for allegations of misuse of funds since he does not enjoy legal immunity, main Opposition …

Sri Lanka: Ruling party asks president Wickremesinghe to facilitate ex-leader Gotabaya Rajapaksa's return
2 years, 4 months ago

Sri Lanka: Ruling party asks president Wickremesinghe to facilitate ex-leader Gotabaya Rajapaksa's return

Firstpost  

In response to speculations that former president Rajapaksa may return to Sri Lanka next week, the SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam told reporters that the request was made during a meeting with president Wickremesinghe on Thursday Colombo: The ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna party has urged president Ranil Wickremesinghe make arrangements for Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s safety so that he can return …

Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa set for return to Sri Lanka next week, says report
2 years, 4 months ago

Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa set for return to Sri Lanka next week, says report

India TV News  

Highlights Sri Lanka's former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is all set to return next week to the island nation Gotabaya Rajapaksa was forced to flee in the month of July after massive protests against him Former Sri Lankan Ambassador to Russia, hinted that Gotabaya Rajapaksa will return on August 24 Sri Lanka news : Sri Lanka's former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is …

Sri Lanka introduces bill to clip presidential powers
2 years, 4 months ago

Sri Lanka introduces bill to clip presidential powers

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A …

Sri Lanka ex-leader Gotabaya Rajapaksa seeks entry into Thailand
2 years, 4 months ago

Sri Lanka ex-leader Gotabaya Rajapaksa seeks entry into Thailand

Al Jazeera  

Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who fled Sri Lanka amid mass protests, requests entry into Thailand after weeks in Singapore. Former Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has requested entry into Thailand for a temporary stay in a second Southeast Asian country after fleeing his island nation last month amid mass protests, the Thai foreign ministry has said. Rajapaksa fled to Singapore …

Sri Lankans rally against crackdown on protesters
2 years, 4 months ago

Sri Lankans rally against crackdown on protesters

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Hundreds …

Monks’ role in Sri Lanka protests raises familiar questions
2 years, 4 months ago

Monks’ role in Sri Lanka protests raises familiar questions

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The street protests that drove …

Sri Lanka to hold crucial talks on formation of all-party government to combat economic meltdown
2 years, 4 months ago

Sri Lanka to hold crucial talks on formation of all-party government to combat economic meltdown

Firstpost  

Sri Lanka’s newly-elected President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Wednesday invited the political parties to form an all-party government to overcome the current economic crisis as the Parliament reconvened after a seven-day adjournment Colombo: The crucial talks on the possibility of forming an all-party government to tackle Sri Lanka’s economic meltdown will take place on Friday evening, officials and political leaders here …

Sri Lanka anti-govt protesters say would defy order to vacate main protest site and adjacent areas
2 years, 4 months ago

Sri Lanka anti-govt protesters say would defy order to vacate main protest site and adjacent areas

India TV News  

Highlights A group of anti-government demonstrators at the Galle Face protest site defy an order to vacate area They demand the release of Joseph Stalin, a prominent trade union leader and a protest front liner Main opposition leader Sajith Premadasa visited the police station and demanded release of Stalin A group of anti-government demonstrators at the Galle Face protest site …

Sri Lanka arrests 43-year-old protest leader Joseph Stalin
2 years, 4 months ago

Sri Lanka arrests 43-year-old protest leader Joseph Stalin

Firstpost  

Joseph Stalin, the secretary of the Sri Lanka Teachers’ Union, becomes the senior most activist to be arrested in a crackdown against protesters forced Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee last month Colombo: A top Sri Lankan trade union leader in the forefront of protests which led to the ousting of Gotabaya Rajapaksa from the presidency was arrested Wednesday, witnesses and officials …

Sri Lanka crisis: Man held for sitting on President's chair during anti-government protests
2 years, 4 months ago

Sri Lanka crisis: Man held for sitting on President's chair during anti-government protests

Firstpost  

A video circulating on social media platforms showed the man emulating Presidential credentials while sitting on the President’s chair as anarchy mounted in Sri Lanka amid an unprecedented financial crisis Colombo: A 28-year-old man has been arrested for illegally entering the Sri Lankan President’s House and taking photographs while sitting on the President’s chair, a media report said on Wednesday. …

Gotabaya Rajapaksa to return to Sri Lanka from Singapore soon: Cabinet spokesman
2 years, 4 months ago

Gotabaya Rajapaksa to return to Sri Lanka from Singapore soon: Cabinet spokesman

India TV News  

Highlights Rajapaksa fled Sri Lanka after the July 9 uprising when people broke into the President’s House Rajapaksa first fled to the Maldives on July 13 and from there he proceeded to Singapore Sri Lanka is currently facing its worst economic crisis since its independence from Britain Former president of Sri Lanka, Gotabaya Rajapaksa is not in hiding and is …

Sri Lanka president gets long-sought win, faces challenges
2 years, 5 months ago

Sri Lanka president gets long-sought win, faces challenges

Associated Press  

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Six times Sri Lanka’s prime minister, President Ranil Wickremesinghe had long aspired to the pinnacle of power, enduring setback after setback but always managing to recover from seemingly impossible defeats. Meanwhile, out on the streets, protesters were chanting, “Ranil, go home!” Over the years, Wickremesinghe has moved in and out of the prime minister’s office as …

'Here for Lanka': For Foot Soldiers of Civil Uprising, Protest Village 'GotaGoGama' Spells 2nd Home, Hope
2 years, 5 months ago

'Here for Lanka': For Foot Soldiers of Civil Uprising, Protest Village 'GotaGoGama' Spells 2nd Home, Hope

News 18  

It happened without a rumble or a rumour. Just an hour past midnight on Friday, protesters sleeping in their tents heard commotion and the unmistakable sound of tents being rapidly dismantled at the Galle Face protest site in Colombo. In over three months of protests now, Sri Lanka has evolved a totally new demographic niche in the ‘protesters’. The absence …

Rights groups urge Sri Lanka not to use force on protesters
2 years, 5 months ago

Rights groups urge Sri Lanka not to use force on protesters

Al Jazeera  

International human rights groups have urged Sri Lanka’s new president to immediately order security forces to cease all unlawful use of force against protesters, who have been demonstrating over the country’s economic meltdown. Human Rights Watch said the incident “sends a dangerous message to the Sri Lankan people that the new government intends to act through brute force rather than …

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