Sri Lanka Opposition, civic activists, unions take out anti-government rally
2 years, 1 month ago

Sri Lanka Opposition, civic activists, unions take out anti-government rally

The Hindu  

The Sri Lanka Police on Wednesday blocked an anti-government protest march organised by Opposition parties, civic activists and trade unions who demanded that the Ranil Wickremesinghe government “stop repression” and address the persisting economic crisis. However, the police who earlier denied permission for the protest — despite many, including Sri Lanka’s Human Rights Commission, issuing statements underscoring citizens’ constitutional right to dissent — blocked participants from proceeding after a point. Wednesday’s march followed a protest rally organised by trade unions affiliated to the Opposition Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna last week, and points to a potential new wave of protests in Sri Lanka, as citizens reel under hyperinflation — 66 % in October — and food inflation of over 85 %, amid reports of starvation and a growing concern over state repression. Several posters at the protest site referred to government “repression”, the controversial rehabilitation bureau Bill, that critics fear would sanction abuse and torture, and the Prevention of Terrorism Act that rights defenders deem “draconian”.

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History of this topic

Sri Lanka urged to free student activist held over protests
1 year, 11 months ago

Sri Lanka urged to free student activist held over protests

Associated Press  

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Human rights groups urged Sri Lanka’s government to release a prominent student activist who was arrested five months ago during anti-government protests triggered by the country’s worst economic crisis and has been held without charges under harsh anti-terrorism laws. Seven human rights groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, said that under the powerful Prevention …

Sri Lankans rally to demand release of 2 protest leaders
2 years, 1 month ago

Sri Lankans rally to demand release of 2 protest leaders

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 Sri Lankan police blocked more …

As Sri Lanka backs freedom of expression at UN, police arrest dozens of protesters at home
2 years, 2 months ago

As Sri Lanka backs freedom of expression at UN, police arrest dozens of protesters at home

The Hindu  

Just as Sri Lanka recently told the UN General Assembly that it treated freedom of expression as “sacrosanct”, the police arrested dozens of protesters in Colombo this weekend for resisting a Presidential order. Addressing the ongoing UN General Assembly session in New York on Saturday, Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Ali Sabry said: “We unconditionally recognise the fact that one has …

Sri Lanka disperses student rally after partial protest ban
2 years, 3 months ago

Sri Lanka disperses student rally after partial protest ban

The Hindu  

Sri Lankan police dispersed hundreds of demonstrators on Saturday, a day after severely curtailing protest rights in response to months of unrest sparked by the island nation's sharp economic downturn. Sri Lanka endured months of acute food and fuel shortages, extended blackouts, and runaway inflation after running out of foreign currency to finance essential imports this year. Shortly after Mr. …

Sri Lanka detains student leaders under anti-terrorism law
2 years, 4 months ago

Sri Lanka detains student leaders under anti-terrorism law

The Hindu  

The Sri Lankan police on Monday confirmed the detention of three student activists under a dreaded anti-terrorism law, four days after arresting them at a protest held in capital Colombo. Spotlight on PTA again Sri Lanka’s PTA, which rights activists term “draconian” and want repealed, was enacted in 1979 under President J.R. Jayawardene, primarily to crush Tamil youth’s armed struggle …

Sri Lanka faces global backlash over use of anti-terror laws to arrest protesters
2 years, 4 months ago

Sri Lanka faces global backlash over use of anti-terror laws to arrest protesters

Firstpost  

Three student activists arrested last week during the first anti-government rally after the end of a state of emergency were being held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, authorities said Colombo: Sri Lanka’s new government came under international censure Monday over the use of tough anti-terror laws to detain protesters who forced Gotabaya Rajapaksa to step down from the presidency …

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

Sri Lankans rally against crackdown on protesters

The Independent  

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Sri Lanka Protesters Get Court Reprieve, Anti-govt Demonstrations Can Go on Till Aug 10
2 years, 4 months ago

Sri Lanka Protesters Get Court Reprieve, Anti-govt Demonstrations Can Go on Till Aug 10

News 18  

Defiant anti-government demonstrations near the Sri Lankan presidential office can go on for another week following an assurance by the Attorney General in a top court here on Friday that no action to remove the protesters from the Galle Face protest site will be taken until August 10. The protesters said the police had not obtained a court order to …

Rights group says Sri Lanka harassed, intimidated protesters
2 years, 4 months ago

Rights group says Sri Lanka harassed, intimidated protesters

Associated Press  

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — An international human rights group says Sri Lanka’s government is using emergency laws to harass and arbitrarily detain protesters who are seeking political reform and accountability amid the island country’s economic crisis. New York-based Human Rights Watch said in a statement Wednesday that Sri Lanka’s military sought to curtail protests through intimidation, surveillance, and arbitrary arrests …

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 protesters divided on leaving main camp amid crackdown
2 years, 4 months ago

Sri Lanka protesters divided on leaving main camp amid crackdown

Al Jazeera  

Debate within the protest movement on wrapping up the seafront camp was triggered by a violent crackdown by security forces 10 days ago. Colombo, Sri Lanka – The mainly youth-led protest movement in crisis-hit Sri Lanka is divided on whether to withdraw from a sea-facing camp they set up months ago near the presidential secretariat in capital Colombo. The GotaGoGama …

Sri Lankan civic activists concerned over ‘witch-hunt’ by state
2 years, 4 months ago

Sri Lankan civic activists concerned over ‘witch-hunt’ by state

The Hindu  

Citizens’ groups and activists in Sri Lanka have expressed concern over a series of arrests last week, of prominent members of the recent anti-government protests, terming it a “witch-hunt” by the state. Human rights defenders point to both, the Emergency, and the subsequent actions of the military and police, as attempts to “stifle dissent.” According to Ambika Satkunanathan, a former …

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 …

‘Supreme power of people’: Sri Lanka marks 100 days of protests
2 years, 5 months ago

‘Supreme power of people’: Sri Lanka marks 100 days of protests

Al Jazeera  

The mainly youth-led movement over the island’s worst-ever economic crisis completes 100 days, with people saying the struggle is not yet over. Colombo, Sri Lanka – A mainly youth-led mass protest movement over Sri Lanka’s worst-ever economic crisis has completed 100 days. “I am glad that Gotabaya Rajapaksa is gone but we can’t enjoy or celebrate it as long as …

Sri Lanka protesters reject all-party gov’t, want Rajapaksas out
2 years, 5 months ago

Sri Lanka protesters reject all-party gov’t, want Rajapaksas out

Al Jazeera  

Protesters say no to an all-party government being discussed by politicians, saying it will be a way for the ‘Rajapaksa cartel’ to remain in power. Melani Gunathilake, 35, said the protest leaders strongly oppose an all-party government, a move in her view for the “Rajapaksa cartel” to control the government from behind the scenes. Establishing a new constitution that endorses …

Sri Lanka: Hundreds of anti-government protesters break into President’s official residence
2 years, 5 months ago

Sri Lanka: Hundreds of anti-government protesters break into President’s official residence

The Hindu  

Published : Jul 09, 2022 15:26 IST Hundreds of Sri Lankan protesters, demanding the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, on July 9 stormed into his official residence in central Colombo’s high-security Fort area after breaking the barricades, as people took to streets protesting against the government over the nation’s worst economic crisis in recent memory. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe …

Sri Lanka lifts curfew after fierce opposition to illegal move
2 years, 5 months ago

Sri Lanka lifts curfew after fierce opposition to illegal move

The Hindu  

Sri Lanka on Saturday lifted the “police curfew” imposed Friday night,after the political opposition, lawyers, and rights groups fiercely opposed the “illegal” move. The declaration of curfew is illegal and a blatant violation of fundamental rights,” the Bar Association of Sri Lanka noted. “Do not attempt to do indirectly what you could not do directly,” the Human Rights Commission of …

Sri Lanka imposes curfew ahead of mass anti-govt. protests
2 years, 5 months ago

Sri Lanka imposes curfew ahead of mass anti-govt. protests

The Hindu  

The Sri Lankan police on Friday abruptly imposed a curfew in and around capital Colombo, ahead of the mass anti-government protests that various citizens’ groups had planned to hold on Saturday. “Ahead of what is expected to be a large demonstration in Colombo on Saturday, 9 July, we urge Sri Lankan authorities to show restraint in the policing of assemblies …

Sri Lanka’s ‘picturesque’ protests
2 years, 6 months ago

Sri Lanka’s ‘picturesque’ protests

Al Jazeera  

Every time there is a crisis in the Global South, Western news organisations parachute their correspondents and photographers in to document the developments. This has largely been the case with the international coverage of Sri Lanka’s ongoing protests demanding that the ruling Rajapaksa family leave office. This is nothing unique to Sri Lanka – we often see similar narratives of …

Sri Lanka protests | Backstories at Colombo’s Galle Face seafront
2 years, 7 months ago

Sri Lanka protests | Backstories at Colombo’s Galle Face seafront

The Hindu  

Covering Sri Lanka’s ongoing protests at Galle Face, Colombo’s charming seafront, exposes me to a lot about this crucial moment in crisis-hit Sri Lanka — the changing dynamics of the struggle, the varied demands coming out of it, the diverse participants and their shared resolve, and the leadership’s stubbornness that is imperilling the country’s economic and political future. “They were …

Midnight protests rock Sri Lanka’s Parliament
2 years, 7 months ago

Midnight protests rock Sri Lanka’s Parliament

The Hindu  

Several hundred people gathered outside Sri Lanka’s Parliament late Thursday night, hours after police tear-gased students who marched to the spot as part of ongoing citizens’ protests against the ruling Rajapaksas. The demonstrators chanted anti-government slogans outside the Parliament complex, in the latest escalation of agitations demanding that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa resign, taking responsibility for …

‘Gotta go’: Anti-government protest strike grips Sri Lanka
2 years, 7 months ago

‘Gotta go’: Anti-government protest strike grips Sri Lanka

Al Jazeera  

Demonstrations continue with shortages of imported food, fuel, and medicine during the severe economic crisis. Thousands of shops, schools and businesses closed on Friday as public and private sector workers in Sri Lanka went on strike, demanding the president and his government step down for their mishandling of the island’s worst financial crisis in decades. Hit hard by the coronavirus …

Protests intensify in Sri Lanka over killing of anti-government protester
2 years, 8 months ago

Protests intensify in Sri Lanka over killing of anti-government protester

The Hindu  

The fatal shooting of an anti-government protester by the Sri Lankan police on Tuesday has sparked wide condemnation domestically and internationally, while intensifying ongoing anti-government protests in the wake of severe food shortages and record inflation. The Bar Association of Sri Lanka, a body of lawyers, said it was “shocked and saddened at the loss of life” in the incident …

Entire Sri Lankan cabinet resigns, social media ban lifted as country's economic crisis worsens
2 years, 8 months ago

Entire Sri Lankan cabinet resigns, social media ban lifted as country's economic crisis worsens

ABC  

The entire Sri Lankan cabinet has resigned from their positions, as anti-government protesters defy curfews in the country's worsening economic crisis. Key points: Coalition parties are demanding that a caretaker cabinet be appointed The nationwide social media ban ended at 6am today For months, Sri Lankans have endured significant fuel, food and medicine shortage All 26 ministers, except for President …

Lanka protesters defy curfew after web ban
2 years, 8 months ago

Lanka protesters defy curfew after web ban

Hindustan Times  

COLOMBO: Opposition lawmakers and thousands of people angered by the government’s handling of Sri Lanka’s worst economic crisis on Sunday marched to denounce the President’s move to impose a nationwide curfew and state of emergency, as protests over food and fuel shortages swelled. Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and finance minister Basil Rajapaksa may step down soon as public …

Over 600 protesters arrested in Sri Lanka for violating nationwide curfew
2 years, 8 months ago

Over 600 protesters arrested in Sri Lanka for violating nationwide curfew

The Hindu  

Over 6oo people were arrested in Sri Lanka’s Western Province on Sunday for violating a 36-hour nationwide curfew and trying to stage an anti-government rally to protest the country’s worst economic crisis. The government on Sunday barred gatherings and ordered internet service providers to restrict social media access, tightening curbs amid planned demonstrations calling for President Rajapaksa’s ouster over soaring …

Watch | Sri Lanka Crisis: Opposition holds protest defying curfew
2 years, 8 months ago

Watch | Sri Lanka Crisis: Opposition holds protest defying curfew

The Hindu  

Sri Lanka’s main opposition party Samagi Jana Balawegaya on Sunday held a protest at Colombo’s Independence Square, defying a curfew imposed by the government that faces sharp criticism over its response to the country’s worsening economic crisis. Over the past week, citizen’s protests have intensified across Sri Lanka, amid a persisting shortage of food supplies and fuel, soaring prices of …

Opposition lawmakers in Sri Lanka protest state of emergency
2 years, 8 months ago

Opposition lawmakers in Sri Lanka protest state of emergency

Hindustan Times  

Opposition lawmakers in Sri Lanka on Sunday marched in the capital, Colombo, protesting against the president's move to impose a nationwide curfew and state of emergency following demonstrations blaming the government for an economic crisis. Sri Lankan army soldiers stand guard at a checkpoint after the government imposed a curfew following a clash between police and protestors near Sri Lankan …

Sri Lanka economic crisis: Opposition lawmakers march in the capital, protesting the state of emergency
2 years, 8 months ago

Sri Lanka economic crisis: Opposition lawmakers march in the capital, protesting the state of emergency

Firstpost  

The emergency declaration by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa gives him wide powers to preserve public order, suppress mutiny, riot or civil disturbances or for the maintenance of essential supplies Colombo, Sri Lanka: Opposition lawmakers in Sri Lanka on Sunday marched in the capital, Colombo, protesting against the president’s move to impose a curfew and state of emergency amid a worsening economic …

Crisis-hit Sri Lanka blocks social media to contain anti-govt protests
2 years, 8 months ago

Crisis-hit Sri Lanka blocks social media to contain anti-govt protests

Deccan Chronicle  

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka blocked access to social media platforms on Sunday after authorities imposed a weekend nationwide curfew to contain protests over a worsening economic crisis. "On the request of the defence ministry, service providers advised to temporarily restrict social media platforms," the broadcaster said, quoting Sri Lanka's media regulator. Foreign exchange shortage A critical lack of foreign currency has …

Photos: Sri Lanka protesters defy curfew after social media ban
2 years, 8 months ago

Photos: Sri Lanka protesters defy curfew after social media ban

Al Jazeera  

Armed troops in Sri Lanka had a tense confrontation with a crowd protesting a worsening economic crisis on Sunday, April 3 after a social media blackout failed to halt another day of anti-government demonstrations. The Samagi Jana Balawegaya, Sri Lanka’s main opposition alliance, denounced the social media blackout and said it was time for the government to resign. “They should …

Day after unrest, Sri Lanka government declares Emergency
2 years, 8 months ago

Day after unrest, Sri Lanka government declares Emergency

The Hindu  

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa declared a state of Emergency in crisis-hit Sri Lanka, a day after angry citizens converged in front of his residence demanding his immediate resignation. the President has blamed “organised extremists” for staging a large protest outside his private residence on Thursday night,aspublic anger mounts over his government’s handling of the economic crisis gripping Sri Lanka. Thursday’s protest …

Lanka Crisis: Protests Near President's Residence 'Act of Terrorism', Says Govt
2 years, 8 months ago

Lanka Crisis: Protests Near President's Residence 'Act of Terrorism', Says Govt

News 18  

The Sri Lankan government on Friday termed the violent demonstration near President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s residence over the current economic crises as “an act of terrorism” and blamed “extremist elements” linked to opposition parties for the incident. Police fired tear gas and water cannons at the protesters after they pulled down a steel barricade placed near the president’s residence. A statement …

Dozens arrested in Sri Lanka amid protests over worsening economy
2 years, 8 months ago

Dozens arrested in Sri Lanka amid protests over worsening economy

Al Jazeera  

Police also imposed a brief curfew after clashing with protesters who tried to storm President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s house. Colombo, Sri Lanka – Police in Sri Lanka have lifted an overnight curfew in the country’s capital after arresting dozens of people and quelling unrest that saw large crowds attempt to storm President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s private residence amid anger over a worsening …

Sri Lanka softens ‘terror’ law after EU trade pressure
2 years, 9 months ago

Sri Lanka softens ‘terror’ law after EU trade pressure

Al Jazeera  

Sri Lanka’s main opposition parties are withholding support for the amendments, saying they do not stop the arbitrary arrest of dissidents. The Parliament of Sri Lanka has amended controversial “anti-terror” legislation after a European Union threat to withdraw lucrative trading status, but opposition lawmakers said the changes would not stop abuses under the law. But Sri Lanka’s main opposition parties …

Sri Lanka opposition protests economic distress, shortage in massive Colombo demonstration
3 years, 1 month ago

Sri Lanka opposition protests economic distress, shortage in massive Colombo demonstration

The Hindu  

Thousands mobilised by Sri Lanka’s main Opposition party Samagi Jana Balawegaya on November 16 took to the streets in capital Colombo, protesting mounting economic woes and a shortage of essentials. In one of the biggest public assertions of the SJB since the Rajapaksas’ Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna swept the November 2019 Presidential elections and August 2020 Parliamentary elections, Leader of …

Thai activists follow up large protest with smaller actions
4 years, 5 months ago

Thai activists follow up large protest with smaller actions

Associated Press  

BANGKOK — Thai political activists held small protests Monday outside the prime minister’s offices and an army installation, seeking to sustain momentum from a surprisingly large anti-government demonstration on Saturday. A separate group of several dozen protesters held a rally Monday outside of army headquarters, where a series of speakers decried Prayuth’s government and its efforts to muzzle its critics. …

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