Protesters Storm the Streets of Sri Lanka as Financial Crisis Worsens
Sri Lankans in the nation’s capital, Colombo, protested on the streets on April 20, 2022, amid the worsening financial situation. Photo: Eranga Jayawardena/ Associated Press
One man was killed and 13 more were injured after police opened fire at demonstrators this past Tuesday in Rambukkana, in central Sri Lanka. The incident was the first fatality that resulted from the peaceful demonstrations that have been taking place across Sri Lanka over the past month. Protests by Sri Lankans have escalated over the past few weeks in response to the worsening financial situation in the country.
Marchers emerged on Tuesday after a major fuel supplier in Sri Lanka increased prices by 65 percent-- one of many price hikes that Sri Lankans have had to recently endure including a hike in the price of wheat flour, commonly considered a staple in the South Asian diet.
The police, on Tuesday, claimed they used minimum force to disperse protesters away from a key railway line that had been blocked for hours due to the rallies. Additionally, state authorities also claimed that many police officers were injured by protesters who threw stones at them in an effort to get past the barricades.
The rallies resulted in curfews in central Sri Lanka. Crowds in Rambukkana, the departure point for the second largest railway in Sri Lanka, had marched outside for 15 hours in opposition to the new fuel prices. Thousands of angry demonstrators also blocked off nearby highways that led to the capital, Colombo, using burning tires.
The protesters voiced their anger over the government’s mishandling of the economy which resulted in shortages of essential commodities like fuel, food, water, and electricity. Meanwhile, the government tried to reach out to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for aid to ease their current economic crisis.
Nishan Shanaka is a civil engineer in Colombo who has now been forced to drive an auto-rickshaw at night and on weekends just to keep his family afloat. In an interview with The Guardian, Shanaka expressed frustration and said, “I blame the government. We bring good foreign income into Sri Lanka, but the government has wasted it all away with bad policies. It is a terrible time for this country.”
Members of Sri Lanka's opposition political party National People's Power participate in an anti-government protest rally in front of the Town Hall in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Tuesday, April 19, 2022. Photo Eranga Jayawardena/Associated Press.
Sri Lanka’s president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, admitted his fault concerning the growing financial crisis on Monday in a speech to the 17 new Cabinet members, replacing some of the President’s family members and other senior politicians that faced corruption allegations. The President appointed them to resolve the political crisis surrounding many of his family members being in positions of power as Cabinet members. The finance and foreign affairs ministers retained their positions to continue the country’s economic recovery.
The President said “During the last two and a half years we have had vast challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the debt burden, and some mistakes on our part.” Many believe that a key fault on the Sri Lankan government’s side was not reaching out to other countries and the IMF sooner in order to seek aid. Rajapaksa went on to add, “Today, people are under immense pressure due to this economic crisis. I deeply regret this situation.”
The President’s elder brother, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, has also been under fire for not doing anything to prevent the situation the nation is in. Mahinda said on Tuesday that the constitution will be changed to lessen presidential powers and empower the Parliament.
Many citizens have made a demand for a younger Cabinet, going beyond just the Rajapaksa family. One protester at a march in Colombo, in front of the Parliament building, carried a sign that said “Give us our stolen money back” and also called for a freeze on the Rajapaksas’ assets.
Buddadasa Galappaththi, a 74-year-old Sri-Lankan writer, told Al Jazeera “What has Gota done in the last two years? He has done nothing. We don’t want the Rajapaksas in the country’s management anymore.”
In a push to recover from its financial crisis, Financial Minister Ali Sabry left the country to visit Washington D.C. and resume talks with the IMF and the World Bank regarding the suspension of the repayment of foreign loans. The country is hoping to delay its loan payments to the IMF and the World Bank so as to shift its focus to making necessities like food, fuel, and medicines available in the country.
Even still, the South Asian island nation continues its efforts to look for international aid, specifically from China and India. On Wednesday India provided an additional $500 million in financial assistance for fuel, alongside Bangladesh which was also willing to postpone a $450 million in swap repayments.