Sri Lankan police fired live bullets at demonstrators protesting the famine yesterday, killing one person and injuring dozens more. As the government accelerates negotiations to borrow money from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to alleviate the biggest economic crisis in decades.
Sri Lankans have been protesting in the streets for weeks. to express dissatisfaction with the government’s mismanagement of the economy This has resulted in people suffering severe shortages of food, fuel and supplies. Inflation hit a record high And the government has to use a way to cut power for more than ten hours a day to reduce expenses.
Archyde.com quoted Mihiri Priyangcani, director of Kegalle Teaching Hospital, who confirmed that At least one protester was shot dead and 12 others were injured in hospital, two of them critically after clashes between protesters and police in Rambukkana, north of Rambukkana. Colombo, about 95 kilometers east.
Police claim protesters prepare to set fire to diesel trucks. Causing officers to fire to disperse the protests.
“We have opened an investigation into the behavior of the police in Rumbuk Ghana,” police commissioner Chandana Vikramratne said. stated in the statement as well as announcing a curfew in the area indefinitely
Sri Lankan officials told AFP that At least 29 people were injured in the violent clashes, including 11 police officers.
foreign ambassadors Those including the United States, Britain and Canada have voiced their concerns when they heard about police using live ammunition at the protesters. ready to call on all parties to be patient
“A full and transparent investigation is essential. And the people’s right to protest peacefully must be protected,” U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung said. Sri Lanka
at the same time Sri Lankan police fired tear gas to disperse protesters in the south of the country. But no injuries or deaths were reported.
The Sri Lankan government hopes to borrow about $3 billion to $4 billion from the IMF to address the balance of payment crisis and boost liquidity. After the reserves have shrunk considerably.
Labor unions in Sri Lanka went on strike today (20) in protest against rising living costs. Meanwhile, public transport fares are set to rise by 35 percent on Wednesday after diesel prices jumped nearly 65% and bread prices rose nearly 30 percent.
Protesters have continued to camp outside the presidential palace since April 9, urging President Kotabaya Rajapaksa to take responsibility for his resignation.
President Rajapaksa expressed his acceptance of the people’s wrath over the mismanagement of the country. On Monday, he announced the appointment of a new cabinet without the names of some Rajapaksa family members, but his older brother Mahinda Rajapaksa remains prime minister.
Sri Lanka’s economic collapse is partly affected by COVID-19. As a result, tourism income and remittances from Sri Lankans are greatly reduced.
last week Sri Lanka’s central bank has defaulted on $51 billion in foreign debt, which the default is to allow the government to use its remaining foreign currency in its treasury to buy food, fuel, medicine and other basic necessities. that has been in short supply for many months
Source: Archyde.com, AFP.