Sri Lanka troops break up protesters' camp
July 22, 2022
Sri Lankan police and troops on Friday raided a camp set up by anti-government protesters in the capital, Colombo, a day after the inauguration of President Ranil Wickremesinghe.
The new president — an ally of ousted President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and six-time prime minister — is seen by detractors as part of the political establishment that has caused Sri Lanka's problems.
Hours after police cleared the camp on Friday, Dinesh Gunawardena, an ally of the Rajapaksa political dynasty, was sworn in as the country's new prime minister.
The 73-year-old Gunawardena is a former public administration minister and was also a schoolmate of Wickremesinghe.
Later on Friday, the United States responded to the actions of the authorities, with US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung saying she had met with President Wickremesinghe to share her "grave concern over the unnecessary and deeply troubling escalation of violence against protesters."
"The President and cabinet have an opportunity and an obligation to respond to the calls of Sri Lankans for a better future," she tweeted.
What happened at the camp?
Several videos on social media showed armed forces marching towards tents as the main anti-government protest camp in Colombo was raided.
Both troops and police Special Task Force commandos armed with batons and assault rifles swooped in on protesters camping at the capital's Presidential Secretariat.
Rights group Amnesty International's South Asia office tweeted that the site had been "attacked by the police and the military in the early hours of Friday after surrounding it and arresting demonstrators."
Soldiers removed barricades set up by protesters blocking the main gate of the building, which demonstrators had managed to partially overrun earlier this month.
Protester organizers said at least 50 demonstrators were injured, including some journalists who were beaten by security forces.
The raid took place hours before the protesters were due to vacate the area in any case. They had announced a plan to hand over the building after the swearing-in of a new Cabinet.
A police spokesman said nine people had been arrested and that they had "no legal right to hold" the site.
Wickremesinghe — an unpopular choice with many protesters — issued a gazette notification on Thursday ordering members of the armed forces to maintain public order in several districts.
New president, old grievances
Sri Lankan lawmakers voted for Wickremesinghe in the hope his long experience in government might help bring the country out of an economic and political crisis that has left the population struggling with shortages of essential supplies.
The selection came after former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country and resigned when protesters stormed his residence.
However, Wickremesinghe's closeness to Rajapaska, as well as his long-standing prominence in the island nation's politics, means that many consider him to be part of the problem that needs fixing.
While Wickremesinghe urged politicians to work together and pleaded for the country to move on after the vote on Wednesday protesters flocked to the presidential office chanting "Ranil, go home!''
Sri Lanka's presidents are usually directly elected by the public but the responsibility does fall to parliament if the presidency becomes vacant before the term officially ends.
zc,rc/aw (Reuters, AFP, AP)