Colombo: Sri Lanka’s authority issued a shooting order on Tuesday to extinguish the riots who had seen buildings and vehicles on fire the day after the island was shaken by violence and deadly riots.
With thousands of security forces upholding the curfew, the Ministry of Defense said the troops “had been ordered to shoot anyone who looted public property or caused damage to life”.On Monday, supporters of the government with sticks and clubs attacked demonstrators in Colombo who protested peacefully for weeks during the terrible economic crisis and demanded the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
The masses then replied throughout the country until late at night, touching dozens of party politicians who came to power and tried to invade the official residence of the Prime Minister in the capital.Police said Tuesday eight people were killed.
The protest continued on Tuesday despite the curfew, with several people against a shootout order to burn buildings and vehicles.A luxury hotel that is said to belong to Rajapaksa’s relatives was burned on Tuesday night on the edge of the Sinharaja rain forest.And the police shot into the air in two locations to disperse the masses trying to burn the vehicle.Previously, the crowd had attacked and burned the vehicle carrying the most senior police in Colombo.
Officers fired warning shots and sent reinforcements to save the Deputy Inspector of Senior General Deshabandu Tennakoon, who was rushed to the hospital but was then released.In another sign from the deteriorating security, the vigilante group itself blocked the main road to the Colombo Airport to examine every Rajapaksa loyalist who tried to leave the island, the witnesses said.
In addition to those killed, more than 225 people were injured on Monday, who also witnessed the resignation of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.His departure, however, failed to extinguish the public’s anger, with his brother still the president and used broad strength including command of security forces.
Mahinda had to be saved in a pre-Dawn military operation after thousands of angry protesters stormed her official residence last night and threw a gasoline bomb.Chamal Polwatts protesters said he hoped that the demonstration swelled again and vowed they would not leave “until the president left”.”People are angry about the attack launched against us yesterday … We have a lot of volunteers who carry food and water for us,” the 25-year-old man told AFP.
– ‘very problematic’ –
The grip of the Rajapaksa clan’s power has been rocked by the blackouts of the moon and lack of important goods in the worst economic crisis of Sri Lanka since independence in 1948.Pandemi Torpedo Tourism is vital and forces the government to stop most of imports to save foreign currencies needed to pay their debts, which have now failed to pay.But after weeks of peaceful demonstrations, Monday’s attack on protesters by government supporters represented a turning point.
In the next violence, the police fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd and declare curfew in all South Asian countries until Wednesday, but then extended it from another day until Thursday.The angry crowd burned the house at least 42 pro-Rajapaksa politicians.Some Rajapaksa houses were burned, while a family museum in their ancestral village was thrown away.
Outside of Colombo, members of the party parliament in power Amarakeerthi Athukorala shot two of them to be one of those surrounded by a crowd of protesters, the police said.MPs then took their own life, said the officer, but the ruling party said he had been killed. The MPs are also killed.Another ruling party politician who was not named as a dead shot of two protesters and injured five other people in the south, added the police.
The Head of the United Nations Rights Michelle Bachelet said on Tuesday that he was “very problematic” by violence committed by supporters of the government and the next “mass violence” against members of the ruling party.Bachelet in a statement calls for an investigation and urges the government to “be involved in a meaningful dialogue with all parts of society”.
The US Department of State also reiterated the call for an investigation of the clash, said Washington was equally concerned about the increase in violence and the spread of the military.”We emphasize that peaceful protesters must not experience violence or intimidation, whether it is part of a military forces or civil units,” Ned Price spokesman told reporters.
– Unity government? –
Washington also urged Sri Lanka’s political authority to quickly “ensure public safety” and identify “solutions to achieve long -term economic and political stability.”Mahinda Rajapaksa said that her resignation was intended to open the way for the unity government, but it was unclear whether the opposition would join the government led by her brother.The President has the power to appoint and fire the minister and judges, and enjoy the immunity from the prosecution.
Political sources said efforts were being made to arrange online meetings between the president and all political parties. “Unless President Rajapaksa resigned, there was no one – whether the masses on the streets or main political stakeholders – would be picked up,” Analyst Michael Kugelman from Wilson Center told AFP.
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