A crisis of major magnitude is taking place in Sri Lanka. The world has not yet taken adequate notice of the impact of the economic downturn due to the inability of the Government to pay the foreign loans, as a result of which it is suffering from the worst financial crisis ever faced in the country.
The direct result of this crisis is that most of the schools, public institutions, and almost the entire way of life in the country have come to a virtual halt due to the inability of the Government to pay for the oil that is needed for the country. Travel has become extremely difficult and inconvenient, and even the Government servants are being asked to work from their homes in order to avoid travelling.
Meanwhile, in almost every area of the country, massive protests have been taking place. These protests have been going on day in and day out, with the numbers ever increasing. Last Saturday’s (9) monumental protest at Galle Face saw incredible attendance, as almost everyone is facing the consequences of skyrocketing inflation, which has made the cost of living unbearable. Already, the malnutrition level of children has risen, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), to 1.7% of the entire population of children in Sri Lanka. Out of this, 17% are said to be suffering from acute forms of malnourishment. Due to this and many other serious deprivations, it is not a surprise that the people have taken to protest in order to draw the attention of the Government to bring about solutions to these problems. Meanwhile, the Government, which has attempted to find support from foreign agencies like the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and other sources, has been clearly told that unless the acute political crisis in the country is solved and political stability is brought back, the likelihood of any considerable support from outside is unlikely.
It is within this background that the Government is resorting to attacks on protestors and particularly those media personnel who are providing the country with the needed information about the actual situation that is faced in the country. Journalists have been arrested, in some instances assaulted, and in many instances, they have been called into questioning by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) about the information that they have published and the opinion that they have expressed. This is clearly intended for the purpose of intimidating the media from providing publicity to the massive protests in the country, and also the great corruption that has been happening despite this dismal situation.
A well-known social media journalist and a commentator was called to the CID to be questioned about information that he has disseminated about several events that happened in the recent past. His 18-year-old son, who assists him with social media networking, has also been called in for questioning. This has been condemned by many journalists as an attempt to intimidate all other media journalists.
Tharindu Uduwaragedara, a well-known social media journalist, was called to the CID for questioning and later he was brought by the Police before a Magistrate at around 2 a.m. with a request for remanding over allegedly violating the rules against publication. The purpose of producing him at 2 a.m. was to prevent the lawyers from attending the court and requesting for bail on his behalf.
However, as the lawyers were alerted, they were present before the Magistrate and made a request for bail which has been granted. This again was an attempt to obstruct the use of social media in order to disseminate information on the problems that are faced by the people, and also the repression that is being carried out by the Police and the military.
Ramzi Razik was arrested under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Right (ICCPR) Act accusing him of trying to cause religious dissension, where in fact he was engaged in exposing the problems caused to the people under the present circumstances. Sri Lanka’s ICCPR Act has been used not for the protection of the civil and political rights, but in order to arrest persons under the pretext of the prevention of religious tensions with a view to depriving them of bail.
Meanwhile, throughout the country, the Police, and on some occasions the military, have assaulted protestors engaged in peaceful protests. The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) condemned the attacks by the military, stating that under the Sri Lankan law, it is only if the Police call upon the military that they could intervene to deal with any unrest. On two occasions where the military got involved and also harassed the protestors, there were no calls from the Police for military intervention. A spokesman for the BASL expressed the fear that the present unrest may be used by the military in order to strengthen their involvement in the country.
The Police have also engaged in assaults on civilians who have gathered in mass queues in order to get oil, gas, and other essential commodities. These massive queues are a result of the unavailability of oil and gas and the like. Meanwhile, a black market has developed where petrol and diesel are being bought by interested parties, including in several instances by the Police, without respecting the rights of the people who have been waiting to get these items for several days in queues. This has also led to several conflicts and during these conflicts, the Police have had the liberty to assault the civilians.
There are planned protests where much larger crowds are expected, if the President and Prime Minister fail to hold true to their promise of stepping down. There is a fearful expectation that the Government may use violence against peace in order to suppress these protests.
(The writer is the Asian Human Rights Commission’s Policy and Programmes Director)
………………………………..
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect those of this publication.
The arrest, assault, and questioning of protestors and journalists
13 Jul 2022
The arrest, assault, and questioning of protestors and journalists
13 Jul 2022
A crisis of major magnitude is taking place in Sri Lanka. The world has not yet taken adequate notice of the impact of the economic downturn due to the inability of the Government to pay the foreign loans, as a result of which it is suffering from the worst financial crisis ever faced in the country.
The direct result of this crisis is that most of the schools, public institutions, and almost the entire way of life in the country have come to a virtual halt due to the inability of the Government to pay for the oil that is needed for the country. Travel has become extremely difficult and inconvenient, and even the Government servants are being asked to work from their homes in order to avoid travelling.
Meanwhile, in almost every area of the country, massive protests have been taking place. These protests have been going on day in and day out, with the numbers ever increasing. Last Saturday’s (9) monumental protest at Galle Face saw incredible attendance, as almost everyone is facing the consequences of skyrocketing inflation, which has made the cost of living unbearable. Already, the malnutrition level of children has risen, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), to 1.7% of the entire population of children in Sri Lanka. Out of this, 17% are said to be suffering from acute forms of malnourishment. Due to this and many other serious deprivations, it is not a surprise that the people have taken to protest in order to draw the attention of the Government to bring about solutions to these problems. Meanwhile, the Government, which has attempted to find support from foreign agencies like the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and other sources, has been clearly told that unless the acute political crisis in the country is solved and political stability is brought back, the likelihood of any considerable support from outside is unlikely.
It is within this background that the Government is resorting to attacks on protestors and particularly those media personnel who are providing the country with the needed information about the actual situation that is faced in the country. Journalists have been arrested, in some instances assaulted, and in many instances, they have been called into questioning by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) about the information that they have published and the opinion that they have expressed. This is clearly intended for the purpose of intimidating the media from providing publicity to the massive protests in the country, and also the great corruption that has been happening despite this dismal situation.
A well-known social media journalist and a commentator was called to the CID to be questioned about information that he has disseminated about several events that happened in the recent past. His 18-year-old son, who assists him with social media networking, has also been called in for questioning. This has been condemned by many journalists as an attempt to intimidate all other media journalists.
Tharindu Uduwaragedara, a well-known social media journalist, was called to the CID for questioning and later he was brought by the Police before a Magistrate at around 2 a.m. with a request for remanding over allegedly violating the rules against publication. The purpose of producing him at 2 a.m. was to prevent the lawyers from attending the court and requesting for bail on his behalf.
However, as the lawyers were alerted, they were present before the Magistrate and made a request for bail which has been granted. This again was an attempt to obstruct the use of social media in order to disseminate information on the problems that are faced by the people, and also the repression that is being carried out by the Police and the military.
Ramzi Razik was arrested under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Right (ICCPR) Act accusing him of trying to cause religious dissension, where in fact he was engaged in exposing the problems caused to the people under the present circumstances. Sri Lanka’s ICCPR Act has been used not for the protection of the civil and political rights, but in order to arrest persons under the pretext of the prevention of religious tensions with a view to depriving them of bail.
Meanwhile, throughout the country, the Police, and on some occasions the military, have assaulted protestors engaged in peaceful protests. The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) condemned the attacks by the military, stating that under the Sri Lankan law, it is only if the Police call upon the military that they could intervene to deal with any unrest. On two occasions where the military got involved and also harassed the protestors, there were no calls from the Police for military intervention. A spokesman for the BASL expressed the fear that the present unrest may be used by the military in order to strengthen their involvement in the country.
The Police have also engaged in assaults on civilians who have gathered in mass queues in order to get oil, gas, and other essential commodities. These massive queues are a result of the unavailability of oil and gas and the like. Meanwhile, a black market has developed where petrol and diesel are being bought by interested parties, including in several instances by the Police, without respecting the rights of the people who have been waiting to get these items for several days in queues. This has also led to several conflicts and during these conflicts, the Police have had the liberty to assault the civilians.
There are planned protests where much larger crowds are expected, if the President and Prime Minister fail to hold true to their promise of stepping down. There is a fearful expectation that the Government may use violence against peace in order to suppress these protests.
(The writer is the Asian Human Rights Commission’s Policy and Programmes Director)
………………………………..
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect those of this publication.
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Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!