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Pressure grows on protestors to vacate Government property

13 Jul 2022

  • Bar Association and GotaGoGama’s Black Cap Movement urge immediate handover
  • Omalpe Sobhitha Thero wants handover as soon as Prez resigns
BY Buddhika Samaraweera The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL), the Black Cap Movement (BCM) of “GotaGoGama”, and Venerable Omalpe Sobhitha Thera have urged the Presidential Secretariat, the President’s House (the official residence of the President), and Temple Trees (the official residence of the Prime Minister) – which are at present occupied by protestors following the massive protest held in Colombo on 9 July demanding the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, and the Government – be handed over to the relevant authorities. The BASL noted that the President’s House, Temple Trees, and the Presidential Secretariat are being occupied by members of protest groups and that large crowds continue to visit the premises.  “The BASL is extremely concerned about reports of acts of vandalism at Temple Trees and the President’s House. They call upon those occupying these premises to ensure that the proper authorities are given custody of these buildings. They also call upon those occupying them to ensure the protection of documents and other public properties, many of which are of archaeological significance. They also call upon the public to respect the sanctity of these buildings,” it said in a press release yesterday (12). Meanwhile, the BCM has stated that these properties should be handed over to the Colombo District Secretary (DS) through an intermediary party. The BCM activists said that they recognise the importance of symbolically occupying these buildings as a means of reflecting public protest against the corrupt regime. However, they said that they believe that it is the responsibility of those who have been involved in the people’s struggle to ensure the safety of these premises which are public properties and to hand them over to future generations. “We are of the opinion that certain uncontrollable damage caused by over a million people who came to participate in the protest should not be allowed to develop further. Therefore, we suggest that the Presidential Secretariat, the President’s House, and Temple Trees be handed over to the Colombo District Secretary through an intermediary party such as the Red Cross organisation.” Venerable Omalpe Sobhitha Thera has requested the protestors who are occupying the President’s House, Presidential Secretariat, and the Temple Trees to vacate the compounds once Gotabaya Rajapaksa steps down from the presidency. Addressing a special media briefing yesterday (12), he stressed that the safety of these premises needs to be ensured. He added that following the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa today (13) as anticipated, the people of the country should be satisfied to some extent that their demand is being fulfilled. Hence, the aforementioned occupied compounds should be vacated, as the security of the country is not ensured while the presidency remains inactive, he pointed out. “The people are in charge of security,” Ven. Sobhitha Thera said further, noting that maintaining security under such circumstances will be a serious problem in the future. “Conspiracies that we do not even know about might be orchestrated to destroy these important national properties.” He requested that these compounds be handed over to the security forces. Hundreds and thousands of people gathered in Colombo and launched a massive protest demanding the resignation of the President, the Premier, and the Government on 9 July. Security forces, including the Police, used various methods, such as tear gassing, to drive the protestors away on that day; however, the protestors were able to seize control of the Presidential Secretariat, the President’s House, and the Temple Trees. The protestors, who are still occupying the said buildings, have emphasised that they would not leave the premises until the President, the Premier, and the Government steps down. The Old Parliament building is the building that houses the Presidential Secretariat. Situated in the Colombo Fort area facing the Galle Face Green, it is in close proximity to the President’s House. The building housed the island’s Legislature for 53 years until the new Parliamentary complex was opened in Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte in 1983. The President’s House is the official residence and workplace of the President and is located at Janadhipathi Mawatha, Colombo.  Since 1804, it had been the residence of British Governors and Governors-General and was known as the King’s House or the Queen’s House, until Sri Lanka became a republic in 1972. Furthermore, the history of Temple Trees, which is currently the official residence of the Premier, dates back to the early 19th Century.  


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