45 Arrested For Protests As Crisis Worsens In Sri Lanka, Curfew Lifted

An overnight curfew imposed in several parts of Colombo, after protests outside Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's residence over the worsening economic crisis turned violent, was lifted today morning at around 5 am.

Police said that 45 people have been arrested for their alleged involvement in yesterday's protests outside the President's residence.

"Five policemen were injured while several vehicles were set on fire by the protesters," officials said, adding that the injured have been admitted to the hospital for treatment.

The curfew was imposed within the Colombo North, South, Colombo Central, Nugegoda, Mount Lavinia and Kelaniya Police Divisions.

Police fired tear gas and water cannon to disperse the protesters who tried to storm the home of the Sri Lankan President in the capital yesterday. Videos shared on social media showed men and women shouting "lunatic, lunatic go home" and demanding that all members of the powerful Rajapaksa family step down.

The office of the Sri Lankan President blamed an unidentified 'extremist' group for creating a violent situation during the protests.

Many of the protesters were identified as organised extremists, the statement said. It further added that they have spearheaded the protest calling for an Arab Spring in Sri Lanka.

There has been a critical shortage of food and essential items, fuel and gas for weeks as the country grapples with the worst economic downturn since its independence.

Many parts of the country are struggling with rolling power cuts for up to 13 hours due to a shortage of foreign currency to import fuel.

The crisis is a result of badly timed tax cuts and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic coupled with historically weak government finances, leading to foreign exchange reserves dropping by 70 per cent in the last two years. 

The Sri Lankan government said it is seeking a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). IMF spokesman Gerry Rice yesterday confirmed that such talks "should begin in the coming days" with Sri Lanka's Finance Minister.

The country has also sought more loans from India and China.