Colombo: The Sri Lankan military on Thursday warned of “consequences” to anti-government protesters who have increasingly resorted to violence even as beleaguered President Gotabaya Rajapaksa landed in Singapore, a day after fleeing his country to The Maldives.
The streets of Colombo were mostly calm on Thursday, with heavily armed soldiers patrolling and their armoured vehicles parked strategically, after acting President and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe asked security forces to deal with rioters sternly.
The military, which had played a neutral role until now, made it clear that it would not accept any more violence on the streets.
It said in a hard-hitting statement that protesters should desist from “all forms of violence immediately or be prepared to face consequences”.
It said the armed forces “are legitimately empowered to exercise their force, if the situation deems necessary, as security to the public property, key installations, vulnerable points and human lives does fall within the purview of their responsibility”.
The statement also came a day after violent protesters seized the Prime Minister’s office in Colombo and tried the same tactics with the Parliament building, only to be beaten back by security forces. Unidentified protesters attacked and seriously wounded two soldiers and escaped with their T-56 assault rifles.
The statement pointed out that the armed forces had not interfered with the weeks of anti-government sentiments, including on July 9 when mobs seized the President’s House, forcing Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee, the Presidential Secretariat and the official residence of the Prime Minister.
In Wednesday’s street violence, a 26-year-old woman protester died after inhaling tear gas outside the Prime Minister’s office while two soldiers whose were badly injured near Parliament by a crowd armed with iron rods and clubs remained in hospital on Thursday.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who fled Sri Lanka with his wife and two bodyguards in an air force jet on Wednesday morning, landed in Male, where he spent Wednesday night. On Thursday noon, he took a private Saudi Airline flight with his wife and bodyguards to Singapore.
His ultimate destination is not immediately clear although some news reports speculated that he would eventually reach Dubai.
His two brothers — former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and former Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa — remain in Colombo. The Supreme Court has been petitioned that they should not be allowed to leave Sri Lanka.
The Rajapaksas have been widely blamed for pursuing policies which have led Sri Lanka to economic ruin, leaving the country without any foreign exchange to import even essentials including basic food, medicines and fuel.
Gotabaya’s departure and his failure to resign as promised on Wednesday has led to political uncertainty in Sri Lanka. The President has ordered that Prime Minister Wickremesinghe, who has held the post since early May, should be the acting President in his absence.
Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka announced on Thursday that he was willing to contest for the presidency if a majority of MPs elected him to the post. Fonseka was the army chief when the military crushed the Tamil Tigers in 2009 but later developed major differences with the now deposed Rajapaksa brothers.
Harsha de Silva, a MP, said a successor to Prime Minister Wickremesinghe will be made public on Friday. But a later announcement said that MPs had called off a planned meeting on Friday as President Rajapaksa still has not resigned from his post.
The President’s House in the heart of Colombo was taken over on July 9 by anti-government protesters and remains in their possession. The crowds are also holding on to the Presidential Secretariat and the Prime Minister’s Office despite growing appeals to vacate the premises.
The Maldivian decision to award the fleeing President sanctuary has come under widespread criticism from Sri Lankans living in Male as well as a section of Maldivians.
Rajapaksa spent Wednesday in Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi, a property owned by business tycoon Mohamed Ali Janah, a close associate of Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdullah Shahid.
Sri Lankan authorities on Thursday lifted a curfew that was imposed since Wednesday evening till 5 am of Thursday in the Western province, which includes capital Colombo.
Wickremesinghe has ordered the military to do “whatever is necessary to restore order” in the country after protesters stormed his office on Wednesday.
UNI
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