Sri Lanka protests

The government is arming itself with a law to crush mass protests and strikes aimed at opposing its economic policies and IMF austerity measures.

The primary demand of the 2022 protests – the removal of Gotabaya Rajapaksa from his role as president – has been achieved, but the secondary demand of “system change” has not.

One year after the protests that ousted Sri Lanka’s president and government, reforms remain elusive and the national crisis is far from over.

Depleting foreign exchange reserves forced several countries, including Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, to turn to the IMF.

It also called for the repeal of the harsh, civil war-era Prevention of Terrorism Act, under which the two protest leaders are being held.

Rights groups say the military has sought to curb protests through intimidation, surveillance, and arbitrary arrests since Ranil Wickremesinghe became president in July.

Hours after his swearing-in, he sent troops and police to force protesters out of the main protest sites in Colombo.

Public ire turns against Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who has been appointed acting president.

The country needs a credible government that enjoys legitimacy in the eyes of the people. Forming one will be a herculean task.

Financial hardship persists but there is growing hope among Sri Lankans that Ranil Wickremsinghe will see them through the tough times.

“The political and economic crisis have exposed the multiple failures of the Gotabaya Rajapaksa presidency.”

It was the first shooting by security forces amid weeks of protests against the Rajapaksa government and a worsening economic crisis.

Facing Sri Lanka's worst economic crisis, the Rajapaksa family's appeals to national security and Sinhala Buddhist nationalism may no longer be enough to keep them in power.

The leaderless nature of the protests was part of the attraction for many Sri Lankans. But leaders need to emerge if the movement is going to succeed in bringing about political change.

On Sunday, after large protests, all 26 Cabinet ministers resigned. President Rajapaksa's proposed unity government was refused and protests continue.

A protest against police brutality in the U.S. is met with police brutality in Colombo.