UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe. (Photo: Reuters)Sri Lanka Crisis Highlights: The newly-appointed Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, said he looks forward to closer ties with India during his term and thanked India for its economic assistance to the country as it tackles the economic crisis.
Wickremesinghe was sworn in as the 26th Prime Minister of the country on Thursday, replacing Mahinda Rajapaksa, who resigned amid widespread protests in the country. The High Commission of India in Colombo, welcomed Wickremesinghe, saying that it hopes for political stability and looks forward to working with the Government of Sri Lanka formed in accordance with democratic processes. “India’s commitment to the people of Sri Lanka will continue,” the High Commission said in a tweet.
Meanwhile, a Sri Lankan court Thursday issued a travel ban on erstwhile prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, his son Namal Rajapaksa and 15 others. Mahinda is currently under protection at the Trincomalee naval base. The Fort Magistrate’s Court barred them from travelling overseas due to the investigations taking place on the attacks on the GotaGoGama and MynaGoGama peaceful protest sites on Monday, Reuters quoted media reports as saying.
Vehicles of Sri Lanka's ruling party supporters are seen in a lake after being pushed into the water during a clash of pro and anti-government demonstrators near the Prime Minister's official residence in Colombo, Sri Lanka, May 10, 2022. (Reuters)
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Friday met with ambassadors of India, Japan, the US and China and discussed the formation of an international forum for financial assistance to the debt-ridden island nation engulfed in the worst economic crisis since its independence in 1948.
China on Friday reacted to the appointment of Ranil Wickramasinghe as the country's Prime Minister succeeding pro-Beijing Mahinda Rajapaksa, saying it supports the government's efforts to sustain stability in the face of chaos. "As a traditional, friendly country to Sri Lanka, we closely follow the latest developments, and we also support the Sri Lanka government's effort to sustain stability," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters.
Sri Lanka’s new Prime Minister will begin forming a unity government on Friday, but his appointment has failed to appease anti-government protesters demanding the resignation of the president for the country's disastrous economic crisis. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa appointed veteran opposition politician Ranil Wickremesinghe as the island nation's prime minister late on Thursday after a week of violent clashes that left 9 people dead and over 300 injured.
“We will stop this struggle when our people get justice,” said Chamalage Shivakumar, one of the hundreds of people who have camped out at a protest site in the main city Colombo. “Whoever they appoint as prime minister, we will not stop this struggle until people get relief.” (Reuters)
The Indian High Commissioner Gopal Baglay on Friday became the first foreign envoy to call on the new Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and discussed with him the current situation in the country amid the worst economic crisis, according to sources here.
Wickremesinghe, 73, was sworn in as Sri Lanka's 26th prime minister on Thursday to stabilise the country's debt-ridden economy and end the political turmoil.
Baglay visited Wickremesinghe immediately after the latter assumed duties in his office on Friday, Prime minister's office sources said.
They discussed the current situation in the country amid the ongoing economic crisis, the worst since the country gained independence in 1948. (PTI)
Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka on Friday categorically denied that it has stopped issuing visas in the country, saying the disruption was caused by operational difficulties due to the inability of Visa Wing staff, most of whom are Sri Lankan nationals, to attend office. The High Commission said it was striving to return to its normal functioning soon.
On Thursday, despite a brief period of respite when the curfew was lifted, local businesses and stalls had to shut shop after it was reimposed. Local shopkeepers told Reuters that they were struggling to stay afloat amid a loss of income.
Sri Lanka's new Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has said he looks forward to closer ties with India during his term and thanked India for its economic assistance to the country as it tackles the worst economic crisis since independence.
Wickremesinghe, 73, was sworn in as Sri Lanka's 26th prime minister on Thursday to stabilise the country's debt-ridden economy and end the political turmoil.
"I want a closer relationship and I want to thank Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi,” Wickremesinghe said, referring to the Indian economic assistance to his country.
His remarks came during a religious ceremony held here last night after he took the oath. (PTI)
Sri Lanka's new Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, a lawyer-turned politician who has been in Parliament for 45 years, has made a remarkable come back nearly two years after his United National Party (UNP) was routed and failed to win a single seat in the general election held in August 2020.
Wickremesinghe, who is perceived as the Sri Lankan politician who could command international cooperation, has held many important posts during his political career spanning four and half decades.
He built a personal rapport with Sri Lanka's immediate neighbour India and visited the country on four occasions - October 2016, April 2017, November 2017 and October 2018 - during his previous term as the prime minister.
Wickremesinghe, the nephew of Sri Lanka's first executive president Junius Jayewardene, was first appointed Prime Minister from 1993-1994 after the assassination of President Ranasinghe Premadasa.
He was also elected as the Prime Minister from 2001-2004 when the United National Front Government won the general elections in 2001. But he lost power in 2004, after Chandrika Kumaratunga called early elections.
During his term as Prime Minister, he began peace talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), even offering a power-sharing deal. Both Kumaratunga and Mahinda Rajapaksa had accused him of being too lenient with LTTE and of offering them too many concessions. (PTI)
Newly sworn-in Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe, after visiting a temple in Colombo, said: “We are facing a crisis, we have to get out of it.” (Reuters)
Following the appointment of Ranil Wickremesinghe as the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, the Indian High Commission said it “looks forward to working with the new government formed in accordance with democratic processes”. “India's commitment to people of Sri Lanka will continue,” the High Commission added. (PTI)
Sri Lanka’s stocks index on Thursday jumped over three per cent after being closed for two days on the speculation of the appointment of a new Prime Minister and political stability in the island nation.
Sri Lankan Parliament will debate a no-confidence motion against President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on May 17, the Speaker's Office confirmed on Thursday, amid the ongoing political turmoil triggered by the worst economic crisis plaguing the debt-ridden country. The decision was taken during the party leaders' meeting on Thursday. The motion would be taken up for debate after obtaining special approval from Parliament, the Daily Mirror newspaper reported.
UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe was administered the oath as the new Prime Minister of Sri Lanka by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Thursday. The 73-year-old had taken his oath of office, according to the media office of the President, who faces widespread protests demanding his resignation over the country's worsening economic crisis.
Underlining that Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) is the largest opposition party in the country, Sri Lanka's Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa on Thursday said that his party will "devise a strategy" if United National Party (UNI) leader Ranil Wickramasinghe is made the prime minister of the country. In an exclusive interview with ANI, Sajith spoke about the letter he wrote to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in which he expressed willingness to assume the prime minister's post under some demands put forward by his party.
Amid hectic parleys to form a new government in Sri Lanka, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa said on Thursday that he would accept President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's invitation to form a new government if he agrees to some conditions, including his resignation within a stipulated time period.
In a letter to the President on Thursday, 55-year-old Premadasa said that the Samagi Jana Balawegaya-led Opposition is willing to form a new interim government in Sri Lanka subject to conditions. “One of the conditions put forward by Sajith Premadasa is that the 19th Amendment to the Constitution should be implemented with the support of all political parties within two weeks. Further, President Gotabaya must resign within a stipulated time period,” local media reported, citing the content of the letter.
The third condition is that the President should work together with all the political parties to work towards abolishing the Executive Presidency via the 21st Amendment to the Constitution. The fourth condition is that the President must call for Parliamentary Elections to give the people an opportunity to elect a new stable government, following the implementation of the aforementioned constitutional reforms, establishing the rule of law, and returning the people's lives to normalcy.
Many Sri Lankans thronged buses in the main city Colombo to return to their hometowns during a brief relaxation in curfew.
Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka on Thursday categorically refused to accept any post in a government headed by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Fonseka, who is credited with the annihilation of the LTTE, strongly condemned any attempt to mislead the public through false propaganda after it was reported that the President had contacted Samagi Jana Balawegaya MP to offer premiership to him.
Sri Lanka's former prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who has just one seat in the 225-member Parliament, could become the next premier, media reports said on Thursday, amidst the worst economic crisis in the debt-ridden island nation.
The 73-year-old United National Party (UNP) leader held talks with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Wednesday and is expected to meet him again on Thursday, the Colombo Page newspaper reported. Wickremesinghe, who has served as the country's prime minister for four times, was in October 2018 fired from the post of prime minister by then President Maithripala Sirisena. However, he was reinstalled as the prime minister by Sirisena after two months.
According to political sources, members of the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, a section of the main Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya and several other parties have expressed their support to show majority for Wickremesinghe in Parliament, it said. The report said that Wickremesinghe will be sworn in as the new prime minister on Thursday or Friday. UNP chairman Vajira Abeywardena has said that Wickremesinghe will be able to get a majority in Parliament after being sworn in as the new prime minister, replacing Mahinda Rajapaksa, who resigned on Monday. (PTI)
A Sri Lankan court on Thursday imposed a travel ban on former prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, his son Namal Rajapaksa and 15 others in view of investigations against them for the deadly attack on anti-government protesters in Colombo this week.
The Fort Magistrate's Court barred them from traveling overseas due to the investigations taking place on the attacks on the GotaGoGama and MynaGoGama peaceful protest sites on Monday, News 1st website reported.
The order was also imposed on parliamentarians Johnston Fernando, Pavithra Wanniarachchi, Sanjeewa Edirimanne, Kanchana Jayaratne, Rohitha Abeygunawardena, C. B. Ratnayake, Sampath Athukorala, Renuka Perera, Sanath Nishantha, Senior DIG Deshabandu Thennakoon among others. (Reuters)
Sri Lanka's former prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who has just one seat in the 225-member Parliament, could become the next premier, media reports said on Thursday, amidst the worst economic crisis in the debt-ridden island nation.
The 73-year-old United National Party (UNP) leader held talks with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Wednesday and is expected to meet him again on Thursday, the Colombo Page newspaper reported.
According to political sources, members of the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), a section of the main Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and several other parties have expressed their support to show majority for Wickremesinghe in Parliament, it said.
The report said that Wickremesinghe will be sworn in as the new prime minister on Thursday or Friday.
UNP chairman Vajira Abeywardena has said that Wickremesinghe will be able to get a majority in Parliament after being sworn in as the new prime minister, replacing Mahinda Rajapaksa, who resigned on Monday. (PTI)
This Bloomberg report analyses what could happen next in Sri Lanka after the ouster of PM Mahinda Rajapaksa.
For a President to be impeached, first a resolution must be passed by two-thirds of parliament explaining why a president is unfit for office, then it must be investigated by the Supreme Court, and then if judges agree with th
The President could instead form a unity government with the Opposition.
He can also dissolve the Parliament and hold new elections. The constitution doesn’t allow the president to dissolve parliament until midway through its five-year term, which isn’t until February 2023. But it does allow the parliament to request a dissolution before then by passing a resolution.
He could resign and flee the country. Or there could be a military coup. Read the full analysis here.
Many Sri Lankans thronged buses in the main city Colombo on Thursday to return to their hometowns with leaders of political parties due to meet after the prime minister quit and went into hiding and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa warned of anarchy.
Hundreds of people thronged the main bus station in the commercial capital after authorities lifted an indefinite curfew at 7 am (0130 GMT). The curfew will be reimposed at 2 pm.
On Thursday, streets in the main city Colombo remained quiet, with some people venturing out to buy essential supplies.
Later in the day, leaders of political parties are to meet the speaker of the country's parliament to discuss the current situation. (Reuters)
His beloved villa has been daubed in graffiti by protesters, and a museum dedicated to his father ransacked. Now former Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa is in hiding in a heavily fortified military base, protected by the armed forces.
The reversal of fortunes for the island nation's most powerful politician for decades has been giddying. A scion of the Rajapaksa family beloved by many Sri Lankans for ending a protracted civil war, the 76-year-old is now a pariah.
An economic crisis, caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and economic mismanagement, has drained the country of money to pay for fuel, medicine and other vital supplies, meaning lengthy blackouts and long queues for gasoline. Food prices are soaring. Weeks of largely peaceful demonstrations demanding the prime minister and his younger brother, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, stand down, turned violent on Monday in the deadliest unrest so far - nine people were killed and over 300 injured.
The turmoil is the worst to hit Sri Lanka since the war ended in 2009. The small southern town of Weeraketiya, where Mahinda liked to stay while visiting the family stronghold of Hambantota district, was not spared. According to interviews with half a dozen eyewitnesses and police officers, the villa was the first stop on a night of vandalism targeting Rajapaksa properties. No family members were at the residences when they were attacked.
Some locals, however, continue to support the Rajapaksa brothers, who are seen as heroes among the island's Sinhalese Buddhist majority for snuffing out the Tamil insurgency. (Reuters)
Sri Lanka prisons have launched an investigation on the allegations raised claiming that a group of inmates from the Watareka Open Prison Camp were used to attack protestors in Colombo recently, Commissioner General of Prisons Thushara Upuldeniya was quoted as saying by the News First website.
Footage posted on social media following the attack on peaceful protests showed locals detaining a group of men who later claimed that they were prisoners from the Watareka Open Prison Camp, the report added.
It was observed that the pants worn by the group of detained men were identical to those worn by people who were among the group that attacked peaceful protests on Monday in Colombo.
The Commissioner-General of Prisons said that the men were not wearing prison fatigues, but were wearing a uniform provided to them by the institutions that employed their services.
The Commissioner-General of Prisons, and another officer will be present at the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka on Thursday for an inquiry over the matter. (AP)
Curfew was lifted in Colombo for a few hours Wednesday morning. The capital city had been locked down after violent clashes broke out between pro- and anti-government protesters and the police on Monday following Mahinda Rajapaksa's resignation.
In a televised address Wednesday, President Rajapaksa said, “I am taking steps to appoint within this week a new prime minister who has the trust of a majority in Parliament, who can win over the confidence of the people and a new Cabinet to control the current situation, to stop the country from falling into anarchy and to continue the government’s functions that are at a standstill.”
He added, “I will appoint a young cabinet without any of the Rajapaksas.”
The new government will be given the opportunity to present a new program and be empowered to take the country forward, he said. "Steps will be taken to amend the Constitution to re-enact the contents of the 19th Amendment to further empower the Parliament."
"Calls from various factions for the abolition of the executive Presidency will be considered. With the new government and their potential to stabilize the country, we will have an opportunity to discuss this and work towards a common consensus," he said.
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Following President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s announcement that he will appoint a new Prime Minister and Cabinet this week, the main Opposition party, Samagi Jana Balawegaya, is divided over the new leader. SJB’s Sajith Premadasa is unwilling to be the prime minister in the interim government under Rajapaksa, news agency PTI reported.
The party’s leading figure Harin Fernando told reporters that he had decided to remain independent of the party saying, “This is not a time to put conditions and shirk our responsibility, every passing minute without a government would be disastrous."
The SJB wrote a four-point letter to the President on Wednesday night. It included conditions like he should step down during a specified period of time; he should not interfere in the day-to-day running of the government; the Cabinet for the interim government needs to be appointed not at his wish and the executive presidency must be abolished.
If President Gotabaya Rajapaksa would be agreeable, Premadasa would become the prime minister.
The group, which became independent of the ruling coalition that had suggested three names for the premier, said they would agree with the President's choice.
“The President appoints the person who in his opinion could command the support of Parliament. So let him first make the appointment and we can consider when it reaches Parliament,” Anura Yapa, a legislator of the group, told PTI.
Violent clashes broke out between government supporters and anti-government protesters on Monday after the resignation of Mahinda Rajapaksa as the prime minister of Sri Lanka. The residences and properties of the erstwhile PM and his loyalists were vandalised during the incident.
Troops and military vehicles have been deployed in the streets of Colombo and at various checkpoints across the country amid widespread protests against the government over the economic failure of the country. The armed forces and the police have been ordered to shoot at anyone threatening lives or causing damage to public property or seen looting.
Speaking on the unprecedented violence that took place on Monday following Mahinda Rajapaksa's resignation, the President Wednesday said what happened was very unfortunate. "The murders, assaults, acts of intimidation, destruction of property, and the series of heinous acts that followed cannot be justified at all," he said.
Gotabaya said that the Inspector General of Police has been instructed to conduct investigations. He also said that Sri Lanka Police and Three-Armed Forces have been ordered to strictly enforce the law against those who cause violence.
"Steps will be taken to strictly enforce the law against those who planned, aided, promoted, and are connected to these events,” Gotabaya said while urging everyone to maintain calm. (PTI)
The Defense Ministry's top official, Kamal Gunaratne, denied speculation of a military takeover at a news conference held with the country's army and navy chiefs.
"None of our officers has a desire to take over the government. It has never happened in our country, and it is not easy to do it here,'' Gunaratne said. President Rajapaksa is a former top army officer and remains the country's official defense minister.
Gunaratne said the army will return to its barracks once the security situation normalizes.
The speculations of a military takeover, amid a political vacuum, came as troops were deployed to the streets of Colombo and at various checkpoints across the country. (AP)
Pope Francis on Wednesday appealed to the people of Sri Lanka to make their voices heard in a peaceful manner and asked the political leadership to heed their demands, as over a month-long, countrywide protests over severe economic distress took a dramatically violent turn earlier this week.
"I address a special thought to the people of SriLanka, especially the young. I urge everyone to maintain a peaceful approach, without giving in to violence. I appeal to all those with the responsibility to listen to the aspirations of the people, respecting human and civil rights," Francis said on Twitter.
Two days after Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned as Sri Lankan Prime Minister, his brother President Gotabaya Rajapaksa Wednesday said he will appoint a new PM and a cabinet this week, news agency PTI reported.
Sri Lanka’s central bank governor Wednesday said he would resign if political parties do not ensure stability in the next two weeks, news agency PTI reported. P Nandalal Weerasinghe told the media that without a political solution to the present crisis, the bank’s steps towards revival of the nation’s economy would not be successful.
Sri Lanka's ex-Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was evacuated from his Temple Trees official residence here, is being protected at the Trincomalee naval base, Defence Secretary Kamal Guneratne said on Wednesday, two days after the country witnessed unprecedented mob violence after the former strongman resigned.
The 76-year-old Sri Lanka People's Party (SLPP) leader, known for his brutal military campaign against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) during his presidency from 2005 to 2015, is being given protection amidst nationwide protests over the government's failure to tackle the worst economic crisis.
He is also facing calls for his arrest from Opposition politicians for inciting violence against peaceful anti-government protesters who were seeking his resignation as well as that of his elder brother and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa for mismanaging the country's economy. --PTI
Sri Lankan police on Wednesday summoned the chief security officer of former prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and recorded his statement over the violent clashes between anti- and pro-government protesters in the country that killed at least eight people and injured over 200 others.
Violence erupted in Sri Lanka on Monday after supporters of former prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa attacked peaceful anti-government protesters demanding his ouster over the country's worst economic crisis that led to acute shortages of staple food, fuel and power. Over 200 people have also been injured in the violence in Colombo and other cities.
The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) recorded a statement from the chief security officer of former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa over the Galle Face incident on Wednesday, the Colombo Gazette news portal reported.
He was summoned to the CID headquarters this morning to be questioned over the attack on peaceful protesters at Galle Face and near Temple Trees.
A criminal investigation has been launched into the mob attack on peaceful protesters at Galle Face and near Temple Trees, the official residence of the Sri Lankan prime minister. (PTI)
Troops and military vehicles have been deployed in the streets of Colombo amid widespread protests against the government over the economic failure of the country. The army said this was done to “ensure public security”, a News First newspaper said in its report.
On Tuesday, the Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence ordered the Army, the Air Force and the Navy personnel to open fire on anyone looting public property or causing harm to others amidst violent protests in the island nation over the unprecedented economic and political crisis.
Army Special Forces' Combat Riders have also been deployed on mobile patrol in Colombo and suburbs, the newspaper said.
In a statement on Wednesday, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa urged “Sri Lankans to join hands as one, to overcome the economic, social and political challenges”, flagging attempts to push people towards “racial and religious disharmony”.
? Indian High Commission denies reports of ‘political persons’ fleeing to India, sending troops to Lanka
? Defence Ministry gives shoot-on-sight order amid violent protests
? Sri Lankan President flags racial, religious disharmony
? India says its fully supportive of Sri Lanka's democracy, stability
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Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa will have talks on Wednesday with the ruling party dissidents and the main Opposition SJB to end the political impasse after the resignation of prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. After nearly two days of political deadlock, the stakeholders are engaged in prolonged talks to try and appoint a successor to Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Mahinda, 76, resigned as prime minister on Monday amid unprecedented economic turmoil in the country, hours after his supporters attacked anti-government protesters, prompting authorities to impose a nationwide curfew and deploy Army troops in the capital. The attack triggered widespread violence against pro-Rajapaksa politicians.
“We will have more talks today (Wednesday). Hopefully we will see an end (of the political impasse) today,” Anura Yapa, a senior leader of the independent group that had split from the ruling SLPP coalition, told PTI.
The main Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), the ruling party dissidents and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa have been holding talks for the last two days without much success, according to sources. (PTI)
The Indian High Commission in Colombo Wednesday dismissed speculative media reports about New Delhi sending its troops to Sri Lanka. It reiterated the Ministry of External Affairs’ stance that India is fully supportive of Sri Lanka’s democracy, stability and economic recovery.
Earlier, the Commission denied reports that “certain political persons and their families have fled to India”. “These are fake and blatantly false reports, devoid of any truth or substance. High Commission strongly denies them,” the Indian High Commission in Colombo tweeted.
Anti-government protesters in Sri Lanka on Tuesday set up a checkpoint on the road leading to the Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo to prevent the Rajapaksa family loyalists from fleeing the country, as violence and widespread protest continued against the regime over the country’s worst economic crisis in decades.
Mahinda Rajapaksa, 76, resigned as prime minister on Monday amid unprecedented economic turmoil, hours after his supporters attacked anti-government protesters, prompting authorities to impose a nationwide curfew and deploy Army troops in the capital. The attack triggered widespread violence against pro-Rajapaksa politicians. Read more
The events of the last few days have revealed the scale and intensity of the public anger against the Rajapaksas. In fact, the Rajapaksas have become the face of the economic ruin haunting Sri Lanka — “Go, Gota, Go” was the slogan that reverberated in street mobilisations for days.
India has played the role of a sensitive and helpful neighbour without weighing in on the political crisis. It should continue to do so, since New Delhi’s commitment is, as it has repeatedly stated, to the people of Sri Lanka and not to any political dispensation or family. Read more
The Indian High Commission in Colombo issued a denial in the wake of rumours in Sri Lanka that Mahinda Rajapaksa and his family had been flown to India in a helicopter. In a Twitter post, it said: “High Commission has recently noticed rumours circulating in sections of media & social media that certain political persons and their families have fled to India. These are fake and blatantly false reports, devoid of any truth or substance. High Commission strongly denies them.”
In New Delhi, Arindam Bagchi, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, said, “As a close neighbour of Sri Lanka, with historical ties, India is fully supportive of its democracy, stability and economic recovery.” Read more
Good morning,
Shoot at sight orders have been imposed in Sri Lanka by the Defence Ministry, allowing the Army, the Air Force and the Navy personnel to open fire on anyone looting public property or causing harm. The orders came amid violent protests in the country triggered by the resignation of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Stay tuned as we bring you the latest updates!