Colombo / New Delhi: Police in Sri Lanka for the first time since the anti-government protest over the economic crisis began shooting protesters at this time, killing one person and injuring several people. A police spokesman confirmed that they had to shoot the protesters after the hordes turned hard and threw stones with them.
People have blocked the highway at Ramburna Sri Lanka, 95 km from Capital Colombo, to protest the shortage of acute oil and high prices.
Severe fuel shortages triggered spontaneous protests in Sri Lanka earlier today, with tens of thousands of angry riders burning tires and blocking the main road leading to the capital.
A police spokesman said the curfew had been put in place in the Ramburna Police Division.
Sri Lankan has run out of dollars to finance important imports including food, medicines and fuel, triggering many protests calling for the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in the country’s worst economic crisis since independence in 1948.
The highway where protests took place connecting the city of Kandy to Capital Colombo. It was cut off in some stretches because the fuel station crossed Sri Lanka running out of gasoline and diesel.
The US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung raises concern over the worsening situation in the island country. “I am very sad to the terrible news that comes out of Ramburna. I condemn violence – whether opposite the protesters or police – and ask for a quiet & calm of all sides. Transparent full investigation is important & the right to peace protest must be enforced,” he tweeted.
I was very sad with terrible news coming out of Ramburna. I condemn violence – whether against the protesters or police – and ask for a quiet & calm of all sides. Full and transparent investigation is important & the right of the people’s peace protests must be enforced
– Ambassador Julie Chung (@usambsl) April 19 2022
The main oil retailer Ceylon Petroleum Corporation raised prices up to 64.2 percent today and lifted the rationing system, limiting how much fuel can be purchased by the individual, which was held last week.
Lanka IOC, a gasoline retailer that accounts for one third of the local market, has raised the price up to 35 percent yesterday.
The driver has joined the crowd of protesters in Colombo who has called for Lord Rajapaksa to retreat for 11 consecutive days. The doctor at the country’s main children’s hospital also began protesting today due to lack of drugs and serious equipment.
Sri Lanka searches for up to $ 4 billion from the International Monetary Fund, or the IMF, to overcome the balance-of-payment of crisis and increase the reserves that run out.