Supporters of the current president violently attacked demonstrators gathered outside the presidential office.
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Critical situation in Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned on Monday, May 9, shortly after violent attacks by his supporters against anti-government protesters. The 76-year-old leader sent his resignation letter to his brother, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, paving the way for a “new unity government”said his spokesperson.
Authorities say at least two people died and 139 were injured when loyalists from the Gotabaya Rajapaksa camp, armed with sticks and truncheons, attacked protesters who had been camping outside the president’s office since April 9. Police fired tear gas and used water cannons after government supporters broke through police ranks to destroy encampments of thousands of protesters. Among the dead is a ruling party MP, who killed himself after being surrounded by demonstrators whom he had fired at.
The population has been demonstrating for several weeks, accusing President Rajapaksa and his brother, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, of having precipitated the country into crisis. On Twitter, the latter urged “people to exercise restraint and remember that violence only begets violence”.
While emotions are running high in #lka, I urge our general public to exercise restraint & remember that violence only begets violence. The economic crisis we’re in needs an economic solution which this administration is committed to resolving.
— Mahinda Rajapaksa (@PresRajapaksa) May 9, 2022
For several months, the island of 22 million inhabitants has suffered from serious shortages of food, fuel and medicine. This unprecedented crisis, blamed on the Covid-19 pandemic which deprived the country of foreign currency for the tourism sector, has been aggravated by a series of bad political decisions, according to economists.