A curfew was maintained in central Sri Lanka on Wednesday called for restraint by the international community, the day after a man died in anti-government protests that are intensifying on the island in the grip of a historic economic crisis. .
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The government has promised an investigation into charges against police who allegedly used excessive force to break up protests over fuel shortages and high fuel prices.
Sri Lanka, in the grip of its worst economic crisis since its independence in 1948, announced on April 12 that it would default on its external debt of 51 billion dollars.
The government is seeking a $3-4 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
“I have already opened an investigation into the conduct of officers in Rambukkana,” 95 kilometers east of Colombo, said police chief Chandana Wickramaratne, who ordered an indefinite curfew In the region.
The crowd in Rambukkana was about to set fire to a diesel tanker when officers opened fire to disperse it, police earlier said in a statement.
It is the first deadly clash since anti-government protests erupted this month.
At least 29 people, including 11 police officers, were injured, authorities said.
Price increase
Major foreign missions based in Colombo, including those of the United States, Britain and Canada, have expressed concern following the police shooting, urging restraint on all sides.
“A full and transparent investigation is essential and the right of the population to protest peacefully must be respected,” said US Ambassador Julie Chung.
“I condemn violence in all its forms and call for restraint,” said British High Commissioner Sarah Hulto.
Canadian High Commissioner David McKinnon, for his part, said that “the instigators of the violence must be held to account”.
Public transport fares are set to rise by 35% on Wednesday, the day after diesel prices rose nearly 65%. The price of bread jumped almost 30%.
Unions called for a general strike on Wednesday to protest the rising cost of living.
Anti-government protests are growing and intensifying across the island.
In the capital Colombo, crowds have been laying siege to the Presidential Office since April 9, demanding the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.