Protesters at the main protest camp in Sri Lanka said on Thursday that they have no intention of abandoning what they consider to be the epicenter of the social revolt by the economic crisis, despite the ultimatum of the Sri Lankan authorities that they withdraw from the place in the afternoon on Friday.
A few tents remain intact in the Gota Go Gama camp, baptized in reference to the name of the former Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa who was ousted last month, after more than a hundred days of protests, waiting for it to be a court order, and not a statement of the police, forcing them to vacate the area.
“We said that we would go through legal proceedings and not bow our heads to these corrupt politicians. Let’s play with the head. This was just a police announcement and not from the courts,” Angelo Kulasuriya, one of the protesters, told Efe.
“We have not yet decided to leave Gota Go Gama. We will decide after the court order. Even if we have to leave here, our movement is not over yet. This will be a pause for our struggle,” the activist Udari Ayesha.
The reaction of the protesters responds to the ultimatum given on Wednesday by the Sri Lanka Police to vacate the camp before Friday at five in the afternoon.
“Act in accordance with the law and do not hinder the public,” warned the security forces, who threatened legal consequences for those who defy the order.
To the police warning this Wednesday Arrests against activists and participants in the protests are added for allegedly causing damage to public property and disobeying court orders.
Among those arrested is that of the general secretary of the Teachers’ Union, Joseph Stalin, who aroused the outrage of hundreds of activists who have gathered this Thursday in the capital to ask for his release.
“The work of human rights defenders like Joseph has been more important than ever in recent weeks and should be supported, not punished,” said the UN special rapporteur on human rights defenders, Mary Lawlor, on Wednesday. Twitter.
For his part, the new president of the island nation, Ranil Wickremesinghe, warned that will not tolerate violence in the countrywhile committing to respect the rights of the protesters.
“Peaceful struggle is a fundamental right. I accept those rights (…) I will protect non-violence and democracy,” remarked the president, who after coming to power two weeks ago imposed a state of emergency that toughened the measures on street demonstrations, and for which he now faces critics.
“I’ve been here 118 days. The government is clearly trying to silence us. The police are now raiding our houses,” activist Samali Mandira told Efe.
Sri Lanka is facing the worst economic crisis in its history, mired in deep debt and without liquidity to acquire essential goods such as medicines, fuel, food and gas.
In the midst of the situation the island nation last week resumed negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to obtain a loan with which to tackle the crisis.