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https://theconversation.com/sri-lankas-crisis-is-not-just-about-the-economy-but-a-long-history-of-discrimination-against-minority-groups-186747>
"Sri Lanka is in the grip of an economic, political and humanitarian crisis.
In a remarkable display of anger on Saturday, thousands of protesters
disregarded government curfews, rampant military and police presence to storm
the presidential palace and the prime minister’s residence, demanding their
resignations.
It came as the Rajapaksa government halted the sale of fuel to ordinary people.
It is the first country to do so since the global oil crisis in 1979.
For several months, Sri Lankans have suffered shortages of food, fuel and other
critical supplies. Schools have been closed for several weeks. Other services
are operating at critically reduced capacity.
Hours before the protest, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country without
resigning. Instead, he appointed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, from the
opposition United National Party (UNP), as the interim president. It’s a move
that has further angered protesters.
In his first actions as president, Wickremesinghe declared a state of emergency
across the island. He ordered the military to “do whatever is necessary to
restore order”. Protesters are being met with tear gas by the police and shots
are being fired by the military, yet they continue to occupy his residence and
the streets."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
