On Monday, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa accepted his brother and Prime Minister (PM) Mahinda Rajapaksa’s resignation and issued a gazette notification as clashes between pro-government and anti-government protesters turned violent, leaving five dead and several injured.
As the PM prepared to resign from his post, pro-Rajapaksa supporters destroyed tents and placards in front of Temple Trees (the official residence of the PM) and Galle Face Green and assaulted peaceful anti-government protesters. These violent clashes left as many as 154 injured. An eyewitness revealed that pro-Mahinda Rajapaksa supporters were armed with knives, iron bars, and swords.
Strongly condemn the violent acts taking place by those inciting & participating,irrespective of political allegiances. Violence won’t solve the current problems.
— Gotabaya Rajapaksa (@GotabayaR) May 9, 2022
I request all citizens to remain calm & exercise restraint. I urge everyone to work together in solving this crisis
Jeewantha Peiris, one of the protesters who witnessed the violence, told Daily Mirror Online: “Around noon a group of people came to Galle Face from Temple Trees and the Police either knowingly or unknowingly couldn’t control them. They behaved like thugs and assaulted the protesters mercilessly.” He added, “This is state terrorism. We urged the Police and the Army to do something, but they didn’t do anything. They allowed these thugs to come in and attack peaceful protesters.”
The protesters backed off after the police fired water cannons, but not before stabbing one anti-government protester. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa condemned the violent acts and called for a restoration of peace.
An inclusive & peaceful protest movement was brought to an end by state sponsored violence. The Rajapaksa’s are fully responsible for the destruction they have unleashed. They have to be held accountable for their criminal acts.
— Sajith Premadasa (@sajithpremadasa) May 10, 2022
On Tuesday, the Colombo National Hospital admitted at least 210 people due to Monday’s violent clashes. The hospital revealed the death of a 24-year old police officer who was supposedly injured due to a tear gas explosion near Temple Trees. Another man present at the Galle Face Green protests died upon admission due to a heart condition.
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Furthermore, police said Amarakeerthi Athukoral, a lawmaker from the country’s ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), opened fire during a confrontation in the town of Nittambuwa, leaving two injured before killing himself. The police added that one of the victims died due to injuries.
"The only violence was perpetrated by your “supporters” - goons and thugs who came to your office first before going on to assault the peaceful protestors" - Kumar Sangakkara slams Premier Mahinda Rajapaksahttps://t.co/ddhwZoaWXD #LKA #SriLanka @news_cutter
— Sri Lanka Tweet 🇱🇰 💉 (@SriLankaTweet) May 9, 2022
Speaking to AFP via telephone, the police said, “The MP fled the scene and took refuge at a nearby building. Thousands surrounded the building and he then took his own life with his revolver.”
Later in the evening, anti-government protesters retaliated by hunting pro-Mahinda Rajapaksa supporters. The ancestral home of the Rajapaksa family in Medamulana, Hambantota was set ablaze. The protesters also torched the houses of SLPP MPs Kanchana Wijesekara, Bandula Gunawardena, Prasanna Ranatunga, Channa Jayasumana, Kokila Gunawardena, Arundika Fernando, Thissa Kuttiyarachchi, Kanaka Herath, and Pavithra Wanniarachchi, as well as the businesses and shops of SLPP MPs.
Ancestral home of the Rajapaksa family in Medamulana, Hambantota set on fire by protesters. pic.twitter.com/QIEnREphjq
— NewsWire 🇱🇰 (@NewsWireLK) May 9, 2022
The PM reportedly left his official residence under tight security on Tuesday morning as his residence was surrounded by a mob that had reportedly tried to break in on Monday night. On Tuesday, police spokesperson Nihal Thalduwa said, “The situation is calmer now, though there are still reports of sporadic unrest.” Thalduwa later confirmed that five people have been killed and about 200 injured during nationwide clashes.
Against this backdrop, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentarian M.A Sumanthiran has called for Mahinda Rajapaksa to be arrested, accusing him of complicity in the mob attack at Galle Face Green and near Temple Trees.
Effective immediately I have tendered my resignation as Prime Minister to the President.
— Mahinda Rajapaksa (@PresRajapaksa) May 9, 2022
අගමැති ධූරයෙන් ඉල්ලා අස්වීමේ ලිපිය ජනාධිපතිතුමා වෙත යොමු කළෙමි.
Simultaneously, the United Nations (UN) called for a dialogue to resolve Sri Lanka’s crisis and expressed concern over violence against peaceful protesters following the PM’s resignation. Farhan Haq, the Deputy spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Farhan Haq, said, “We continue to encourage all Sri Lankan stakeholders to find a solution to the current challenges through dialogue and with the interests of the country and the people in mind.”
Sri Lankans have been protesting against the country’s spiralling economic crisis for several months, wherein a foreign exchange crisis has led to severe food, medicine, and fuel shortages as well as record-high inflation. The country has also defaulted on $51 billion of foreign debt.
In order to keep a lid on protests, President Gotabaya declared a state of emergency on Friday. However, the resignation of the PM has done little to quell protests, with demonstrators continuing to demand the resignation of the entire government. The opposition, too, has repeatedly rejected requests by the Rajapaksa administration to form a unity government. In fact, opposition leader Sajith Premadasa from the Samagi Jana Balawegaya turned down a request to become the new PM.