Irish Examiner View: Sri Lanka protests deteriorating on a daily basis

The promised “transparent and independent” investigation into the shooting dead of a protester by police may not be able to keep a lid on this situation.

A member of Sri Lanka's opposition political party National People's Power waves country's national flag as he participates in an anti-government protest rally in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Tuesday, April 19. Picture: Eranga Jayawardena/AP

The economic crisis in Sri Lanka is beginning to turn ugly as widespread — heretofore largely peaceful — anti-government protests have turned deadly.

Police this week opened fire on a crowd protesting against devastating fuel and oil shortages and the decision by the government to raise fuel prices further. This, allied to weeks of food and medicine shortages, unaffordable inflation, and 13-hour-a-day power blackouts, has led to a level of civil unrest not seen in Sri Lanka since independence.

With its foreign reserves falling to record lows, the country facing bankruptcy, and authorities unable to afford fuel and oil imports, widespread peaceful protests are now increasingly dangerous.

On Tuesday, one person was shot dead by police and 13 were hospitalised with gunshot wounds in a protest at Rambukkana, 100km from Colombo, in a departure from the daily peaceful protests that have been ongoing for over a month as civilians call on the government to step down.

The promised “transparent and independent” investigation into this incident may not be able to keep a lid on a situation that is deteriorating on a daily basis as people go hungry and are without proper medical supplies.

A $500m (€460m) credit line negotiated with India in February is already running out and so, it would appear, is the patience of the population.