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.