Sri Lanka Crisis HIGHLIGHTS: Don’t Take Part In Protests, China’s Embassy In Sri Lanka Warns Its Nationals
Sri Lanka Protest HIGHLIGHTS: A deep financial crisis has left Sri Lanka struggling to pay for imports of food, medicine, and fuel and brought thousands of protesters onto the streets.
China, which has invested billions of dollars in Sri Lanka, has warned hundreds of its nationals in the country not to participate in any protests there, as it watched warily the fast unfolding crisis in the island nation where large masses of people raided the President’s palace and burnt the Prime Minister’s residence.
The Chinese Embassy in Colombo issued a notice on Saturday, reminding Chinese nationals in Sri Lanka to pay close attention to the local security situation and abide by local laws and regulations after the protests spread, state-run Global Times here reported.
It asked Chinese nationals not to participate in any protests, the report said.
The embassy reminded Chinese nationals not to participate in or watch any protests after hundreds of thousands of protesters stormed and occupied the presidential palace and set the Sri Lankan prime minister's private residence on fire in Colombo to demand the government take responsibility for mismanaging the nation's finances and for the crippling food and fuel shortages faced by the country, the report added.
The embassy also suggested that Chinese nationals be vigilant, stay safe, avoid going out, keep communication open and keep updated with the embassy's notices and reminders, it said. (PTI)
Colombo, Jul 10 (PTI) Sri Lanka's main Opposition parties are expected to hold a special party meeting on Sunday to forge consensus on establishing an all-party government amid the unprecedented political turmoil as President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Wickremesinghe offered to resign after protesters occupied their homes protesting over the mishandling the economy.
The meeting of the main Opposition Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) and its constituent parties will be attended by leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa, leader of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress Rauff Hakeem, leader of Tamil Progressive Alliance Mano Ganesan and leader of All Ceylon Makkal Congress Rishad Bathiudeen, News First portal reported.
Another meeting of the leaders of nine parties, including the National Freedom Front, was planned for Sunday to discuss the emerging political situation.
Vice President of the Communist Party of Sri Lanka Weerasumana Weerasinghe said that there will be a lengthy discussion about the all-party government.
The Speaker would become the acting President in the absence of both the President and the Prime Minister. Later, an election among MPs must happen to elect a new President. Prime Minister Wickremesinghe has also offered to resign.
Prime Minister Wickremesinghe whose private house suffered an extensive arson attack last night remains in position despite calls to quit.
Congress expresses its solidarity with Sri Lanka & its people in this moment of grave crisis & hopes they'll be able to overcome it. We hope India will continue to assist people&govt of Sri Lanka as they deal with difficulties of the current situation: Congress chief Sonia Gandhi
Country is free of corruption, everything is peaceful. Came here to celebrate with family & children. We are all having lunch here in the Presidential palace: A local in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Protestors tour the grounds, have lunches at Presidential palace in Colombo, Sri Lanka We are free of corruption now, it is peaceful. Came here to celebrate with family, children. We are all having lunch here in the Presidential palace: A local
The anti-government protesters in Sri Lanka on Sunday continued to occupy the residences of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Wickremesinghe, a day after they barged into the premises and set on fire one of the buildings protesting over the nation's severe economic crisis even as the island nation is still in the dark about the embattled President's whereabouts.
Rajapaksa's only communication outside since the protesters came into the city has been with the Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, who announced late Saturday night that the President would resign on Wednesday.
The IMF on Sunday said that it was closely monitoring the ongoing developments in Sri Lanka and hoped that the political crisis will be resolved soon to allow for the resumption of dialogue on an IMF-supported programme in the cash-starved country.
Thousands of irate anti-government protesters in Sri Lanka on Saturday barged into embattled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's official residence in central Colombo's high-security Fort area after breaking the barricades, as they demanded his resignation over the island nation's worst economic crisis in recent memory.
The protesters also torched the private residence of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe even after he offered to resign.
Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Shavendra Silva has urged all citizens to support the armed forces and police in order to keep the country safe, the Daily Mirror reported. He made these remarks in a special statement with Tri Force Commanders present.
Background
Sri Lanka Crisis HIGHLIGHTS: Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Saturday agreed to step down from his post hours after thousands of protesters stormed his official residence in the capital of Colombo, forcing him to flee to an unknown location. Rajapaksa has informed that he will resign from the Presidency on July 13, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena announced in a press conference on Saturday, according to a report by news agency Reuters.
After a sea of protestors attacked the official residences of Prime Minister and the President of Sri Lanka on Saturday, tearing down security cordons placed by police, taking a dip in the swimming pool and romping through his kitchen and home. The protesters also broke into Ranil Wickremesinghe's private residence and set it on fire, angered by the unprecedented economic crisis.
Wickremesinghe, who was appointed as Prime Minister in May announced that he will resign from his post in order to ensure the continuation of the government and the safety of all the citizens.
Taking to Twitter, Wickremesinghe said, "To ensure the continuation of the Government including the safety of all citizens, I accept the best recommendation of the Party Leaders today, to make way for an All-Party Government. To facilitate this, I will resign as Prime Minister."
Meanwhile, the United States on Sunday urged Sri Lankan leaders to act quickly to seek long-term solutions after the president was chased from his residence and announced his resignation.
Any new government should "work quickly to identify and implement solutions that will achieve long-term economic stability and address the Sri Lankan people's discontent," a State Department spokesperson said as Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Thailand.
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