Sri Lanka faces mass protests: As the economic crisis in Sri Lanka worsens so do the protests against the current incumbent Rajapaksa government. The Sri Lankan currency is depreciating further with each passing day. The chief opposition party in Sri Lanka is the Samagi Jana Balawegaya or the SJB which means United People’s Force in English is leading this protest which is growing with each passing day.
Thousands of protestors from across Sri Lanka have joined these protests. Readout this article to know more about the current economic crisis in Sri Lankan and the protests against the current government.
Sri Lanka Faces Mass Protests: The Causes
The protests are primarily due to the ongoing economic crisis in Sri Lanka. The country is already facing an acute shortage of foreign exchange because of which its imports have come to a standstill. Sri Lankan people are currently struggling to buy even basic necessities like bread, oil, cooking gas, etc.
Poor families are being forced to eat fewer and less nutritious meals leading to an impending health crisis. Unemployment has hit unprecedented high levels. To top it all off, Sri Lanka is burdened with high international debt, mostly from China. China is leveraging this debt trap to gain ownership of Sri Lankan assets such as ports etc. Countries like Canada and the United Kingdom have also issued advisories to their citizens to avoid traveling to Sri Lanka.
The Sri Lankan authorities responded to such warnings with this statement: “It could exacerbate the prevailing economic vulnerabilities at a time when the country’s tourism industry has just begun to revive itself consequent to the global pandemic and when the country is most in need of foreign remittances to reinvigorate its economy. ”
The Outburst
Thousands of protestors are protesting across Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is facing mass protests. Some citizens aren’t just protesting against the current incumbent government but also the opposition.
A protesting citizen stated: “Everyone knows there is a crisis. But the government does not have any strategy or solution for this problem. I am very upset because this is our country and our children have to grow up here and live here. Where are we headed?”
It remains to be seen how the government would react to these protests and if and when would it be able to overcome this massive economic crisis tormenting Sri Lanka.
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