Sri Lanka's political turmoil. On July 9, local time, large-scale protests broke out in Sri Lanka, a large number of demonstrators took to the streets to participate in anti-government demonstrations, and some demonstrators broke through the police line and broke into the official residence of President Rajapaksa. Prime Minister Vikramasingha's private home was also set on fire by demonstrators.
After a large number of demonstrators rushed into the presidential residence, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Vikramasinghe and President Rajapaksa announced their resignations.
That evening, the Sri Lankan Prime Minister's Office issued a statement saying that Sri Lankan Prime Minister Vikramasinghe was willing to resign. Subsequently, President Rajapaksa has informed Speaker Abawadena that he will resign as president on 13 July.
Broke into the Presidential Palace and burned the Prime Minister's Office
Comprehensive US cable TV New Network (CNN), Reuters and other media reports, local time on the 9th, Sri Lanka capital Colombo on the 9th protests broke out. A large number of demonstrators holding aloft the Sri Lankan flag took to the streets of Colombo to participate in anti-government marches, holding banners with slogans such as "Power to the People" and "Let's Go Home" and chanting slogans calling for the president to step down. Police fired tear gas at the demonstrators, who clashed with police in body armor.
Sri Lankans protested on the streets. The picture is from foreign media, social media, etc
Some demonstrators even broke through police lines and stormed into president Rajapaksa's official residence. More than 100,000 people gathered outside Rajapaksa's official residence to demand his resignation, according to footage captured by local television and demonstrators. In front of the presidential residence, a large number of military and police officers stationed in the air fired warning shots in the air, but the demonstrators still broke through the defensive line and rushed all the way into the official residence.
A large number of demonstrators broke into the president's residence
Social media footage showed large numbers of demonstrators wearing Sri Lankan flags breaking into rooms large and small at the president's residence while shouting slogans calling for the president to step down. There were demonstrators lying on sofas in their offices...
Jump into the swimming pool inside the mansion...
Break into the kitchen to forage...
Some people also found that there were many luxury cars parked in the presidential palace...
Shortly thereafter, Prime Minister Wickremasinghe's private residence in Colombo was also surrounded by demonstrators, who set fire to it.
Reuters quoted hospital sources as saying that at least 39 people, including two police officers, were hospitalized with injuries in the incident. The news agency quoted two Sri Lankan defense ministry sources as saying that for security reasons, Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa had been moved to a safe place beforehand. Prime Minister Viklamasingha has also been transferred in advance.
The Prime Minister and the President have successively announced their resignations
In the afternoon, the leaders of Sri Lanka's political parties met to demand the resignation of President Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Vikramasingha and the president of the Parliament for no more than 30 days in accordance with the Constitution.
That evening, the Sri Lankan Prime Minister's Office issued a statement saying that Sri Lankan Prime Minister Vikramasinghe was willing to resign. In a statement on Twitter, Vikramasingha said: "In order to ensure the continued existence of the government, including the safety of all citizens, I accept the best advice from the leaders of all parties today to make way for a full-party government." ”
According to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office, Wickremesinghe made the decision because fuel distribution will resume and the IMF's debt sustainability report will soon be finalized.
Wickremesinghe, 73, is Sri Lanka's fifth premier, this time announcing he will resign just two months after coming to power.
On the evening of July 9, according to local media reports, Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa had also informed Speaker Abawadna that he would resign as president on July 13.
The national bankruptcy crisis continues
Sri Lanka's economic crisis began to emerge as early as last year, and in September 2021, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa declared the country into an "economic emergency" and the country fell into an economic winter.
Sri Lanka's total external debt amounts to $51 billion, with a total of $25 billion to be paid by 2026 and another $7 billion to be paid this year, according to the Associated Press. But for now, Sri Lanka, which is desperately short of money, has suspended its external debt servicing.
On July 5, Sri Lanka officially declared bankruptcy. With foreign exchange reserves depleted and commodity imports unsurpassed, the 22 million-person Indian Ocean island nation is in the throes of the worst economic crisis in the country's history.
Inflation in Sri Lanka surged to 54.6 percent in June, and food prices soared 80 percent. It is expected to rise further to 70% in the coming months, and the country has been facing shortages of necessities such as fuel and medicines for many consecutive months.
Suffering from insufficient food reserves, on June 17, the Sri Lankan government ordered that everyone except workers in important service positions such as medical care should work from home to save fuel and have time to grow their own fruits and vegetables.
Since June 27, Sri Lanka has suspended fuel sales to ordinary people, allowing fuel only for basic services such as health care, trains, buses and food-carrying vehicles to cope with severe fuel shortages.
On 3 July, Sri Lanka extended school closures by a week because there was not enough fuel for teachers and parents to send their children to classrooms.
Sri Lanka has high hopes for IMF assistance. Earlier (June 22), Viklemasingha had said the IMF bailout was the only option to avoid an economic catastrophe in Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan government is in talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in hopes of seeking $3 billion in bailout funding. The government is also in talks with foreign creditors seeking debt restructuring. But Wickremesinghe said on the 5th that the negotiations with the International Monetary Fund are "difficult" because they are discussed as "bankrupt" countries rather than developing countries.
The Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka released a message on the 9th, reminding Chinese citizens in Sri Lanka to strengthen security precautions. The Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka reminds Chinese citizens in Sri Lanka to pay close attention to the local security situation; Do not participate in or observe any protests; Abide by local laws and regulations, increase vigilance, pay attention to safety, strengthen precautions, and reduce going out; Keep communications running smoothly and keep an eye on embassy notification reminders. In case of emergency, please call the police and contact the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka for assistance.
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