The state of emergency in Sri Lanka was extended for a month, and opposition parties called out to the former president: Prosecute if he returns home

The Paper's reporter Wang Zhuoyi

On July 27, local time, Singapore reported that Singapore extended the short-term residence visa of former Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who was deposed.

A day earlier, Sri Lankan government spokesman Bandura Gunawadena revealed that Gotabaya intended to return home. Opposition parties responded that if he returned home, he would be charged with corruption and war crimes.

On 27 July, Sri Lanka's parliament met to extend the country's state of emergency for a month. In recent days, Sri Lankan police arrests of protesters have also continued.

Nowhere to go before returning home?

On 13 July, Gotabaya fled Sri Lanka and traveled to Singapore via the Maldives.

Singapore's Straits Times reported on July 27 that Singapore has extended Gotabaya's short-term residence visa, which was originally valid for 14 days, for another 14 days, allowing it to stay until August 11.

On July 26, Sri Lankan government spokesman Bandura Gunawadena told the media that Gotabaya wanted to return to Sri Lanka.

According to the Straits Times, when a reporter asked Bandura a question on the 26th, he pointed out that the South African-based non-profit organization "International Truth and Justice Program" filed criminal proceedings with the Singapore Prosecutor General, demanding the arrest of Gotabaya on suspicion of war crimes. Bandura responded that Gotabaya "is not hiding in Singapore" and that he is expected to return home. Singaporean officials have also previously said that Gotabaya entered Singapore for the purpose of "private visits" and not to seek political asylum.

In its report, Agence France-Presse (AFP) analyzed that Gotabaya's decision to return to Sri Lanka was partly due to his lack ofwhere to go. Human rights groups and lawyers have been behind the scenes pressuring governments not to accept Gotabaya. Because Gotabaya once had U.S. citizenship and his sons and grandsons now reside in the United States, Gotabaya had tended to make the United States his final destination in exile, but the U.S. Embassy also refused to grant him a visa.

Opposition: Prosecute when you return home

After Bandura revealed Gotabaya's intentions to return home, rumors that Gotabaya would return this week have spread in Sri Lanka. The Straits Times reported that if Gotabaya returns to Sri Lanka, he will face corruption and war crimes charges, as well as a new wave of protests.

Sri Lanka's opposition United People's Forces (SJB) and Marxist parties such as the People's Liberation Front (JVP) have said they will file corruption charges against Gotabaya if he returns. In addition, the Tamil National Coalition believes that Gotabaya, then permanent secretary of the Ministry of Defence, committed war crimes in the course of the military suppression of the Tamil separatist armed LTTE in 2009 and demanded that he be tried for this reason.

The Straits Times report quoted analysts as saying that ordinary Sri Lankans, who have suffered from the crisis in Sri Lanka, will not welcome Gotabaya. A political analyst, who asked to remain anonymous, said that if Gotabaya returned home, "it would be difficult to protect its security inside Sri Lanka."

"Our position is clear that Gotabaya must be brought to justice and that his family must be forced to repay the property they have embezzled." Chameera Dedduwage, who has been involved in the protests since April, said.

In light of the different petitions filed by various sectors of Sri Lanka demanding accountability for those responsible for the country's economic collapse, Sri Lanka's Supreme Court issued a notice to Gotabaya on July 27 urging it to submit a statement to this effect by August 1. According to the Guardian, this seems to indicate what kind of situation Gotabaya will face once he returns home.

The crackdown has increased and protests have decreased

The Sri Lankan parliament met on 27 July to approve the imposition of a state of emergency throughout Sri Lanka, effectively extending the state of emergency that began on 18 July.

On July 17, then-Interim President Vikramasinghe issued a communiqué declaring a state of emergency throughout the country from July 18. Under Sri Lankan law, a proclamation of a state of emergency is subject to parliamentary approval within 14 days and, if not, the state of emergency will be lifted. According to Agence France-Presse, a lawmaker said the extended state of emergency would be in place for a month, after which approval would be needed again to extend it.

The state of emergency allows the military to arrest and detain suspects, and the president can make regulations that override existing laws to deal with unrest.

According to a report by the Indian Press Trust on July 27, Sri Lanka's new prime minister, Dinesh Gunawadena, said in a speech to parliament on the same day that the government was willing to listen to the demands of the protesters but condemned "terrorist acts". "Terrorism" is the greatest threat to democratic politics, Dynes said, and parliament should not support such acts.

In recent days, Sri Lankan police have stepped up their crackdown on protesters. Sri Lankan police said on the same day that they arrested Kusal Sandaruwan and Weranga Pushpika, who led the demonstration to overthrow the president, and charged them with unlawful assembly, AFP reported on July 27.

Police also released photos of 14 wanted suspects suspected of setting fire to Vikramasingha's home on July 9.

On July 26, police also arrested Dhaniz Ali, a student leader preparing to fly to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, at a major airport in Sri Lanka.

On July 25, hours before Sri Lanka's new cabinet was sworn in, security forces, on orders from Vikramasinghe, raided the Galle Face Green protesters' camp near the presidential palace on the coast of Colombo, hunting down and beating protesters, injuring more than 50 people.

According to the Indian Newspaper Trust, the raid has attracted widespread condemnation, and foreign ambassadors to Sri Lanka have also criticized it.

Protester Chameera Dedduwage felt the raid appeared to be aimed at "prominent figures" in the protests: "But what they don't understand is that we have never, and don't need, leaders." The only thing that can be achieved by a crackdown is to delay the next wave of protests. ”

But protests have generally decreased since Sri Lanka's parliamentary election of Vikramasinghe as president on July 20, according to The Straits Times. Protesters say most Sri Lankans are currently tired and feeling scared.

Responsible Editor: Zhang Wuwei Photo Editor: Jin Jie

Proofreader: Zhang Liangliang