Sri Lanka arrests 644 people over curfew violation
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The Sri Lankan protests have been met with more arrests as demonstrators take to the streets in bigger numbers, and the latest tally revealed by Colombo shows there have been more than 640 arrests in one night.
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Demonstrators move away from tear gas used by the police near Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's residence, Colombo, Sri Lanka, March 31, 2022 (Reuters)
The Sri Lankan authorities have arrested nearly 650 people over curfew violations overnight Sunday, the Colombo Gazette reported Sunday, citing police sources.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa declared Saturday a nationwide state of public emergency in light of protests over the country's worst economic crisis since its independence, which has paralyzed Colombo's ability to provide the citizens with electricity and even hit the healthcare sector really hard.
The Colombo Gazette reported that the police arrested 644 people in Western Province during the night for violating the curfew imposed by the government over fears of a coup and the ousting of President Rajapaksa. Protestors had called for his resignation during their demonstrations as they face shortages and soaring inflation.
The state of emergency was announced in a government gazette on Friday, with the president citing public security, the protection of public order, and the maintenance of supplies and essential services as the reason behind the decision he took.
The Sri Lankan police and military had arrested and assaulted protestors outside Rajapaksa's residents in the capital the day before, who had gone there to storm his house over the stifling economic conditions.
The police arrested 53 people and imposed a curfew in and around Colombo on Friday in a bid to discourage civilians from taking to the street as they were protesting over the shortage of essential items and goods, including fuel and foodstuffs.
And in the latest bid by Colombo to quell demonstrations, Sri Lanka announced cutting off social media access over protests in the country, and internet providers were ordered by Defense officials to shut down access to Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
