Sri Lanka Imposes Curfew, Blocks Social Media As Unrest Spirals Amid Economic Crash

Sri Lanka has imposed a weekend curfew on Saturday, even as hundreds of lawyers urged President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to revoke a state of emergency introduced following unrest over fuel and other shortages in a deep economic crisis.

The government's information department said a countrywide curfew would run from 6 p.m. (1230 GMT) on Saturday to 6 a.m. (0030 GMT) on Monday.

Rajapaksa introduced a state of emergency on Friday, raising fears of a crackdown on protests. Emergency powers in the past have allowed the military to arrest and detain suspects without warrants, but the terms of the current powers are not yet clear.

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The island country of 22 million people is grappling with power blackouts for up to 13 hours a day as the government scrambles to secure foreign exchange to pay for fuel and other essential imports.

"People take to the streets when things are impossible," 68-year-old Colombo shop owner Nishan Ariyapala told Reuters TV. "When people take to the streets the political leaders of the country must act thoughtfully."

Rajapaksa said the state of emergency was needed to protect public order and maintain essential supplies and services.

Social media blocked

Sri Lankan soldiers with assault rifles and police manned checkpoints in Colombo on Sunday as the government blocked social media platforms after imposing a curfew.

"The social media block is temporary and imposed due to special instructions given by the Defence Ministry. It was imposed in the interests of the country and people to maintain calm," Telecommunications Regulatory Commission Chairman Jayantha de Silva told Reuters.

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Internet monitoring organisation NetBlocks said real-time network data showed that Sri Lanka had imposed a nationwide social media blackout, restricting access to platforms including Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube and Instagram as a state of emergency was declared amid widespread protests.

Protesters take to the streets

Angered by the shortages of fuel and other essential items, hundreds of protesters clashed on Thursday with police and the military outside Rajapaksa's residence as they called for his ouster and torched several police and army vehicles.

Police arrested 53 people and imposed a curfew in and around Colombo on Friday to contain other sporadic protests.

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Meanwhile, Sri Lanka on Sunday arrested over 600 protestors violating the curfew in Western Province.

The Police said that 664 individuals were arrested in the Western Province between 10.00 pm last night and 6.00 am today, reported Colombo Gazette.

Shops opened and traffic was normal on Saturday, while police remained stationed at some petrol stations.

The ongoing crisis - the result of economic mismanagement by successive governments - has been compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has hit tourism and remittances.

In the first major food aid to the country since Colombo secured a credit line from India, Indian traders have started loading 40,000 tonnes of rice.

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