COLOMBO (News 1st) – The International Federation for Human Rights in a new report detailing the relentless repression of a peaceful protest movement noted that the Sri Lankan authorities systematically violated international human rights law and standards with complete impunity in their crackdown on the Aragalaya.The protest movement, called aragalaya [“struggle” in Sinhala], was triggered by the government’s protracted economic mismanagement and the growing public discontent over corruption and nepotism.
The protests, which initially started in the country’s capital, Colombo, quickly spread across all nine provinces of Sri Lanka.
Some protests continued in Colombo in 2023.FIDH Secretary-General Adilur Rahman Khan said that President Wickremesinghe’s recent pledge to use the military and emergency powers to prevent the resurgence of a protest movement should sound alarm bells.He added that it is imperative the international community remains vigilant and presses the government to respect and protect the rights of protesters.
The 62-page report, titled, Anatomy of a crackdown – The repression of Sri Lanka’s aragalaya protest movement,” provides a comprehensive record of the serious and systematic human rights violations committed by the military, police, and pro-government elements against the overwhelmingly peaceful protesters.Authorities also targeted protest observers, including journalists, lawyers, and bystanders.