Sri Lanka: Voices of the People 1

The next two articles share the experiences of people who are in the fight for democracy and human rights in Sri Lanka. The first is a person reporting in a Twitter thread on the dire conditions that caused people to rise up against the Rajapaksa government. The second is from a 15 year-old boy on Reddit who has a warning for people of the United States.

Oneli Palipane

@Oneli_Palipane

#WhatsHappeningInSriLanka #SriLanka #SriLankaCrisis

Apr 1

A THREAD ON WHAT’S HAPPENING IN SRI LANKA

– The government is oppressing the people

– People are dying, healthcare services are halted

– Majority of surgeries are not happening

– They are censoring all the violence that government is doing

– 13 hour power cuts

(cont.)

part 1: 

Protests are happening all around the country. But the government is constantly censoring the media and taking down videos of high violence. Police are shooting and beating people half dead. People died in the protests.·

part 2: 

Yesterday, the people surrounded the area near the president’s house. Thousands of police were deployed. The police were shooting people with rubber bullets, using unnecessary amounts of tear gas, using water cannons & beating people dead. Even the media, attacked.

Part 3: 

Curfew was imposed yesterday on Colombo city to prevent people from gathering. They are taking down videos of people being attacked by the police. No one is able to see the current situation within Sri Lanka. Even the content I’ve used doesn’t show the bad aspects.

Part 4: 

Power cuts are happening for more than 13 hours a day. There is a fossil fuel shortage (there is practically none). We are having water cuts too. Without power and diesel majority of factories and businesses are closing leaving huge amounts of people jobless.

Part 5: 

The power cuts have left essential services inaccessible. They are using torches and flashlights in hospitals. Majority of surgeries are not happening. Some procedures are done using flashlights. Many people who need immediate medical attention are dying.

Part 6: 

We are facing a severe economic crisis. Our stock markets are failing. There is huge food shortage. Majority of people don’t have enough food. People are dying of starvation. Children are fainting at schools from not having eaten for days.

Part 7:

Due to shortages people are queuing up for days. For fuel people have been queuing in their cars for days at gas stations. People have been standing and queuing for hours to get kerosene oil to last through power cuts and for food.

Part 8: 

The president and the Rajapaksa family (previous presidents, politicians & a corrupt dynasty in SL) are planning to flee the country if things get worse. They have planes prepared at our international airports. We might even be leaderless. They are ruining the country.

Part 9: 

Our imports are severely restricted, there is paper shortage. Public schools have postponed exams indefinitely. They can’t graduate & so many young students haven’t been to school for years. Sri Lanka has one of the worst internet connections so there is limited access.

Part 10: 

International school students have to still sit their exams. Even though they haven’t been able to study at all. The heat in Sri Lanka is unbearable and there is a heat wave happening now. Everyone’s mental health is hitting an all time low.

Part 11:

SL currency is dropping. Students who were planning to go to university abroad won’t be able to fund themselves. Businesses do not have capital to fund their businesses and are going bankrupt one after the other. Nothing is functioning in the country.

part 12: 

(1st april) president declared public emergency allowing:

– people to be detained without warrants

– seize property 

– enter & search any premises

– suspend laws & issued orders that cannot be questioned in court

all of this to hinder mass nationwide protests tomorrow

part 13 (3rd april)

all our social media is down. some can use vpn if they had previously downloaded it. the government is just blatantly oppressing the people to protect themselves.

part 14:

there are nation wide curfews till monday. but it is suspected that they will extend indefinitely. in an attempt to stop the people’s protests

part 15:

the government is using force, tear gas and water cannons to disperse peaceful protests conducted by students in university right now. 

(3rd april, 13:30).

part 16: (4th april)

there have been multiple protests abroad to support the movement! #GoHomeGota2022 #GoHomeRajapakshas #SriLankaCrisis 

________________________

Request for an international arrest warrant for the Rajapaksas in British Parliament  

 #GoHomeGota #GoHomeRanil #SriLankaProtests #SriLankaCrisis #SriLanka #lka