A Sri Lankan activist named Warnakulasooriya Nisasa telecasted the event live in which protesters were seen shouting “Go Gota Go” slogans, reports Asian Lite News
Some 1,000 Sri Lankan nationals staged an anti-government protest at Central Railway Station in Milan, Italy.
A Sri Lankan activist named Warnakulasooriya Nisasa telecasted the event live in which protesters were seen shouting “Go Gota Go” slogans and burnt effigies of Gotabaya and Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Protestors were seen buring effigies of Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. Anti-China sologans were also rasied by the demonstrators.
The protest saw the participation of various Sri Lankan groups including Italy SL Buddhists, SL Islamic forum of Milan, Muslim Association of SL in North Italy and others.
In the Italian language, protestors called Rajapaksas corrupt, and traitors of Sri Lanka. They also accused the Rajapaksa family along with unreliable partners leading the country to a financial fiasco.
They made an appeal to the EU and the Italian government to provide necessary assistance to the grave situation in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka plunged into chaos after a lack of essential items and rolling power cuts caused nationwide protests. The country relies on tourists for foreign currency to import food and fuel and months of pandemic restrictions have starved it of money.
UN human rights experts on Friday had urged the Sri Lankan Government to guarantee the fundamental rights of peaceful assembly and of expression during peaceful protests, amid the country’s severe economic crisis.
“We are gravely concerned by the recent proclamation of a state of emergency as well as the order that blocked access to social media platforms,” the experts said in a statement issued by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
Food prices on “unbearable levels”
Amid the unprecedented economic crisis in Sri Lanka, the price of rice has risen to “unbearable levels” in the island nation.
The consumers in the island nation said that rice prices have risen to unbearable levels. The minimum price of a kilo of rice in the general market has now exceeded Rs 200-240, Colombo Page reported.
The government has been forced to restrict the import of several essential commodities – including food items which has pushed the price of essentials such as milk powder and rice much higher.
Although the Ministry of Trade has stated that rice is being sold at concessionary prices by wholesale network Lanka Sathosa outlets, it was learned from several CWE outlets that imported rice was not meeting the demand, according to Colombo Page.
It further reported that Sathosa outlets in many parts of the country are in short supply of essential consumer items including rice, dried chillies and other items.
Consumers demanded the government should take steps to reduce prices by importing rice or setting a control price.
Sri Lanka is battling a severe economic crisis, with food and fuel scarcity affecting a large number of the people in the island nation. The economy has been in a free-fall since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to the crash of the tourism sector.
Sri Lanka is also facing a foreign exchange shortage, which has, incidentally, affected its capacity to import food and fuel. The country is facing long power cuts.
The country is also witnessing protests over the government’s handling of the worst economic crisis in decades. Yesterday, a protest was held outside the US Embassy in Colombo against the Sri Lankan government. (ANI)