Sri Lanka Imposes Curfew Amid Crisis

Colombo, April 3 : The Sri Lankan government imposed a 36-hour curfew across the country, as a state of emergency is enforced amid violent protests against food and fuel shortages, BBC reported on Sunday. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa issued a notice prohibiting people from coming out on any public roads, in parks, on trains, or on the seashore, unless they have written permission from the authorities. The curfew began at dusk on Saturday. The government also blocked social media sites, including Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter. People received messages on their mobile phone informing them that this step has been taken “as directed by the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission”. These new stringent restrictions are aimed at preventing new protests, after crowds set several vehicles ablaze near the president’s private residence on Thursday. The military has since been deployed and given powers to arrest people without warrants. The island nation is in the midst of its worst economic crisis caused in part by a lack of foreign currency, which is used to pay for fuel imports. People are facing power cuts which last half a day or more. Add to that shortages of fuel and essential food and medicines, has led to public anger rising leading to street protests and violence.