Ahead of the election of an interim President to run the country under an interim Government, Acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe declared a state of emergency for the second time in his tenure as Acting President, a position in which he just completed one week. The relevant Gazette Extraordinary, which stated that the state of emergency came into effect from yesterday (18), said that it was declared in the interests of public security, the protection of public order, and the maintenance of the supplies and services essential to the life of the community.
On 13 July, even before Wickremesinghe was officially appointed as the Acting President, he declared a state of emergency along with a curfew in the Western Province. This was amidst aggressive protests demanding President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s resignation, and is therefore justifiable.
However, this time, he declared a state of emergency in a context where there is no pressing need to do so. Protestors have retreated to “GotaGoGama” and have stopped forcefully entering State-owned buildings of importance. At the same time, they have not announced any protests in the coming few days, and all protests that are in progress are extremely peaceful ones. Therefore, the prevailing situation does not warrant the declaration of a state of emergency. In fact, Wickremesinghe seems to be exercising his powers to declare a state of emergency pre-emptively to face a violent situation that he assumes may arise, although states of emergency are usually declared to deal with an ongoing tense situation.
The most likely reason that compelled Wickremesinghe to declare a state of emergency when there is no tense situation in the country is none other than the fear that people will take to the streets, violently and in large numbers, on the day of the election in Parliament to elect an interim President. The Presidency of Sri Lanka is a position Wickremesinghe has coveted throughout his five-decade political career, and he does not want a spanner in the works on this last stretch.
Wickremesinghe seems to be following in Rajapaksa’s footsteps. A similar fear – of losing the Presidency – drove Rajapaksa to take a similar path when it came to dealing with any force that might have pose a threat to his position, especially protests against him and dissent. Rajapaksa was a big fan of declaring curfews and states of emergency, which were clearly shown during his last few months in Presidency.
Leaders of the country taking oppressive or excessive measures to protect themselves is not at all uncommon in Sri Lanka. Such measures range from labelling those who dare to go against them as traitors of the country, to declaring islandwide curfew or states of emergency. Such acts can in fact be counterproductive and exacerbate the situation. Declaring a state of emergency involves keeping the law enforcement and Defense Forces ready to face tense situations. At a time when a fuel crisis and a financial crisis have crippled the country, keeping such authorities indefinitely at the ready is not only a waste of their time, but also of limited resources.
The worst consequence of an unnecessary emergency situation is its ability to cause public unrest that did not exist. When people are told that there are stringent measures in place to control them, it is more than enough cause for people to organise to fight it. We should not forget that unlike before, people are more vocal about their rights and about the Government’s conduct, and if Wickremesinghe is gunning for the Presidency, he should have the ability to understand how the people’s response to State-led oppression has evolved.
Measures such as curfews or states of emergency remain in Sri Lanka’s existing legal and governing frameworks for a valid reason, and that reason is ensuring public order and preventing the damage the loss of it can cause. When such measures become a normal part of the people’s lives, and especially when people realise that politicians have made such measures tools that are used to protect themselves when they feel unsafe, they will not be as effective. The way people defied curfew when Rajapaksa declared curfew in certain parts of Colombo merely to stop protests against himself is proof that people have stopped obeying unreasonable orders, and Wickremesinghe should learn from that. Sri Lanka does not want a newer version of Rajapaksa, and people will not hesitate to overthrow another President.
Wickremesinghe should not make the same mistake that Rajapaksa made, i.e. dealing aggressively and violently with protestors, instead of examining the reasons that led to protests, and understand that a leader who avoids facing the people and relies on oppression is no true leader.
Compulsive states of emergency
19 Jul 2022
Compulsive states of emergency
19 Jul 2022
Ahead of the election of an interim President to run the country under an interim Government, Acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe declared a state of emergency for the second time in his tenure as Acting President, a position in which he just completed one week. The relevant Gazette Extraordinary, which stated that the state of emergency came into effect from yesterday (18), said that it was declared in the interests of public security, the protection of public order, and the maintenance of the supplies and services essential to the life of the community.
On 13 July, even before Wickremesinghe was officially appointed as the Acting President, he declared a state of emergency along with a curfew in the Western Province. This was amidst aggressive protests demanding President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s resignation, and is therefore justifiable.
However, this time, he declared a state of emergency in a context where there is no pressing need to do so. Protestors have retreated to “GotaGoGama” and have stopped forcefully entering State-owned buildings of importance. At the same time, they have not announced any protests in the coming few days, and all protests that are in progress are extremely peaceful ones. Therefore, the prevailing situation does not warrant the declaration of a state of emergency. In fact, Wickremesinghe seems to be exercising his powers to declare a state of emergency pre-emptively to face a violent situation that he assumes may arise, although states of emergency are usually declared to deal with an ongoing tense situation.
The most likely reason that compelled Wickremesinghe to declare a state of emergency when there is no tense situation in the country is none other than the fear that people will take to the streets, violently and in large numbers, on the day of the election in Parliament to elect an interim President. The Presidency of Sri Lanka is a position Wickremesinghe has coveted throughout his five-decade political career, and he does not want a spanner in the works on this last stretch.
Wickremesinghe seems to be following in Rajapaksa’s footsteps. A similar fear – of losing the Presidency – drove Rajapaksa to take a similar path when it came to dealing with any force that might have pose a threat to his position, especially protests against him and dissent. Rajapaksa was a big fan of declaring curfews and states of emergency, which were clearly shown during his last few months in Presidency.
Leaders of the country taking oppressive or excessive measures to protect themselves is not at all uncommon in Sri Lanka. Such measures range from labelling those who dare to go against them as traitors of the country, to declaring islandwide curfew or states of emergency. Such acts can in fact be counterproductive and exacerbate the situation. Declaring a state of emergency involves keeping the law enforcement and Defense Forces ready to face tense situations. At a time when a fuel crisis and a financial crisis have crippled the country, keeping such authorities indefinitely at the ready is not only a waste of their time, but also of limited resources.
The worst consequence of an unnecessary emergency situation is its ability to cause public unrest that did not exist. When people are told that there are stringent measures in place to control them, it is more than enough cause for people to organise to fight it. We should not forget that unlike before, people are more vocal about their rights and about the Government’s conduct, and if Wickremesinghe is gunning for the Presidency, he should have the ability to understand how the people’s response to State-led oppression has evolved.
Measures such as curfews or states of emergency remain in Sri Lanka’s existing legal and governing frameworks for a valid reason, and that reason is ensuring public order and preventing the damage the loss of it can cause. When such measures become a normal part of the people’s lives, and especially when people realise that politicians have made such measures tools that are used to protect themselves when they feel unsafe, they will not be as effective. The way people defied curfew when Rajapaksa declared curfew in certain parts of Colombo merely to stop protests against himself is proof that people have stopped obeying unreasonable orders, and Wickremesinghe should learn from that. Sri Lanka does not want a newer version of Rajapaksa, and people will not hesitate to overthrow another President.
Wickremesinghe should not make the same mistake that Rajapaksa made, i.e. dealing aggressively and violently with protestors, instead of examining the reasons that led to protests, and understand that a leader who avoids facing the people and relies on oppression is no true leader.
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Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!