By PTI
COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s opposition Marxist party JVP, the third-largest political party in parliament, on Tuesday urged protesters to remain extremely peaceful during their anti-government demonstrations, saying indulging in violence would make way for the Rajapaksas to trigger a “military intervention.”
The anti-government protesters, who have been conducting peaceful demonstrations since March-end, were set upon by a group of pro-Rajapaksa gangs – mostly the grassroot political leadership of the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) on Monday.
A backlash saw the attackers being subject to violence, they were stripped naked and some of them were thrown into the Beira Lake in Colombo.
Later the ruling party politicians’ houses were subject to arson attacks throughout the island including the Rajapaksa ancestral house.
Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) general secretary Tilwin Silva said that resorting to violence would be playing into the hands of the Rajapaksas.
“We stress that indulging in violence would make way for the Rajapaksas to trigger a military intervention,” Silva said.
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He said the protests must be persisted with until President Gotabaya Rajapaksa also resigns.
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, the elder brother of the President, resigned on Monday.
The Defence Ministry has issued shooting orders at anyone looting public property or causing personal harm.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has appealed for calm and an end to violence and acts of revenge.
The police arrested two people who had attacked senior deputy inspector general Deshabandu Tennakoon.
They attacked Tennakoon alleging that the senior police officer had colluded with the pro-Rajapaksa mob that had destroyed the peaceful protest sites while physically harming some of them.
The death toll rose to eight in the unprecedented violence that erupted after supporters of then prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa attacked anti-government protesters here on Monday.
Though Mahinda Rajapaksa, 76, has quit as prime minister, this has failed to bring calm.
Nearly 250 people have been injured in the violence in Colombo and other parts of the country.
A curfew is in force across the island nation after mobs burned down the ancestral home belonging to the ruling Rajapaksa family amid mounting anger at the worst economic crisis.
Anti-government protesters have also set up a checkpoint on the road leading to the Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo to prevent the Rajapaksa family loyalists from fleeing the country.
Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis since gaining independence from Britain in 1948.
The crisis is caused in part by a lack of foreign currency, which has meant that the country cannot afford to pay for imports of staple foods and fuel, leading to acute shortages and very high prices.
Sri Lankan Parliament Speaker on Tuesday requested embattled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to reconvene the House this week to discuss the current situation amid unprecedented violence and widespread protest against the government over the country’ worst economic crisis in decades.
Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeyawardene said he had telephoned President Gotabaya Rajapaksa with his request.
Parliamentary officials said the President will be required to reconvene Parliament ahead of its scheduled date of May 17 as there is no Prime Minister and a government currently.
Mahinda Rajapaksa, 76, resigned as Sri Lankan Prime Minister on Monday amid unprecedented economic turmoil, hours after his supporters attacked anti-government protesters, prompting authorities to impose a nationwide curfew and deploy Army troops in the capital.
Mahinda Rajapaksa is facing calls for his arrest from Opposition politicians for inciting violence against peaceful anti-government protesters that claimed at least eight lives, left over 200 people injured and saw arson attacks on the homes of several politicians.
Presidential sources said Gotabaya Rajapaksa is to meet with the leaders of political parties represented in Parliament in order to set up a government.
Speaker Abeyawardene also said he himself had conveyed a meeting of party leaders to discuss the business of House for its reconvening.
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Police chief Chandana Wickremaratne said he had ordered the crime division to investigate Monday’s attack on the peaceful protesters by pro Rajapaksa gang.
A statement said that a thorough investigation would be conducted to arrest all those involved in the attack.
The Attorney General has also written to the police chief to conduct an investigation.
Meanwhile, Mahinda Rajapaksa left his Temple Trees residence early this morning even as a mob tried to enter the premises.
Throughout the night the police fired tear gas to quell mobs entering Temple Trees.
A mob has now surrounded the Naval headquarters in the eastern port town of Trincomalee demanding Mahinda Rajapaksa be put out of the complex.
His whereabouts were not known, SLPP sources said.
A group of lawyers lodged a complaint with the police headquarters to arrest Mahinda Rajapaksa and his colleagues who had allegedly instigated Monday’s violence against peaceful anti-government protesters.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa declared a state of emergency with effect from Friday midnight.
This is the second time that an emergency was declared in Sri Lanka in just over a month as the island nation was in the grip of the worst economic crisis.
