New Zealand Society for Peace, Unity and Human Rights (SPUR NZ)

New Zealand Society for Peace, Unity and Human Rights (SPUR NZ) in a letter addressed to key Sri Lankan Ministers has condemned the recent actions taken to silence the voice of the youth of Sri Lanka.

Our motherland, with a long established culture that values Peace and Stability, has in recent times reached a historically critical juncture. Unprecedented shortages of essentials like petrol, diesel, gas and fertiliser have crippled the economy and people’s livelihoods.

There is no doubt that the government (2019 -2022) caused the current precarious state of the country by making patently unwise economic decisions and committing financial mismanagement. The callous attitude of the rulers toward the sufferings of the people has worsened the problem with every passing day.

We witnessed some minor protests and uprisings around the country towards the end of

2021. The rural farmers, fishermen, housewives, teachers and university students spearheaded

vehement demonstrations that engulfed the whole country within a very short period of time.

Gradually, Galle Face Green in Colombo became the centre of the protests. The youth who took the lead at Galle Face emerged as the mouthpiece of the voice of Sri Lankans of all denominations. The IT-savvy modern generation, combined with more mature elderly supporters, portrayed the frustrations and anger of the vast majority of Sri Lankans. Galle Face became a household name, as a

Peaceful Platform, for the protests against the government that was indifferent to the people’s sufferings. As thousands of highly charged student communities stood behind them, the Galle face

Youth” appeared to be the only hope for a paralysed nation, as all the established political

Parties lacked the means to generate a widely accepted base.

It is a well-accepted fact that both Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksha and President Gotabhaya

Rajapaksha ultimately had to leave their respective positions due to the hyperactive but peaceful

protests by the Galle Face Youth backed by thousands of concerned citizens.

In the period between the resignation of the Prime Minister and the President, the Galle Face

Protest groups were transforming into a non-partisan front. They have started consultations with various mainstream political parties and civil society groups to resolve the current economic crisis and to find quick solutions to people’s grievances. Galle Face Green was transforming into an informal gathering place for everyone interested in finding solutions to the age-old problems faced by the country. Their makeshift tents appeared to be a perfect alternative to meeting halls, libraries, cinemas and theatres to demonstrate their feelings in a more vibrant and creative environment. The country‘s renowned artists, academics and professionals visited the site to encourage the youth groups.

During the protests, the Prime Minister and the President of the country were forced to declare their resignations, and four huge official mansions that they occupied came under the control of the Protesters. By 21 July 2022, the protesters had handed back three buildings back to the government and were planning to hand over the remaining building – the Presidential Secretariat at Galle Face, in the afternoon of 22 July 2022.

However, the events that unfolded in the early hours of 22 July 2022 that were transmitted to the world through the social media on were shocking. It was an explicitly savage use of excessive force on a peaceful group of people at Gall Face in front of the Presidential Secretariat. Scores of unarmed people including women were brutally assaulted and their huts and their belongings were destroyed by the armed forces sent by the newly appointed President Ranil Wickramasinghe who was elected by the Parliament on the previous day.  It was apparent that it was a calculated attempt to intervene at a most opportune time chosen by the government forces.

The attacks on the media personnel, including the BBC correspondent, indicated an apparent need to hide some pieces of evidence from the world at large.

At this crucial juncture, Sri Lanka expects nothing but full respect for democracy, human rights and the rule of law not only from the general public but also from the government and its armed forces.

We are at pain to notice in this instance that the government forces under the President Wickramasinghe have not paid any respect to freedom of speech and assembly, which are fundamental democratic rights of Sri Lankan citizens.

It could have been a golden opportunity to the new government of President Wickramasinghe to win the hearts and minds of the youth groups if they opted to engage with them in a meaningful dialogue instead of assaulting them willy-nilly.   It is with heartfelt sorrow that we notice that all successive governments of Sri Lanka during the past 74 years after gaining Independence have not had any meaningful dialogue with the younger generation.

The non-partisan Galle Face Youth who won the hearts of every Sri Lankan for their brave and,

peaceful interventions on behalf of the Sri Lankan people, could have been utilised as a very effective conduit to obtain the views of the younger generation. Unfortunately, this attack has negated all such hopes. Civil leaders consider it an assault by the government on the whole youthful generation.

The New Zealand Society for Peace, Unity and Human Rights in Sri Lanka ( SPUR NZ) unconditionally condemns in the strongest possible terms this brutal attack on an unarmed peaceful group of youth and journalists by the Sri Lankan government authorities. We emphasize that the young generation of Sri Lanka needs to be meaningfully engaged in dealing with the current crisis and creating a stable and secure future for them in Sri Lanka. We hope sanity prevails over all the involved parties.

On behalf of the Management Committee of the New Zealand Society for Peace, Unity and Human Rights (SPUR NZ),

Niranjan Patabandige                                                     Mahinda Attanayake

President                                                                            Secretary