Direction Sri Lanka categorically condemns the brutal attack on unarmed protestors in the early hours of this morning by the authorities in seeking to remove the protestors at Galle Face and in the vicinity of the Presidential Secretariat. There are also reports of force being used on Journalists and Lawyers which is also categorically condemned.
There was information to the effect that the Protestors were to hand over the Presidential Secretariat that they had been occupying at 2 PM today, and there is no justification why, after several days, that they required to be forcibly removed just a few hours prior to their hand over.
Direction Sri Lanka is deeply concerned that this use of force took place within a matter of hours of the taking of oaths by President Ranil Wickremesinghe and calls upon the President, the Government and Members of the Armed Forces and Police to immediately halt unwarranted and disproportionate actions of the Armed Forces targeting civilians protesting at Galle Face which impinge on their freedom of expression which is entrenched as a Fundamental Right in the Constitution.
Direction Sri Lanka also calls upon the authorities to investigate the incidents of the early hours of today immediately and hold those responsible accountable for their actions.
Sri Lanka presently faces the most severe economic crisis since independence and a peaceful atmosphere free of violence is vital and it is the duty of the Government to ensure that the basic rights and freedoms of all citizens are safeguarded and protected so that focus could be on finding a way out of the present crisis rather than to make it more difficult. Direction Sri Lanka emphasizes that what is needed now is restraint and to focus on reconciliation and bringing together everyone in the interests of this country and the adoption of any other means would only be counterproductive to this paramount objective.
