Sri Lanka has declared a state of emergency and granted the military and police emergency powers, a day after a violent clash killed seven people and injured another 200, following which Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned from his post.
Thousands of protestors defied the nationwide curfew set in place till 7 AM on Wednesday, to attack government figures associated with the current economic crisis the country is facing - the worst in its history - and set fire to their homes, businesses and shops.
The police spokesperson Nihal Thalduwa said that despite the violence and chaos, the situation had calmed down by Tuesday, and reported that around 200 people were injured during the clash on Monday.
The government led by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the younger brother of the prime minister, has highlighted broad powers for the military and the police to detain and question people without arrest warrants.
According to the decision, the military can detain people for up to 24 hours before handing them to police, while private property can be searched by force, including private vehicles, the government said in a gazette notification on Tuesday.
“Any person arrested by a police officer shall be taken to the nearest police station,” it said, fixing a 24-hour deadline for the armed forces to do the same.
However, some analysts are concerned about the potential for abuse that these sweeping powers might pave the way for.
“In a situation where there is both a state of emergency and curfew, who can monitor to ensure these regulations are not abused?” said Bhavani Fonseka of the Centre for Policy Alternatives think-tank based in Colombo.
The president had already declared a state of emergency on Friday.
Thousands of protestors defied the nationwide curfew set in place till 7 AM on Wednesday, to attack government figures associated with the current economic crisis the country is facing - the worst in its history - and set fire to their homes, businesses and shops.
The police spokesperson Nihal Thalduwa said that despite the violence and chaos, the situation had calmed down by Tuesday, and reported that around 200 people were injured during the clash on Monday.
The government led by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the younger brother of the prime minister, has highlighted broad powers for the military and the police to detain and question people without arrest warrants.
According to the decision, the military can detain people for up to 24 hours before handing them to police, while private property can be searched by force, including private vehicles, the government said in a gazette notification on Tuesday.
“Any person arrested by a police officer shall be taken to the nearest police station,” it said, fixing a 24-hour deadline for the armed forces to do the same.
However, some analysts are concerned about the potential for abuse that these sweeping powers might pave the way for.
“In a situation where there is both a state of emergency and curfew, who can monitor to ensure these regulations are not abused?” said Bhavani Fonseka of the Centre for Policy Alternatives think-tank based in Colombo.
The president had already declared a state of emergency on Friday.