Colombo: The European Union, United States, and many other western countries have voiced their concern over the declaration of the state of emergency in Sri Lanka by President Gotabaya Rajapaksha on Friday.
The delegation of the European Union in a tweet stated that “ A month full of peaceful demonstrations has shown how Sri Lankan citizens fully enjoy their right to freedom of expression in the oldest democracy in South Asia.”
The tweet further added that a “ State of emergency will certainly not help solve the country’s difficulties and could have a counterproductive effect.”
Julie Chang, the United States Ambassador to Sri Lanka in a tweet said that “Concerned by another State of Emergency. The voices of peaceful citizens need to be heard. And the very real challenges Sri Lankans are facing require long-term solutions to set the country back on a path toward prosperity and opportunity for all. The SOE won’t help do that.”
Concerned by another State of Emergency. The voices of peaceful citizens need to be heard. And the very real challenges Sri Lankans are facing require long term solutions to set the country back on a path toward prosperity and opportunity for all. The SOE won’t help do that.
— Ambassador Julie Chung (@USAmbSL) May 7, 2022
Dominik Furgler, the Swiss Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, in a tweet expressed his concerns over the emergency. He said that “For weeks the Sri Lankans have been peacefully demonstrating because they are desperate and suffering. To avoid an escalation the causes have to be seriously and credibly addressed now. It’s hard to see how a state of emergency could help in any way”.
For weeks the Sri Lankans have been peacefully demonstrating because they are desperate and suffering. To avoid an escalation the causes have to be seriously and credibly addressed now. It‘s hard to see how a state of emergency could help in any way.
— Ambassador Siri Walt (@SwissAmbLKA) May 7, 2022
The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka took note of the step taken by the government and further urged the government to state the reason behind the state of emergency being imposed again on the island nation.