International human rights groups on Saturday urged Sri Lanka's new president to immediately order security forces to cease use of force against protesters after troops and police cleared their main camp following months of demonstrations over the country's economic meltdown.
A day after President Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn, hundreds of armed troops raided a protest camp outside the president's office in the early hours of Friday, attacking demonstrators with batons. Human Rights Watch said the action "sends a dangerous message to the Sri Lankan people that the new government intends to act through brute force rather than the rule of law."
Also condemning the attack, Amnesty International said "it is shameful that the new government resorted to such violent tactics within hours of coming to power." Sri Lankans have taken to the streets for months to demand their top leaders step down to take responsibility for the economic chaos that has left the nation's 22 million people struggling with shortages of essentials, including medicine, fuel and food. While the protesters have focused on the Rajapaksa's family, Wickremesinghe also has drawn their ire as a perceived Rajapaksa surrogate.
Despite heightened security outside the president's office, protesters have vowed to continue until Wickremesinghe resigns.Wickremesinghe on Monday declared a state of emergency as acting president in a bid to quell the protests. Just hours after he was sworn in, he issued a notice calling on the armed forces to maintain law and order -- clearing the way for the move against the protest camp.