Sri Lanka Economic Crisis Updates: Sri Lanka urged its citizens overseas to send home money to help pay for desperately needed food and fuel Wednesday after announcing a default on its $51 billion foreign debt. Central bank governor Nandalal Weerasinghe said he needed Sri Lankans abroad to “support the country at this crucial juncture by donating much needed foreign exchange”. His appeal came a day after the government announced it was suspending repayments on all external debt, which will free up money to replenish scant supplies of petrol, pharmaceuticals and other necessities.
The island nation is in the grip of its worst economic crisis since independence in 1948, with severe shortages of essential goods and regular blackouts causing widespread hardship. Authorities are weathering intense public anger and spirited protests demanding the government’s resignation ahead of negotiations for an International Monetary Fund bailout.
Here are the latest updates on Sri Lanka’s economic crisis:
• Sri Lanka’s Opposition party Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) will hold a massive public march for three days next week to support the ongoing protest against the Rajapaksa government, as it accused the government of “stubbornly” trying to stay in power by using various tactics without listening to the people’s demands.
JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva at a press conference on Wednesday said that the “largest public march in the country’s history” will be held from April 17 to 19 to take “this struggle to victory”, the Colombo Page news portal reported.
• “We did not come here for talks. We are here to demand that you and the government resign,” one youth activist at the protest site, which is now known by them as GotGoGama, was quoted as saying by News 1st channel.
• Social media posts from the participants said they were unwilling to have any talks unless the Rajapaksas quit from all positions in the government.
• Sri Lankans protesting outside the President’s Office in Colombo on Wednesday rejected Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapksa’s offer for talks and demanded the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and all members of his family from the government.
• The country’s Sinhalese and Tamil communities are marking their traditional new year this week but the shortages have sabotaged the ritual of making milk rice at an astrologically auspicious time, with both ingredients scarce.
• At least eight people have died while waiting in fuel queues since last month.
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