‘Lanka’s ex-PM and once strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa being protected at Trincomalee naval base’

Colombo, May 11 (PTI) Sri Lanka’s ex-Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa is being protected at the Trincomalee naval base, Defence Secretary Kamal Guneratne said on Wednesday, two days after the country witnessed unprecedented mob violence after the former strongman resigned.

The 76-year-old Sri Lanka People’s Party (SLPP) leader, known for his brutal military campaign against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) during his presidency from 2005 to 2015, is being given protection amidst nationwide protests over the government’s failure to tackle the worst economic crisis. He is also facing calls for his arrest from Opposition politicians for inciting violence against peaceful anti-government protesters who were seeking his resignation as well as that of his elder brother and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa for mismanaging the country’s economy. “He (Mahinda Rajapaksa) was evacuated to the Trincomalee naval dockyard,” Guneratne told reporters in an online briefing.

Trincomalee is a port city on the northeast coast of Sri Lanka. Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned as prime minister on Monday amid unprecedented economic turmoil in the country, hours after his supporters attacked anti-government protesters, prompting authorities to impose a nationwide curfew and deploy Army troops in the capital. The attack triggered widespread violence against pro-Rajapaksa politicians.

At least 8 people have died while over 250 people injured in the clashes which also saw scores of properties belonging to ruling party politicians being set on  fire. Mahinda Rajapaksa, who served as the country’s prime minister thrice, saw his residence set on fire on Monday. He was evacuated to the naval base after a series of attacks on his supporters left at least eight people dead.

Mahinda Rajapaksa, along with his wife and family, fled his official residence – Temple Trees – and took shelter at the naval base in Trincomalee. Throughout the night on Monday, the police fired teargas shells to quell mobs trying to enter the Temple Trees residence. In the early hours of Tuesday, police fired tear gas and warning shots to hold back mobs as security forces moved Mahinda and his family out of his official residence.

As word spread about Mahinda’s reported presence at the Trincomalee Naval Base, people started a protest near the key military facility. A curfew is in force across the island nation after mobs burned down the ancestral home belonging to the ruling Rajapaksa family amid mounting anger for their mishandling of the economy, leading to the island nation’s worst economic crisis.

Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis since gaining independence from Britain in 1948. The crisis is caused in part by a lack of foreign currency, which has meant that the country cannot afford to pay for imports of staple foods and fuel, leading to acute shortages and very high prices. Thousands of demonstrators have hit the streets across Sri Lanka since April 9 seeking the resignation of President Gotabaya and his brother Mahinda, as the government ran out of money for vital imports; prices of essential commodities have skyrocketed and there are acute shortages in fuel, medicines and electricity supply.