UN Human Rights Office calls for peace in Sri Lanka

The Human Rights Office of United Nations Organization (WHO) called on all sides of the political crisis in the Sri Lanka this Wednesday (13) “to abstain from violence” to guarantee a “peaceful political transition”.

“Leaders must demand respect for life and property. Security forces, including the military, must respect human rights and exercise restraint.”

#SriLanka:We call on all sides to refrain from violence & ensure peaceful political transition. A broad+inclusive process respecting rule of law is needed. Leaders must call for respect of life+property. Security forces incl military must respect human rights & exercise restraint pic.twitter.com/N2vmsDbZa8

— UN Human Rights (@UNHumanRights) July 13, 2022

After President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled to the Maldives without resigning, the country is experiencing a new wave of demonstrations.

the president runs away

After months of protests against the country’s economic crisis, Rajapaksa was forced to announce his resignation.

Last weekend, more than 100,000 people crowded outside his residence over the weekend.

His planned resignation would leave him without presidential immunity – potentially exposing him to a slew of legal charges and reduced security.

He was accused of high-level corruption and economic mismanagement, which ultimately bankrupted the country and triggered the worst financial crisis since independence.

After being prevented from leaving the country at least twice on Monday, Rajapaksa and his wife managed to flee to Malé, Maldives, on Wednesday, according to a high-ranking security official.

They flew in a Sri Lanka Air Force AN32 troop transport plane shortly before he left office.

Maldives air traffic control refused the plane’s request to land until an intervention by Maldivian Parliament Speaker and former President Mohamed Nasheed, according to the official.

A spokesperson for Nasheed neither confirmed nor denied the intervention.

The Sri Lankan Air Force on Wednesday confirmed Rajapaksa’s departure, saying in a statement: “In accordance with the government’s request and in accordance with the powers conferred on a president in the Sri Lankan Constitution, the Sri Lankan Air Force Lanka provided a plane earlier today. to take the president, his wife and two security officers to the Maldives.”

Rajapaksa was previously barred from leaving Bandaranaike International Airport on Monday after refusing to enter a public immigration queue, a high-ranking military source told CNN.

Aides to Rajapaksa arrived at Colombo airport on Monday with 15 passports belonging to the president and members of his family – including First Lady Ioma Rajapaksa – who had reserved seats on a Sri Lankan Airlines flight departing Dubai at 6:25 pm. local time, according to the military source.

But immigration officials refused to process passports given to them by presidential aides as Rajapaksa and his family were not physically present for cross-checks.

Eventually, the flight departed without the president and his family on board, the source added.
Another attempt was made to take the family on an Etihad flight scheduled to depart Colombo for Abu Dhabi at 9:20 pm. According to the source, however, the same problem occurred, as the Rajapaksas refused to get in the public immigration queue for the flight.

In both cases, the Rajapaksa family was in a nearby airport lounge, waiting for confirmation that they could board without queuing among members of the public, the source said.

On Tuesday, a video released by a former police officer claimed that Rajapaksa was staying at a private home belonging to a top air force commander. The Sri Lankan Air Force has denied the allegation, describing it as propaganda aimed at tarnishing the image of the body and its boss.