Sri Lanka
Christian schools and institutions closed to show solidarity with striking workers nationwide
A vendor selling national flags waits for customers in front of the presidential office in Colombo on April 26. (Photo: AFP)
Christians have joined a mass strike staged by trade unions nationwide calling for the Sri Lankan government to resign as the country faces its worst economic crisis in decades.
Around 1,000 public and private sector unions organized a massive strike on April 28 demanding the resignation of the president and the current government.
Christian schools and institutions have also closed to show solidarity with the striking workers.
The strike has affected daily activities, train services have been disrupted and free trade zone workers have also joined the strike.
“The massive strike is in support of the ongoing wave of protests and to pressure the government to resign,” said Ravi Kumudesh, co-convener of the Trade Unions Center.
Ven. Yalwala Pagngnasekara Thera, a senior Buddhist cleric, said non-academic staff of schools have joined the industrial action, with over 240,000 teachers and 16,000 principals taking part.
“Priests and nuns take part every day in the non-violent protests that are daily held in front of the presidential and prime minister’s offices”
“The present government has failed to manage the finances while corruption is rampant. It is also facing political turmoil in addition to the economic crisis,” said the Buddhist monk.
For the past few weeks there have been daily protests calling for the government to resign as Sri Lanka faces its worst economic crisis since independence in 1948. Prices of essential goods and energy prices have surged amid a foreign exchange crunch blamed on mismanagement by the government.
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has said he is not ready to resign.
Attorney Sunil Watagala and a group of lawyers have informed the attorney-general that information has come to light that a group of politicians, including former ministers, are preparing to flee the country.
Priests and nuns who work in schools and institutions said they would continue to support the struggle until the government resigns.
“Priests and nuns take part every day in the non-violent protests that are daily held in front of the presidential and prime minister’s offices,” said a nun who teaches at a school and wished to remain anonymous.
Among them were placards of missing or murdered journalists including Lasantha Wickrematunga and Prageeth Eknaligoda.
The nun said the money stolen by politicians should be returned to the country.
Army and police have removed a number of posters and placards attached to the iron fence in front of the presidential secretariat in Galle Face.
Among them were placards of missing or murdered journalists including Lasantha Wickrematunga and Prageeth Eknaligoda.
Wickrematunge was shot dead in broad daylight in January 2009 on a public highway, a few hundred meters from a security checkpoint.
Eknaligoda was abducted two days before Rajapaksa’s re-election in 2010. He had previously written an article titled “Why we should not give another term to Rajapaksa.”
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