Geneva, April 9 (UNI) UN human rights experts urged the Sri Lankan Government to guarantee the fundamental rights of peaceful assembly and of expression during peaceful protests amid the country’s severe economic crisis.
“We are gravely concerned by the recent proclamation of a state of emergency as well as the order that blocked access to social media platforms,” the experts said, in a statement released by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on Friday.
“These measures seem aimed at discouraging or preventing peaceful protests in the wake of the worsening economic crisis and the lack of access to fuel, electricity, medicines and essential food items.
“We condemn the excessive use of teargas and water cannon to disperse protesters, as well as the recent block of social media platforms.
“We condemn the excessive use of teargas and water cannon to disperse protesters, as well as the recent block of social media platforms.
“We urge the Sri Lankan government to allow students, human rights defenders and others to protest in a peaceful manner, and to freely share their political views and express their discontent, both online and offline,” the statement read.
The experts called on the authorities to engage in constructive and open dialogue with the Sri Lankan people.
The experts called on the authorities to engage in constructive and open dialogue with the Sri Lankan people.
“Peaceful protests and voices of legitimate dissent should not be met with unnecessary and excessive use of force by authorities,” the experts said. “Resorting to use of force against protesters will only jeopardize avenues to express discontent peacefully, risking instead an escalation of tensions.”
Sri Lanka’s population has been hit by rising inflation, shortages of fuel and essential goods and prolonged power cuts as a result of a scarcity of foreign exchange.
