A man waits amongst motorbikes parked in a queue by people waiting to fill up at a gas station in Colombo on July 4. (Photo: AFP)
Sri Lankan religious leaders have urged the armed forces not to attack unarmed civilians after a video clip of an army officer kicking a man in the chest as he queued up at a gas station went viral on social media.
"We urge the army not to lose the respect you have earned. What the forces are doing is protecting the corrupt rulers who have dragged the country into calamities," said Ven. Omalpe Sobitha Thera, an internationally acclaimed Buddhist scholar, researcher and philanthropist.
He said people are experiencing hunger, pain and despair with little or no hope at the moment for an end to the ongoing economic and social crisis in the country.
"The security forces should be sensitive to the people," the Buddhist monk said on July 6.
The Sri Lankan army has appointed a five-member Court of Inquiry to investigate the aggressive conduct of the officer who was identified as Lt Col Viraj Kumarasinghe, the commanding officer of the Sri Lanka National Guard.
Lt Col Kumararasinghe has been withdrawn from his posting at the Yakgahapitiya fuel station on the Kurunegala – Dambulla road, where the incident reportedly occurred.
“No matter what kind of order you receive from senior officers, don’t go against the law in the country"
Father Cyril Gamini, the editor of the weekly Catholic newspaper Ganartha Pradeepaya, condemned the attack.
“No matter what kind of order you receive from senior officers, don’t go against the law in the country,” Father Gamini said on July 6. "The security officers have pledged and promised to protect civilians."
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has appointed several former military officers to key positions in his civil administration, which has been criticized by some political analysts as an attempt to militarize the island nation.
Similar incidents involving clashes between the public and police or armed forces are being reported in a country reeling from its worst economic crisis since independence in 1948.
There have been widespread protests since March against the powerful Rajapaksa family for mishandling the economy. The protesters have been demanding the resignation of President Rajapaksa.
Sarath Fonseka, a retired army general and opposition lawmaker, said the army is working in very difficult and burdensome times, but soldiers have to fulfill their responsibilities with respect for citizens’ rights.
"Never point a gun at people. We request that the army and the police never do that"
"I remind the army commander to protect your reputation, the reputation of the army and our reputation as pensioners,” Fonseka said in parliament while underlining the need for enforcing the law with full transparency.
"Never point a gun at people. We request that the army and the police never do that," he added.
Opposition leader, Sajith Premadasa, also condemned the attack while alleging that the army officer had assaulted the man without reason.
The country is also suffering from an unprecedented foreign exchange crisis. It has to repay US$7 billion in foreign debt this year, and another $25 billion by 2026.
Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith has urged the president and the government to resign immediately to show responsibility for the tragic situation in the country.
“Resign from your positions and hand over the future of the country to the people. The biggest obstacle to liberating the country from this sad situation is the fact that the Rajapaksa family continues to stay in power,” the cardinal said at a press conference on July 5.
