Colombo: Thousands of heavy armed troops were deployed in the Sri Lanka capital on Friday, on a general meeting planned to demand the dismissal of the president fought by Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
The island nation suffered through an unprecedented financial crisis, and 22 million people experienced escape inflation, prolonged blackouts, and lack of fuel and other important goods since the beginning of the year.
The demonstrators for months have been camping outside the Kolombo Rajapaksa office to demand his resignation to misinterpret the economy.
The armed soldiers with an assault rifle were driven out to Colombo to strengthen the police who maintain the official residence of Rajapaksa, which anti-government protesters have promised to invade on Saturday.
“An operation involving nearly 20,000 soldiers and police and women was launched this afternoon,” a high -ranking official told AFP. “We hope that tomorrow’s protest will not become violence.”
He said more troops were taken to the capital from the provinces -the provinces after at least three judges refused to prohibit protests on Saturday.
The United Nations urged Sri Lanka’s authority and protesters to ensure that Saturday demonstrations exploded peacefully.
“We urge Sri Lanka’s authority to show restraints in the Assembly Police and ensure every effort needed to prevent violence,” said the United Nations High Commissioner Office for Human Rights.
Nine people were killed and hundreds of people were injured when the clash erupted throughout the country after the Rajapaksa loyalist attacked a peaceful protesters outside the President’s office in May.
Sri Lanka has failed to pay $ 51 billion external debt and has held bailout talks with international monetary funds.