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The Foreign Ministry on Thursday advised Israelis to avoid all non-essential travel to Sri Lanka amid political turmoil and violence in the country.
“Israeli nationals in Sri Lanka are advised to take into account the deteriorating economic situation resulting in fuel shortages, cooking gas and food shortages,” the State Department travel warning said.
“This situation may lead to further deterioration of the purchasing power of the authorities, which may lead to chaos in some parts of the country,” the warning said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has warned that leaving the country could be difficult due to uncertainty over flights leaving the capital, Colombo.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa left the country on Wednesday and declared a state of emergency in his place.
The president and prime minister were in talks on Thursday to hand over official buildings seized by anti-government protesters despite their resignations amid the economic crisis, opposition representatives said.
Protesters stormed Rajapaksa’s palace over the weekend and forced him to flee to the Maldives on Wednesday, while activists stormed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s office.
The prime minister, who named Rajapaksa acting president in his absence, called for the evacuation of government buildings and instructed security forces to “do whatever is necessary to restore order”.
A man throws back a bag of tear gas after police fired shots to disperse protesters in Colombo, Sri Lanka, July 9, 2022. (Amita Tennakon/AP)
A senior Buddhist monk supporting the campaign demanded that the 200-year-old presidential palace be handed over to the authorities and that its valuable art and artifacts be preserved.
Monk Omalpe Sobita told reporters, “This building is a national treasure and must be protected.” “A proper audit should be done and the property should be returned to the government.”
Hundreds of thousands have visited the compound since it was opened to the public after Rajapaksa fled and the security forces withdrew.
“There is a movement to return the buildings to the authorities,” an activist involved in the #GotaGoHome campaign told AFP.
A protester stands outside the official residence of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in Colombo, Sri Lanka on July 14, 2022. (Rafiq Maqbol/AP)
After thousands of people occupied the office in Colombo, he said in a televised speech: “Those who go to my office want to prevent me from fulfilling my duties as president.”
“We cannot allow the fascists to take over. That is why I have declared a nationwide emergency and curfew,” he added.
The curfew was lifted early on Thursday, but a soldier and a constable were injured in police clashes with protesters outside the National Parliament overnight.
Unlike other areas where the opposition has had spectacular success, the attempt on the legislature has been a hit.
About 85 people were admitted to the main hospital in Colombo with injuries on Wednesday, and one person died after being suffocated by a tear gas attack at the Prime Minister’s office.
An injured protester reacts in pain as he is taken to hospital by ambulance during a clash with police near Parliament in Colombo, Sri Lanka, July 13, 2022. (Rafiq Maqbol/AP)
Rajapaksa had promised to resign on Wednesday, but there was no announcement that he had done so.
He remained in the Maldives, reportedly waiting for a private jet to take him, his wife Yeoman and two of his bodyguards to Singapore.
Rajapaksa has been accused of mismanaging the economy, leaving its 22 million people in dire straits, with the country lacking foreign currency to finance even its most essential imports.
Sri Lanka defaulted on its $51 billion foreign debt in April and is in talks with the IMF.
As the island nearly ran out of oil, the government ordered the closure of non-essential offices and schools to conserve fuel.
Diplomatic sources said Rajapaksa’s attempt to get a US visa was rejected because he renounced his US citizenship before running for president in 2019.
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