Protest site receives Christmas carnival makeover

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s military is holding a Christmas carnival at the seafront site of an anti-government protest that forced the country’s previous president to flee and quit office earlier this year.

Thousands marched in Sri Lanka’s largest city and set up a tented protest camp in April amid anger at the government’s handling of a severe economic crisis. Protesters named the site “Gota Go Gama”, a dig at former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa who was forced to resign in July.

This week Sri Lanka’s powerful military converted the site adjacent to the presidential office into a Christmasthemed carnival ground with a large artificial Christmas tree, a bus featuring carol singers and dog shows.

Sri Lanka descended into its worst economic crisis in seven decades this year after its foreign exchange reserves ran dry, leading to shortages of essentials, including food and fuel, which stoked widespread unrest culminating in Mr Rajapaksa’s exit.

Pakiasothy Saravanamuttu, executive director of Colombo-based thinktank Centre for Policy Alternatives, said the celebrations at the former protest site were a show of strength by the government of President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who took over after his predecessor quit.

“First and foremost, it wants to establish that it is very much in control and that this was the headquarters of the great Aragalaya, they have reclaimed the space,” Mr Saravanamuttu said, referring to the name of the protest movement.

Brig Nilantha Premaratne, a military spokesperson, said the location was chosen because it was a gathering area popular during the festive season.

“There is no other special reason,” he said.

Sri Lanka reached a preliminary deal with the IMF for a US$2.9 billion (100 billion baht) bailout in September, and Mr Wickremesinghe has warned tough economic reforms are necessary.

But activist Thiridu Uduwagedera said the Wickremesinghe administration did not have popular support to hold the celebrations at “Gota Go Gama”.

“People will certainly continue the fight until we get rid of this government,” he said.