Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Melanie Joly, stressed the need for urgent political and economic reform in Sri Lanka.

Referring to the protests on 9 July, Joly tweeted that “Canada supports a peaceful, constitutional path forward that supports urgent action on economic and political reform.”

On 9 July, demonstrators stormed the President’s official residence and set the Prime Minister’s home ablaze. As a result of the protests, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe agreed to resign. Whilst President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has attempted to flee the island.

The July 9th protests in Sri Lanka were a clear expression of the desire for a better Sri Lanka. Canada supports a peaceful, constitutional path forward that supports urgent action on economic and political reform. 1/2

— Mélanie Joly (@melaniejoly) July 12, 2022

Joly highlights that the demonstrations were a clear indication of a “desire for a better Sri Lanka.”

In the past few months, Sri Lanka has seen a rise in anti-government protests in response to the ongoing economic crisis. Activists have criticized the movement for neglecting the demands of Eelam Tamils. They have highlighted that without demilitarization in the North-East or accountability for war crimes, a better Sri Lanka for everyone will not be possible.

In a further tweet, Joly denounced violence against journalists and peaceful protesters, emphasizing that “the right to protest peacefully must be upheld.”

Violence against peaceful protestors and journalists is unacceptable and those responsible must be held accountable. The right to protest peacefully must be upheld. 2/2

— Mélanie Joly (@melaniejoly) July 12, 2022

In a statement, the Sri Lankan army admitted to opening fire during the protests that took place on Saturday. Footage was also captured by demonstrators depicting security forces brutalizing both protesters and journalists.