The Sri Lankan security forces have carried out a spate of arrests in recent days, as activists have been pulled off buses and even dragged off planes in a crackdown on anti-government protest organisers.
The arrests come as Sri Lanka’s parliament approved the extension of tough emergency laws imposed by the newly-appointed president Ranil Wickremesinghe. It was passed through by 120 votes to 63, and grants the security forces greater powers to detain people, limit public gatherings and search private property.
On Tuesday, Sri Lanka’s Criminal Investigation Department boarded a plane that was moments away from taking off to Dubai and dragged out Dhanish Ali, an organiser involved on leading the recent protests in Colombo. Dramatic footage captured by fellow passengers, shows plainclothes officers detaining Ali, who produced before Colombo Fort Magistrate and remanded until August 5.
BREAKING: Dhaniz Ali, a social activist involved in recent protest campaign was arrested & forcibly dragged off a flight by plainclothes men, believed to be officers attached to #SriLanka’s Criminal Investigation Dept. a short while ago at #Colombo International Airport. pic.twitter.com/BS72bXpt4k
— JDS (@JDSLanka) July 26, 2022
A day earlier, five activists who were reportedly at the forefront of recent protests, were subjected to a travel ban by Colombo Magistrate‘s Court, according to JDS Lanka.
On Wednesday, student activist Veranga Pushpika was pulled off a bus by plainclothes men, shortly after attending a trade union protest. Sri Lankan police officers later confirmed that he was being held on unlawful assembly charges.
We just saw Veranga at the trade union protest. He's in this photo.
— Amalini (@Amaliniii) July 27, 2022
6 men in civilian clothes stopped the 138 bus he had gotten onto in Fort. They pulled him off the bus right in Fort itself. He was put into a blue Police jeep and abducted. #lka #SriLanka https://t.co/8o5w5LlSn1 pic.twitter.com/DQI6VJZmCo
They went on to confirm that Kusal Sandaruwan, an activist who was filmed counting an estimated Rs. 17,850,000 in cash found at Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s residence before he handed it over to police, had been arrested on similar charges.
That same day, a church in Ratnapura was raided by Sri Lankan security forces reportedly searching for Fr. Amila Jeewantha Peiris, who had also been involved with protests calling for Rajapaksa to resign as Sri Lanka’s president.
Meanwhile in Colombo, police visited the offices of the Xposure News group and reportedly inquired into journalists who had been covering the protests.
And on Thursday, Pathum Kerner, a social media activist who had also been involved in the protests, was reportedly arrested by the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD).
The detentions come just days after Ranil Wickremesinghe was voted by lawmakers as Sri Lanka’s next president.