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Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe thanked navy commander Vice Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne for breaking up a protest in the weekend and 'rescuing' two ships that were boarded by demonstrators.
Mr Wickremesinghe 'expressed his gratitude to the Navy Commander and the entire staff' reports Lanka Business Online, after a bill of $400,000 US dollars was sent to the Sri Lankan government by the shipping company for the forcible detention of the vessel.
The prime minister went on to reveal that the decision to forcibly remove the protestors was made after discussion with senior government officials.
“At this instance I discussed with the President and Defence Secretary and thereafter called on the Navy to launch an operation to save these vessels,” Mr Wickremesinghe said. "Because they have to hand over the harbour to the new Company on January seventh.”
The navy commander has come under criticism after footage emerged of him assaulting a journalist covering the protest.