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Sri Lankan soldiers have been deployed to petrol stations across the island in order to “discourage any unrest” after at least two deaths have been reported in fuel queues, as the island’s economic crisis spirals.
Troops from Sri Lanka’s infamous Special Task Force were amongst those deployed in Jaffna yesterday, as queues or fuel across the island continued.
Sri Lankan government spokesman Ramesh Pathirana claimed that the soldiers had been deployed “to help the public, not to curtail their human rights”. The military stands accused of a host of human rights abuses, with crimes committed by the armed forces the subject of several UN reports.
“At least two army personnel will be deployed at every fuel pump,” military spokesman Nilantha Premaratne told Reuters.
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“Tempers are getting frayed as queues get longer,” a top defence official told AFP news agency on condition of anonymity. “A decision was made [Monday] night to call out soldiers to reinforce the police. This is to discourage any unrest.”
The decision to send in the military comes as the economic crisis on the island worsens. Queues have been reported across the island for basic goods such as fuel and cooking gas. The length of the queues has led to several women fainting and at least two deaths so far.