After a day of riots that killed seven people and injured more than 200, Sri Lanka’s military and police were given emergency powers on Tuesday to hold people without warrants, prompting Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa to resign. Thousands of demonstrators disobeyed curfew to assault government figures, burning fire to homes, stores, and businesses belonging to ruling party parliamentarians and provincial politicians as the Indian Ocean nation suffers its worst economic crisis in history.
Over the last two days, a number of properties belonging to ruling party politicians have been vandalised and set on fire, while government sympathisers have also been targeted.
According to an Army spokesman, the Ministry of Defence has ordered the tri-forces to shoot fire on anyone plundering public property or harming others.
