Good morning. Today, we explain what led to Sri Lanka's recent protests. |
 | | Protesters overtaking the prime minister's office in Colombo, Sri Lanka.Atul Loke for The New York Times |
|
Sri Lanka's recent upheaval offers an extreme example of the world's recent problems. Covid disrupted the country's major industries, particularly tourism, and then leaders failed to adapt — setting off a chain of economic calamities, including food and fuel shortages. The crisis prompted protests, culminating in the president's resignation and the installation of a new president on Wednesday. |
My colleague Emily Schmall has been reporting on Sri Lanka. I spoke to her about the country's crisis. |
What led Sri Lanka to this point? |
For the past six months or so, economic conditions for everyday Sri Lankans have grown increasingly difficult. Things like fuel and cooking gas became increasingly expensive and hard to find, and inflation soared. New government import bans meant goods from overseas like chocolate and coffee beans disappeared. |
In Sri Lanka, there's a sizable middle class. People are not used to scarcity, so they noticed immediately when things started disappearing from shelves. People were upset about that. And the ability to carry on became all but impossible in the last month or so. |
Eventually, protesters took over the presidential palace. How did that happen? |
It began with the protesters marching toward the president's mansion on July 9. Government officials tear-gassed them and fired live rounds around them. This infuriated people. A few commandeered a military truck and used it to break down the gate. Hundreds of people then flooded in and found this place essentially abandoned — the president had fled, and there was nobody stopping them from going inside. Then, they did the same at Temple Trees, the prime minister's official residence. |
But the protesters didn't ransack the place. They started inviting the public to come in, but in an orderly fashion. Activists were forcing people to queue properly. They treated these homes like museums. They were concerned about not damaging any property. |
After about 24 hours, a gleefulness overtook the place, and some people swam in the president's pool. They'd done it: They had forced this extremely powerful president — who was accused of war crimes, who was feared — to leave his own home and even the country. But they did it peacefully, without taking up arms. |
So it was an atmosphere of joy and disbelief, with a bit of absurdity and a bit of comedy thrown in — a very Sri Lankan sort of revolution, relatively low-key and polite. |
I can't help but compare this to the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. This seemed much more peaceful. |
Oh, yeah. I couldn't help thinking of it either. |
There were several differences. For one, these people were not armed. It was also a bit spontaneous, and there was no clear leader. They did not do it in association with any politician or political party. |
But the big difference was that these protesters had widespread support. Ordinary Sri Lankans were applauding them and even participating. People who would otherwise never be involved in activism or protests were happily wandering around the properties, enjoying themselves and basking in the success of this movement. |
In the U.S., we've had inflation and supply shortages recently. But this sounds like a whole different level of problems. |
Yes. So in the U.S., Americans have complained about fuel prices. By contrast, Sri Lanka ran out of fuel. It's not just that it was expensive; it was impossible to find. |
 | | A line for fuel in Sri Lanka in May. Atul Loke for The New York Times |
|
How did the government react? |
Until several months in, there was really no government recognition of the crisis. The dynast Gotabaya Rajapaksa was leading the administration at the time, and he had appointed his brothers and his nephew to his cabinet. He didn't take a lot of counsel from outside his family. |
There was a lot of denialism among them. They were told repeatedly that the economy was deteriorating. But they were certain tourism would continue to increase after Covid and that would be enough to shore up finances. But that didn't happen; tourism was starting to come back, but it wasn't enough. |
I was surprised that so much of the country was run by this one family. Is that unusual in Sri Lankan history? |
It was strange even for Sri Lanka. |
There are a number of families in politics. Rajapaksa was defense secretary when his brother was president from 2005 to 2015. |
But this administration was an extremely brazen example. The Sri Lankan government increasingly looked like a family business. And it was run that way: a lot of secrecy, not much transparency, not many outsiders. The family tried to benefit from the policies the government was imposing. |
Does the new government have the people's trust? |
Protesters are not happy with Ranil Wickremesinghe, the new president. They feel that his takeover reaffirms the Rajapaksas' influence because he represents the establishment and because he appointed a friend of the Rajapaksa family as his prime minister. |
What's next for Sri Lanka? |
In the short term, we probably will see continued turmoil. But people are invested in ensuring Sri Lanka doesn't fall again into this situation where it's teetering on autocracy, where there's little transparency and where the will of the people is ignored. So it's mostly a positive story. |
More on Emily Schmall: She grew up in DeKalb, Ill., and once had a job detasseling corn. She decided to become a journalist in high school. She began her career at The Miami Herald in 2005 and joined the New Delhi bureau at The Times in 2020. |
Related: Amid the chaos, Sri Lankans found refuge in cricket. |
 | | People in line to receive the monkeypox vaccine in San Francisco last week.Jessica Christian/San Francisco Chronicle via Associated Press |
|
- The Georgia prosecutor investigating Donald Trump's attempts to overturn his election loss has accelerated her case in recent weeks.
- Trump allies have sought to undermine the women who have testified against him.
- A man suspected in an attack on Representative Lee Zeldin, the Republican candidate for New York governor, was arrested on a federal assault charge.
|
 | | Destruction near the steel plant in Mariupol, Ukraine.Pavel Klimov/Reuters |
|
- "On the verge of madness": The 80-day siege at a steel plant in Ukraine brought misery and death on both sides.
- As the gunman in the 2018 Parkland, Fla., school massacre awaits sentencing, a victim's parents considered whether they supported the death penalty.
- A wildfire in California destroyed 10 structures and threatened thousands more.
|
- Ron DeSantis is exposing the limits of Donald Trump's strategy, Ross Douthat writes.
- Self-censorship is taking root in publishing, Pamela Paul argues.
- Russ Roberts explains how to make a decision when there's no "right" one.
|
The Sunday question: Is the Justice Department doing enough to hold Donald Trump accountable for the Jan. 6 riots? |
While the department has been silent so far about whether officials view Trump as criminally liable, a failure to act could damage the public's confidence in law enforcement, Quinta Jurecic and Natalie K. Orpett of Lawfare argue. But critics are wrong to rush the work of prosecutors, who have a higher burden of proof than the House committee investigating the attack, Harry Litman writes in The Los Angeles Times. |
Our journalism is possible only with the support of subscribers. Access all the news and analysis from our experts with The New York Times Basic Access subscription. Subscribe today. |
 | | Jordi Ruiz Cirera for The New York Times |
|
Sunday routine: A resident of a Jersey Shore tent colony starts her day with a sunrise walk to the beach. |
Pilates: Is the workout as good as everyone says? |
Advice from Wirecutter: Before you spring for an expensive outdoor movie screen, consider a simple white bedsheet. |
 | | "Lore Olympus," by Rachel Smythe, is a retelling of Greek myth.Rachel Smythe/Webtoon |
|
New readers: Web comics are attracting a fresh audience of young women. |
By the Book: Ruth Ware doesn't think you need to finish her books if you don't want to. |
Our editors' picks: "Circus of Dreams," a former editor's tales of the 1980s London literary scene, and 12 other books. |
The Book Review podcast: CJ Hauser talks about her new essay collection, "The Crane Wife." |
| THE SUNDAY TIMES MAGAZINE |
 | | A pro-Trump demonstration outside the Pennsylvania Capitol on Nov. 7, 2020.Mark Peterson/Redux, for The New York Times |
|
Recommendation: Deafness can bring a community and an escape. "I consider myself fortunate to have been given this ability to turn off the sound." |
 | | Bobbi Lin for The New York Times |
|
121 Across: Split, then come together? |
Take the news quiz to see how well you followed the week's headlines. |
Thanks for spending part of your weekend with The Times. — German |
Matthew Cullen, Claire Moses, Tom Wright-Piersanti and Ashley Wu contributed to The Morning. You can reach the team at themorning@nytimes.com. |
|
