Video duration 24 minutes 15 seconds
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has again declared a state of emergency.
The island nation of Sri Lanka is in crisis. Food and fuel shortages have been going on for weeks and power cuts have become the new norm.
Many say they are struggling to make ends meet and they blame the government for mishandling the economic situation by calling on President Gotabya Rajapaksa to resign.
On Friday there was a general strike that shut down much of the country.
In response, the president’s office re-imposed a state of emergency, saying it was necessary to “ensure public order.”
But what brought the nation into this unprecedented situation?
Presenter: Adrian Finighan
Guests:
Bhavani Fonseka – Senior Researcher and Attorney at the Center for Policy Alternatives
Ahilan Kadirgamar – Political Economist and Senior Lecturer at the University of Jaffna
Jehan Perera – Executive Director of the National Peace Council of Sri Lanka