spring

On the Colombo seafront, the gates of the presidential offices, knocked down a year ago by angry mobs, have been straightened. Under the monsoon showers, order reigns in these beautiful neighborhoods. Those who waved the Sri Lankan flag in the streets and dreamed of changing the system were muzzled, and their movement, called Aragalaya (“the struggle” in Sinhalese), was put down. Until when ? The protesters swear not to have said their last word.

“We changed the history of Sri Lanka”

In April 2022, Sri Lanka fell into an abyssal economic crisis and declared itself bankrupt. The people rumbled, accusing President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his family clan of having precipitated the disaster, in nepotism and corruption. On July 9, after months of protests on the Galle Face esplanade, a human tide invaded the buildings of power, pushing the president to flee the country.“It was surrealsmiles Buwanaka Perera, a young organizer turned editor for the Groundviews citizen site. I was sitting with my comrades on the bed in the president’s room and we were watching the images of his escape on his television. We had won! Gotabaya resigned. We have changed the history of Sri Lanka. »

But if the decried president was ousted, it was a close relative of his family clan, Ranil Wickremesinghe, who took the reins of the country in crisis. To impose his austerity program, the new president cracked down on Aragalaya on the spot. “He also suspended a planned election, which is legal but very concerning.denounces Ruki Fernando, human rights defender. His presidency was marked by repression, with the use of a special law against demonstrators, and the plan to introduce an even more draconian one. »

Water cannons, tear gas and arrests dispersed the crowds. In the grip of economic difficulties, the middle class has disengaged and the streets have become silent again. “The government has launched a lawsuit against 200 protestersunderlines the lawyer Nuwan Bopage, a figure of the challenge and himself indicted. Security forces have prevented more than 50 rallies since last summer, flouting freedom of expression. » This lawyer is the face of a civic battle that is also being played out in court.

“Sri Lankans are more critical”

The Aragalaya marked the spirits, in particular those of young people. This movement provoked debates in a divided society, controlled by a Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism in denial of the atrocities perpetrated during the civil war. “We refuse racism and oppression, and want to revisit our history”, loose Swastika Arulingam, lawyer and activist. “Sri Lankans are more critical and question the official discourse”, comment Buwanaka Perera.

In the immediate term, the actors of Aragalaya must counter the allegations of the political class which portray them as individuals ” dangerous “, “fascists” or “disturbers”. “This propaganda destabilizes usadmits Melani Gunathilaka, from climate activism. We are non-partisan and come from different causes, but our strategy is to stay united and resilient. »

An information war is at work. Bringing together civil society, unions and students, Aragalaya is consolidating its presence on social networks. “We are setting up independent studios and media to provide better information. We are also developing our support network in the country, taking care not to appoint a leader in order to remain elusive”, reveals Anuruddha Bandara, one of the young leaders. All are anticipating a new Sri Lankan spring. “The economy will collapse even more and people will take to the streets againhe continues. And this time we will be ready. »