Months of protests in Sri Lanka have culminated in the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa this week, however Sri Lanka still faces significant economic and political uncertainty in the aftermath of the unrest. The protests, which begun in the capital, Colombo, in April were provoked by a series of poor political decisions and economic mismanagement, resulting in daily power cuts, as well as shortages of basic needs such as food, fuel and medicine. The economic crisis has seen schools closed, with residents being encouraged to work from home to conserve supplies.

Following months of protests calling for the end of the Rajapaksa political dynasty, blaming them for the country’s economic collapse, President Rajapaksa fled to Singapore, appointing the equally unpopular Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as acting president. Swasthika Arulingam, one of the protest organisers explained in a statement that people are protesting to “send a very clear message to not only the executive but also the legislature — that we want you to do your job.”

Protesters have fervently defended the reputation of the movement as peaceful. The movement originated in candle-lit vigils and peaceful protests, recently climaxing in the takeover of several parliamentary buildings, including the President’s official residence. Although several protesters clashed with security forces upon entry, organisers have attempted to ease tensions, pulling out of occupied government buildings and assigning volunteers to clean up after the breach of protesters, taking care to leave the historic buildings intact. Buwanaka Perera, an organiser of the protest camp, explains that “we don’t want people to vandalise these places, nor do we want the state using vandalism as a reason to vilify us and the movement.” Despite these peaceful intentions, the movement has not been consistently non-violent, with Mr. Wickremesinghe’s residence being set ablaze, as well as substantial resistance from security forces. The United Nations condemned the response of authorities in a statement published earlier this month, reporting that tear gas and water cannons have been used in an “unnecessary and disproportionate manner.” The statement also reassured the right of Sri Lankans to participate in public affairs and peaceful assemblies, declaring that “they have a right to peacefully protest to demand a better life and an end to economic and social hardship.”

The recent protests and consequent political upheaval has been provoked by decades of economic and political mismanagement. Sri Lanka, with a population of 22 million people, was once heralded for its economic success, with one of the highest median incomes in South Asia. However, over-spending on its state sector, a large military, social welfare programs and construction projects has resulted in continuous loans and consequent foreign debt. The country owes more than $51b to foreign lenders, with inflation currently running at more than 50%. Foreign currency shortages instigated further poor political decision-making. In early 2021, The government attempted to limit these shortage by banning imports of chemical fertiliser, encouraging farmers to use locally sourced organic fertilisers. This resulted in widespread crop failure and food shortages, with Sri Lanka consequently having to import food stocks, exacerbating its foreign currency shortage.

Protests in Sri Lanka are ongoing, as the country moves towards selecting a new leader. Protesters state that the government requires a holistic restructure, rather than a modification in leadership, for effective change to occur. “Until the country gets new leadership and structural reforms that ensure that there would be no corruption, the problems will still be there. It is a difficult road ahead.” states Nishan de Mel, of Verité Research. The recent events in Sri Lanka are a significant example of the potential for peaceful movements to insight meaningful change, however whether these protests will successfully initiate an overhaul of the Sri Lankan government remains to be seen.