The people’s power can no longer be contained by the chains of corruption(COLOMBO); Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) strongly condemns the attempts of the President and the administration to stifle the constitutionally enshrined freedoms of expression and lawful assembly of the citizens through the use of emergency regulations, curfew and social media blackouts.TISL said that as an independent local organization that has been working in Sri Lanka for the past two decades with the mission to fight corruption, it stands in solidarity with the people across the country who are mobilizing independently against the corrupt in a non-violent manner.TISL notes that the current situation in the country has been caused by decades of misuse and mismanagement of public resources on a large scale, systemic corruption coupled with kleptocracy, and an overall lack of transparency and accountability in both governance as well as in the public service sector.The people have now delivered their message loud and clear.
The dormant voices of the people of this country have joined in unison to create a powerful shockwave that might have taken most of those in power by surprise.Sri Lankans should be vigilant at this point as chaos at the highest levels affords the opportunity for political maneuvering and for those with ulterior motives to rise to power.
This is as true in Sri Lanka as in other countries – in times of strife, those who rise to power can have further corrupt influence, devastating our beloved motherland.It is important to recognize the fact that Sri Lanka has been on this path to economic turmoil since gaining independence in 1948, due to corruption.