Island-wide curfew imposed

An island-wide curfew has been imposed until 5.00 a.m. tomorrow (July 14) by Acting President and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

The Prime Minister’s Office said an islandwide curfew has been imposed effective from 12 noon today (13) until 5.00 a.m. tomorrow.

The curfew order has been issued by virtue of the powers vested in the Prime Minister under section 16 of the Public Security Ordinance (Chapter 40) and directs that no person shall be on any public road, railway, public park, public recreation ground or other public ground or the seashore in such areas during this period. 

Earlier today, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, as the Acting President, had ordered to impose a curfew in the Western Province and a state of emergency island-wide. 

He also ordered the security forces to arrest those engaging in unruly behaviour and to take into custody the vehicles they travel in, the PM’s Office had said in a statement.

The move came as thousands of angry protesters gathered outside the PM’s office, and several other locations in Colombo this morning.

Protesters later stormed the prime minister’s office, demanding the country’s leaders step down after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa left for Maldives and named Wickremesinghe as Acting President.