Sri Lanka Govt lifts State of Emergency

The state of emergency in Sri Lanka was lifted on Saturday, nearly two weeks after it was declared across the island nation in response to enormous economic and anti-government protests. Embattled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa of Sri Lanka announced a state of emergency on May 6, midnight, for the second time in just over a month, following escalating anti-government protests across the country over the economic crisis.

According to Hiru News, the Presidential Secretariat announced that the state of emergency has been revoked as of Friday midnight. The decision was made in order to enhance the island nation's law and order condition. The state of emergency allowed police and security personnel the authority to arrest and imprison anyone at will.

The president's decision to declare an emergency came after weeks of rallies calling for his resignation and accusing the government of mismanaging the island nation's economy, which had already been damaged by the virus.

In conflicts between pro-and anti-government protesters, nine people were murdered and nearly 200 were injured. Sri Lanka is in the midst of its biggest economic crisis since its 1948 independence from the United Kingdom. A lack of foreign currency has contributed to the issue, since the country has been unable to pay for imports of basic goods and gasoline, resulting in severe shortages and exorbitant costs.