A State Department spokesman from Bangkok noted that the new government of Sri Lanka must “act quickly to identify and implement solutions that will ensure long-term economic stability and alleviate the dissatisfaction of the Sri Lankan population with deteriorating economic conditions, especially the lack of electricity, food and fuel.

He stressed that “the people of Sri Lanka have the right to peacefully raise their voices and we call for a full investigation, arrest and trial of all those involved in any violent protest-related incidents.” Commenting on Sri Lanka’s President Gotabay Rajapaksa’s willingness to step down, he urged the Sri Lankan parliament to take action in light of “the desire to improve the lot of the nation, not the status of a political party per se”.

Rajapaksa agreed to step down next week after fleeing his official headquarters in the capital Colombo yesterday Saturday before angry demonstrators stormed the presidential complex and neighboring presidential offices in protest at the unprecedented economic crisis that the the country has been a witness for several months.