Sri Lanka has been rocked by economic protests that have forced its president out of power and thrown the South Asian country into chaos. Here’s a quick guide to what’s going on. Why are people protesting? An economic crisis hitting Sri Lanka has been years in the making, analysts say, with a series of government decisions compounded by external shocks. Over the past decade, the Sri Lankan government has borrowed huge sums of money from foreign lenders to fund public services. This borrowing spree has coincided with a series of hammer blows to the Sri Lankan economy, from natural disasters — such as heavy monsoons — to man-made disasters, including a government ban on chemical fertilizers that decimated farmers’ crops. Facing a huge deficit, Rajapaksa cut taxes in a doomed attempt to stimulate the economy. But the move failed, instead hitting government revenue. What happened in the last few days? Protests have been escalating in Sri Lanka since March, when public anger erupted in the streets over rising food costs, fuel shortages and power cuts as the country struggled to repay debt. Over the weekend, tens of thousands of protesters gathered outside the president’s office and residence before breaking through security cordons. Dramatic footage shows protesters swimming in the president’s private pool. Sri Lankan armed forces took Rajapaksa to a navy ship minutes before protesters stormed his residence, a senior military source told CNN on Sunday. Then on Wednesday, he left the country with his wife and landed in the Maldives. Who is in charge now? Rajapaksa was to formally resign on Wednesday, officials said, after an emergency meeting called by Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abewardena. Wickremesinghe tweeted that he was resigning “to ensure the continuation of government, including the safety of all citizens”. But he left the country before officially resigning. He then appointed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to assume the role of president. What’s next? The protesters want the entire government to step down, and there is no sign of the unrest stopping unless that happens. “We want to warn President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the Prime Minister and the entire government that the 13th day is the last day to be in power,” protest organizer Father Jeevantha Peiris said on Tuesday. “Hundreds of protesters are already approaching Colombo right now. If such a change does not take place by tomorrow, the struggle of the peoples that led to this revolution will be demonstrated again, through protests, strict actions and popular power.”
