No plans to remove Gotagogama

By Yoshitha Perera

There are no plans to remove the protesters at Galle Face green "Gotagogama" who are engaged in peaceful protests, Army Commander General Shavendra Silva said. 

He said no one could harm peaceful public demonstrations and if people tried to create violence, at that point the Government has to take action. 

He made this statement after appearing before the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) to provide a statement regarding the tense situation that occurred on  Monday (09). 

"As commander of the Army, I was summoned only to learn a few facts about the public unrest that took place on Monday. HRCSL officials advised the relevant parties to provide a report regarding the incident," he said. 

Commenting on deploying military vehicles within Colombo city, General Silva added Army is carrying out security measures at a time when curfew has been imposed in the country. "People should not be afraid of that," he said. 

He further noted that the prevailing curfew will be lifted tomorrow morning considering the situation in the country. 

"No serious incidents were reported during the day. We urge the people to continue to work peacefully," he said.

However, police informed the 'Gota Go Gama' protesters in Galle Face Green through loudspeakers this evening to disperse from the location citing both Emergency and curfew regulations which are currently effective in the country.