Sri Lankans regrets Independence Day pomp

• Sri Lankans protest against military parade to honor independence from British colonial control.
• Many Christian and Buddhist clergy in Colombo announced a boycott of the celebration.
• Catholic priest Cyril Gamini called this year’s ceremony a “crime and waste”.

At a time when the nation is going through a severe economic crisis, Sri Lankans have protested in the capital city of Colombo against the government’s intention to organize an ostentatious military parade to honor 75 years of independence from British colonial control.

Many Christian and Buddhist clergy in Colombo announced a boycott of the celebration on Saturday, while activists and others expressed outrage at what they saw as a waste of money.

Despite the criticism, armed soldiers marched through the city’s main promenade while displaying military hardware while navy ships floated in the harbor and helicopters and aero planes flew over it. In 1948, Sri Lanka became a sovereign nation.

“Given inflation, given increasing costs, given the way the local currency devalued … ordinary Sri Lankans are struggling to make ends meet. And at a time like this when you have a celebration that people have heard is costing so many thousands of dollars, they are not happy,” said Media.

“The president himself a few months ago did go on record about austerity measures, on the need to tighten the collective belt of the country to ensure that costs are brought down, he warned of the difficult road ahead … but at the same time, you find him saying that they have to celebrate Independence Day because people will otherwise think that the country is unable to even do that,” Fernandez added, reporting from Colombo.

Catholic priest Cyril Gamini called this year’s ceremony a “crime and waste”.

“We ask the government what independence they are going to proudly celebrate by spending a sum of 200 million rupees ($548,000),” said Gamini, adding the Catholic Church does not condone spending public money on the celebration and that no priest would attend the ceremony.

According to a report released on Friday by the UN agency for children, the economic crisis has forced nearly one-third of Sri Lankans to seek humanitarian aid.

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