After a sharp increase in the price of key commodities and the resulting shortages prompted tens of thousands of people to line for hours, Sri Lanka’s military has ordered soldiers to be stationed at hundreds of petrol stations to assist in the distribution of fuel.
The island nation in the Indian Ocean is dealing with a foreign exchange crisis that has caused it to devalue its currency and disrupted payments for crucial imports such as food, medicine, and fuel, prompting the government to seek assistance from the International Monetary Fund.
Officials stated on Tuesday that the decision to station troops outside gas pumps and kerosene supply points was made after three elderly persons died while waiting in long lines.
“At least two army personnel will be deployed at every fuel pump,” military spokesman Nilantha Premaratne told Reuters news agency, adding that the soldiers would help organise fuel distribution, but would not be involved in crowd control.
The move was a response to complaints of stockpiling and inefficient distribution, said government spokesman Ramesh Pathirana.
“The military has been deployed to help the public, not to curtail their human rights,” he added.
Tensions over a lack of supplies have resulted in sporadic violence among locals attempting to purchase petrol and other necessities.
According to police, a man was stabbed to death in a dispute with the driver of a three-wheeled vehicle on Monday, and three elderly men died last week while queuing for gas in the stifling heat.
“Tempers are getting frayed as queues get longer,” a top defence official told AFP news agency on condition of anonymity.
“A decision was made [Monday] night to call out soldiers to reinforce the police. This is to discourage any unrest.”
Military officials said soldiers were stationed at Ceylon Petroleum Corporation pumping stations, which account for two-thirds of the country’s 22 million people’s fuel retail operations.
Images uploaded on social media on Monday showed a group of enraged ladies blocking a coach carrying tourists in protest of kerosene shortages needed for kitchen burners.
According to police, people camped up overnight at a number of gas stations to wait for diesel and gasoline sales.
The office of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa organised a Wednesday meeting of all political parties to discuss the economic situation, but opposition organisations stated they would boycott it.
The financial crisis in Sri Lanka is caused by a serious shortage of foreign money, which prevents traders from financing imports.
The COVID-19 outbreak slowed the island’s tourism industry, which is a major source of foreign cash, and remittances from Sri Lankans working abroad have also dropped significantly.
Last Monday, Rajapaksa indicated that the Lanka will seek IMF assistance.
Shortages have disrupted practically every area of daily life, with authorities postponing term assessments for millions of students last week due to a shortage of paper and ink.
