Foreign missions stress need to safeguard people’s right to peaceful protest

• US Ambassador says right to protest peacefully essential for democratic expression
• EU Mission urges Govt. to safeguard democratic rights of citizens
• German Ambassador says people demonstrating for their rights is no emergency
• Canadian High Commissioner opines that freedom of expression, right to peaceful protest fundamental to success of any democracy 

US Ambassador Julie Chang joined several other heads of missions in Colombo to call on the Government to respect the people’s right to peaceful  protests.

“Sri Lankans have a right to protest peacefully – essentially for democratic expression. I am watching the situation closely, and hope the coming days bring restraint from all sides, as well as much-needed economic stability and relief for those suffering,” Ambassador Chang said on Twitter.

The Office of the European Union expressed concern over the state of emergency and strongly urged Sri Lankan authorities to safeguard democratic rights of all citizens, including the right to free assembly and dissent, which has to be peaceful. “Challenging times for Sri Lankan people – EU continues to follow situation closely,” the EU office in Colombo said.

The German Ambassador in Colombo  Holger Seubert associated himself with the sentiments of the EU and added that people demonstrating for their rights is no emergency. “It’s the emergency that brings them to the streets,” he said.

The Canadian High Commissioner in Colombo David McKinnon said that the freedom of expression and the right to peaceful protest are fundamental to the success of any democracy, including Sri Lanka’s. “The free exchange of ideas is also how solutions to challenges will be found,” he said on Twitter.