Sri Lanka's food emergency heightens fears of militarization

Critics accuse President Rajapaksa of endangering country's democracy

Sri Lanka's President Gotabaya Rajapaksa attends an independence day ceremony in Colombo on Feb. 4, 2020. © Reuters

MUNZA MUSHTAQ, Contributing Writer

September 6, 2021 11:35 JST

COLOMBO -- Sri Lanka's political opposition, importers and traders are up in arms after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa last week declared a state of emergency, allowing his government to dictate retail prices for essential food items and seize stocks from traders, as the country's foreign reserves dry up.