Former President of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe today expressed deep concern over the situation in Kathmandu, Nepal, condemning the recent violence and calling for the restoration of peace and stability in the country.
“First of all, I condemn all kinds of killings, including those of the youth that has occurred in Nepal. Similarly, the burning of the former Prime Minister’s house and the killing of the former Prime Minister’s wife is an extremely sad situation. I express my condolences over that murder,” he said issuing a special statement.
He further noted that the attacks on ministers, particularly the Foreign Minister, were a continuation of the tragedy, emphasizing that women’s rights had been gravely violated and that such acts had tarnished Nepal’s international reputation.
The former president said the situation in Kathmandu “should not have gone this far” and that the shooting by the police was an “unacceptable course of action”.
Citing reports, he said the unrest could have been controlled without gunfire on the very first day and warned of the dangers of such developments escalating further.
He also highlighted the influence of global social media platforms, saying:
“The opportunity that American owned Social Media companies like Google, Facebook, and YouTube have presented to overthrow governments in countries around the world cannot be underestimated.”
Wickremesinghe argued that Nepal’s crisis stemmed from long-standing issues that were neglected while politicians focused on day-to-day politics.
“Everyone was focused on day-to-day politics according to the South Asian tradition, without finding solutions to the acute problems. This has caused great frustration among the younger generation.”
The decision to impose a complete social media ban, instead of addressing the root causes, he said, had triggered widespread frustration among the youth.
He strongly condemned the burning of Nepal’s Parliament and court buildings, describing it as “a great disrespect to Nepal’s democracy.”
He further added: “However, in the end, what was left was a Nepal without a constitution. It is the responsibility of the military that took power to establish peace in the country and hold elections according to the constitution.”
Reflecting on Sri Lanka’s historic ties with Nepal, he noted that as the birthplace of the Buddha, Nepal holds a special place. He condemned the violence as “barbaric acts” which cannot be tolerated in such a country.
“It is possible to think that the incompetence shown in state governance has also led to this situation,” he noted.
Quoting the teaching of Buddha, Wickremesinghe urged Nepal’s current leaders to follow a path of harmony.
“The Buddha preached to gather in harmony, discuss in harmony, and disperse in harmony. I hope that the current government in Nepal will take the “සප්ත අපරිහානී ධර්මය” preached by the Buddha as a model,” he said in conclusion.
