Thread by @Economynext

A conference was held by the #SriLanka's lawyers against repression.

#SLNews #LKA #AlertSL

"We don't encourage violence but we have to be determined and strong," says Geoffrey Alagaratnam of the President's Council.

Geoffrey Alagaratnam of the President's Council said, "The #Aragalaya has done very well not violent, peaceful and non-political unfortunately somewhere down the line it got diluted." #SLNews #LKA

Geoffrey Alagaratnam of the President's Council said, "The #Aragalaya stands for a system change, they did not merely ask for the #Rajapaksa's to go home it asked for the 225 to go home."

"We have elected some of the biggest crooks and rogues, we have made national heroes out of common criminals, we are to blame and its time we change it. That's what the #Aragalaya stood for, it asks for a united country without division of any sort," Geoffrey Alagaratnam. #SLNews

"We have 30% minorities, we have 52% ladies and we have no representation of ladies in @ParliamentLK, minorities are being attacked," Geoffrey Alagaratnam. #SLNews

"Many in the field have sold their independence for political kick," Geoffrey Alagaratnam. #SLNews

.@MASumanthiran said, "Whenever there was repression the lawyers sprung into action as we saw from March or April this year when people were arrested on an incident." #SLNews

.@MASumanthiran said, "The Bar Association is conscious of its role and now we are into a phase where this state repression and is entering its second phase is going to be insidious." #SLNews

.@MASumanthiran said, "We are in the midst of #Aragalaya, which we should appreciate as one of the best to happen in the world ever, we need to be conscious and defend that. There are elements that are trying to create a narrative."

.@MASumanthiran said, "Nowhere in the world has a protest movement achieved this much without violence, the violence or what we have seen sometimes were not by the protestors in any case negligible compared to what they were able to achieve anywhere in the world." #SLNews

.@MASumanthiran said, "A parliament that enjoyed 2/3 majority and the President who was elected to with a majority of votes had been sent out through peaceful protests." #SLNews

.@MASumanthiran says, "The narrative of the government now, which came into office on the back of the #Aragalaya, President @RW_UNP would have never become President if not for the #Aragalaya and as long as that was achieved the #Aragalaya was good for him." #SLNews

"On the 9th of May, an official tweet from UNP said that they condemn the violence on the #GalleFace protestors and he says you must not use Emergency powers to suppress that, he threatens the government that he will withdraw from supporting the then government." -@MASumanthiran

.@MASumanthiran - "What was the condition you must not touch the #GalleFace protestors and was my condition on why I accepted this post said @RW_UNP, quite laughable after we see what happens thereafter." #SLNews

.@MASumanthiran - "On the 22nd of July there was a serious assault in #GalleFace in early hours of the morning and on the 9th of May that happened during broad daylight in full view of the public and carried out by thugs and that was what @RW_UNP protested about." #SLNews

.@MASumanthiran - "On the 22nd of July the protestors were not attacked by thugs but by security forces of the state, compare the two. He objected May 09 but ordered the July 22 and the elite are very pleased." #SLNews

.@MASumanthiran - "The Colombo Elite will be very happy when they have gas and petrol and diesel. But lawyers look beyond that, they look at state repression and what the state is doing and must not fall for false narratives. Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty." #SLNews

.@MASumanthiran says the lawyers that protests would continue as the economic crisis continues. #SLNews #EconomicCrisisLK

#SriLanka's lawyers stated that ever since @RW_UNP was appointed as #President, 44 protestors have been arrested over the first two weeks of his reign. #SLNews