Sri Lankans are facing a humanitarian crisis - their economy has collapsed, fuel and medicines are running out and there is a real threat of food insecurity for large portions of the population.

We are a coalition of Sri Lankans living in Lanka, Australia and around the world. We are calling on the IMF and World Bank to immediately cancel all principal and interest charges due to the deadly economic toll of COVID-19 lockdowns in poor countries. 

Sri Lanka has defaulted on its debt payment for the first time in its history. Contrary to the disinformation in global media, it is actually Euro-American based International Sovereign Bond (ISB) traders, whose names are kept secret that are mainly responsible for the default this time. They make up the shadowy international financial system where black money is parked in offshore accounts.

Other bilateral donors such as Japan, China, and India have all indicated willingness to delay debt payment and donated food, fuel and medicine to the island nation.

While the return of stolen assets by the ruling Rajapaksa family is vital, there is an even greater need for DEBT JUSTICE through DEBT CANCELLATION - what we certainly don’t need is IMF bailouts that only work to make the global 1% richer and more powerful.

During Covid-19, we have already seen the greatest transfer of wealth in human history from the bottom of the economic ladder to the top. The poorest in the Global South have suffered the most. Please help Sri Lankans chart a sustainable way out of this crisis - sign and share this petition for debt justice.

The default would enable the IMF and other foreign ‘advisors’ to effectively takeover Sri Lanka’s economic and public policy process. Sri Lanka will lose its autonomy and sovereignty because of a corrupt government 

Of great concern is the failure to differentiate between illiquidity and insolvency. This is prompting the IMF’s fire sale of Sri Lanka’s strategic assets and State Owned Enterprises at rock-bottom prices. A list has already been prepared of strategic lands, airports, ports, telecom, transport and energy infrastructure to be privatized, following the dastardly sale of the Yugadhanavi power plant, further compromising national security and policy sovereignty.

Please join us in our fight to save Sri Lanka’s economic and political autonomy! Click here to read more about what we are proposing- https://bridginglanka.org/the-crisis-in-sri-lanka-1/