A top Sri Lankan police officer was arrested on Wednesday after ordering his subordinates to fire on anti-government protesters, in clashes that left one man dead and nearly 30 others wounded. Last week's demonstration in the town of Rambukkana was one of many around the country protesting a rise in fuel prices in the island nation, which is suffering through a crippling economic crisis.
Police used tear gas and live rounds to disperse the crowd, which had blockaded a busy highway and railway line linking the capital Colombo with the central city of Kandy. Senior Superintendent K B Keerthiratne was taken into custody on a murder warrant over the incident, during which a 42-year-old father of two was shot dead. "The magistrate held that the officer was responsible for giving illegal orders to fire live ammunition," a court official said. - AFP
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