Thirty-two Sri Lankans go abroad every hour to escape the serious economic crisis that has gripped the country, the Chairman of the National Movement for a Just Society, Karu Jayasuriya, said in remarks published on Monday.
He told an event in Chilaw in Puttalam district that more than 500 doctors have left the country in the last eight months, the Daily Mirror reported.
“Hundreds of intellectuals including engineers are going abroad. Facing severe disillusionment and disappointment, they are now leaving the country hoping to at least provide their children with the best education possible,” he said.
“With Sri Lanka lacking the necessary facilities for university education, parents are now being forced to sell their properties to go abroad along with their children. We are losing our future national resources. All these are individuals created through Sri Lanka’s free education system.
“These are signs of a country’s rapid decline. A country cannot develop or prosper in this manner. Every citizen must have a deep understanding of these issues,” he said.
Jayasuriya urged everyone to pay attention to the day-to-day struggles of the people such as the increasing cost of living, power cuts, shortage of fuel and foreign exchange, the collapse of the agriculture and industry, and the difficulties faced by the fishermen.”
