Debt-laden Sri Lanka marks Independence Day with Thai prime minister as guest of honour

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, center, sits with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawaradane, left, and the First Lady of Sri Lanka Maithree Wickremesinghe, during the 76th Independence Day commemoration ceremony of Sri Lanka in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024. - AP

COLOMBO/BANGKOK (AP): Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin was the guest of honor at Sri Lanka’s 76th Independence Day celebrations on Sunday, as the island nation struggles to emerge from its worst economic crisis.

Srettha joined Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe at a low-key ceremony near the country’s main seaside esplanade that included a military parade and parachute jumps. The holiday commemorates Sri Lanka's independence from British rule in 1948.