Human Rights Watch International has called on Sri Lanka's new President Ranil Wickremesinghe to immediately order security forces to stop the illegal use of force against protesters who have been demonstrating against the government for months over the country's economic crisis, AP reported.

A day after Wickremesinghe was sworn in, hundreds of armed soldiers stormed the demonstration camp outside the president's office Friday morning, attacking demonstrators with batons in what Human Rights Watch said was "a dangerous signal to the people of Sri Lanka that the new government intends to act with brute force, not the rule of law."

The soldiers also attacked two journalists and two lawyers during the crackdown. Security forces arrested 11 people, including protesters and lawyers.

Wickremesinghe, who previously served as prime minister six times, was sworn in as president a week after his predecessor Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country after protesters stormed his residence. Rajapaksa later resigned while in exile in Singapore.

Sri Lankans have been taking to the streets for months demanding the resignation of the country's top leadership, blaming the authorities for the economic chaos that has left Sri Lanka short of basic necessities, including medicine, fuel and food.