Mirihana: Supporters of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, a Sri Lankan Buddhist monk, inspect the debris from overnight clashes between protesters and police near the Sri Lankan presidents’ private residence on the outskirts of Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, April 1, 2022. Huh.
Highlight
- The Sri Lankan government imposed a nationwide social media blackout after midnight on Sunday.
- This step has been taken amid the 36-hour curfew in the country.
- Sri Lanka is facing economic crisis and inflation and declared a state of emergency on Friday.
Amidst the growing economic crisis and unrest among the people, Government of Sri Lanka According to an internet observatory, there has been a nationwide social media blackout after midnight of Sunday, April 3, news agency ANI reported. This step has been taken amid the 36-hour curfew in the country. Some two dozen social media platforms were affected, including Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok and Instagram.
Netblox tweeted, “Confirmed: Real-time network data shows Sri Lanka has imposed a nationwide social media blackout, restricting access to platforms including Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube and Instagram, amid widespread protests. Emergency has been declared.”
Ahead of the planned protest for Sunday, the island nation had announced a 36-hour curfew from Saturday to Monday as the country faced a severe power crisis and rising inflation. A London-based rights watchdog warned the Sri Lankan government on Saturday that a declaration of emergency in the island nation in the name of public safety should not be an excuse for human rights violations.
“Sri Lanka: The declaration of a state of emergency in the name of public safety should not be an excuse for further human rights violations. The purpose of the order to declare a state of emergency is to restrict the rights to freedom of association, assembly and movement. Also due process security,” Amnesty International said in a statement.
On Friday, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa issued an extraordinary gazette declaring a state of public emergency in Sri Lanka with immediate effect.
(with ANI inputs)
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