The official Sri Lankan army website praised Lord Naseby, a British politician who has been previously labelled a 'Rajapaksa apologist', calling him a "true defender of Sri Lanka's war against terrorism" as he delivered remarks slamming human rights organisations in Colombo on Tuesday

A Sri Lankan minister and member of the Rajapaksa regime has criticised the crackdown on social media platforms this morning, as cracks apparently begin to appear in Sri Lanka’s government.

Namal Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka’s Cabinet Minister of Youth and Sports and son of prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, criticised the decision made by his uncle president Gotabaya Rajapaksa to block a host of social media platforms on the island.

Military convoys have been reportedly deployed in Sri Lanka's capital Colombo as island-wide anti-government protests are held today, as a state of emergency and curfew have gripped the island.

The sighting of armoured vehicles and tanks in the capital, a common sight in the military occupied North-East, comes as Sri Lanka’s president Gotabaya Rajapaksa declared a state of emergency in the wake of the anti-government protests.

Sri Lankan police have arrested 664 individuals in the Western province for having violated an island-wide curfew, as a crackdown ensures in the wake of anti-government protests.

In response to growing unrest due to protests over the deteriorating economic crisis, the Sri Lankan government issued a 36-hour curfew. The curfew will be effective until 6 am on Monday.

An investigation led by the US-based Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), into Jaliya Chitran Wickramasuriya has led to a guilty plea from the former Sri Lankan ambassador.

Reports have emerged of several social media platforms including Facebook and Twitter being disrupted in Sri Lanka, as authorities respond to protests challenging the ruling Rajapaksa regime.

Users across the island have begun using VPN services in an attempt to bypass apparent restrictions, as services have reported to been disrupted.

Reports have emerged of slow access to social media sites and a complete failure to reach them entirely. The platforms with disrupted access include TikTok, WhatsApp, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram.

The new apparent restrictions come after Sri Lanka's President Gotabaya Rajapaksa declared a state of emergency.

Responding to Sri Lanka’s state of emergency, which followed massive protests outside the President’s residency, the European Union has raised concern and stressed the need to respect democratic rights.

On Twitter they stated:

Concerned by the state of emergency, EU strongly urges Sri Lankan authorities to safeguard democratic rights of all citizens, including right to free assembly and dissent, which has to be peaceful. Challenging times for Sri Lankan people- EU continues to follow situation closely

Mothers in the Mannar district have filed a complaint with the Mannar Public Health Medical Office after being supplied inedible bug-infested rice under the “Uthama Pooja for Pregnant Mothers” program by the Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs

Social media activist, Anuruddha Bandara, was reportedly arrested on Friday night for running a Facebook page called “Gota Go Home”.

Initial reporting indicated that he was taken from his home in Gampola by a group of men claiming to be from the Modara police whilst the police denied knowledge of this arrest. Sri Lanka’s Human Rights Commission has since informed the Young Journalist Association that he had been arrested and remains in Police Custody.

Sri Lankans have a right to protest peacefully - essential for democratic expression. I am watching the situation closely, and hope the coming days bring restraint from all sides, as well as much needed economic stability and relief for those suffering.