Speaking to reporters, Media Minister, Keheliya Rambukella, maintained that the Government of Sri Lanka was contemplating legislation that would target websites the government deemed as “defamatory” and did not have visible ownership.
“There is an opinion that there should be some measures with regard to websites that do not have owners and defame certain people deliberately, manipulating facts,” he said.
The statement comes as Sri Lanka has seen a wave of protests throughout Sri Lanka. In the past month, there have been 120 protests across the country, which each protest attracting over 1,500 attendees. In response to these protests, Sri Lankan police have cracked down on demonstrators arresting teachers and the leaders of student movements.
Read more here: Sri Lanka’s intelligence officials blame protesters for spike in COVID cases
Rambukella insisted, “This is not only a problem in this country. It has been discussed in five-star democracies too, and some of them have introduced regulations”. He did not name the countries he was referring to. The statement follows remarks from Labour Minister, Nimal Siripala De Silva, in which he lamented that Sri Lanka did not adopt the Chinese model of banning social media platforms.
In April, Sri Lanka’s Justice Minister Ali Sabry had called to introduce laws similar to Singapore’s controversial Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA), which criminalised social media posts the government deemed “fake”.
Removing anonymity
Rambukella defended the targeting of “defamatory” websites by highlighting the lack of ownership over stories.
“There is no problem if somebody is responsible for the content or opinion expressed on their websites. But if there is nobody to take responsibility (for the content), then there should be some legal framework to deal with it. This is my personal view and my professional opinion as well,” he said.
The statement comes as Tamil journalists across the North-East have faced increased threats and interrogations by Sri Lanka’s security forces.
Read more here: ‘Ensure protection of journalists!’ - Batticaloa Tamil Journalists Association to Rajapaksa
On 8 June, Sri Lankan police warned that those publishing or sharing news deemed false on social media can be arrested without a warrant.
The proposed legislation targeting “defamatory” websites has been widely criticised including by Sri Lanka’s Bar Association which stated:
"Whilst the BASL has no objection to enforcing laws relating to hate speech and incitement to violence, it is important to ensure that authorities do not use such laws to stifle the genuine expression of dissent and criticism”.
Read more here.