Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has put out a statement condemning the spread of fake news on social media platforms with various false messages claiming to be from him.
On Twitter the Sri Lankan President stated;
“Beware of fake news & messages being circulated under my name via messenger platforms. Any announcement or message will be published only through official channels of Presidents Media Division & verified Facebook & Twitter accounts,”
Rajapaksa’s statement follows growing concerns from human rights groups over Sri Lanka’s use of the pandemic to curtail free speech.
Read more here:
The news also follows the arrest of five people including a university student for the spread of false news on social media.
Read more from the Colombo Page and Daily Mirror.
We need your support
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.
