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Mobile phone messages used by government to spread UN petition

The Sri Lankan government has been sending notifications to mobile phone users in the country, urging them to sign a petition addressed to the President of the United Nations Human Rights Council, according to reports.

Both bloggers and twitter users have been reporting that every time a text was sent or a call made, and the balance was displayed on pre-paid networks, a message appeared stating, "Pledge support for SL by signing the petition at www.peacepetition4lk.org" .

The petition, hosted by change.org, stated,

“Free sovereign independent Sri Lanka does not need anyone to set timetables for its peace process nor external bodies to monitor it.”

Earlier this year, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapksa sent a text message out to all registered mobile phones in the country, greeting them a happy New Year, in English and Sinhala only. See the text message below.

Also see our earlier post: Sri Lanka censors text messages (12 March 2012)

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