Seven people have been arrested in Sri Lanka over the last two days under allegations of spreading false news on the coronavirus.
In total 16 people have been arrested under the charge of spread false information of the coronavirus. However, it follows Dr. Ramesh Pathirana an MP for the Sri Lanka Freedom Party encouraged individuals to drink black tea 3-4 times a day to help fight the coronavirus and other respiratory issues despite the lack of credible evidence.
Dr. Thusiyan Nandakumar, editor in chief of the Tamil Guardian, responded to Pathirana’s claim stating;
“This type of fake news is not totally harmless. Just last month, hundreds of people in Iran died from drinking methanol after false rumours claimed it can cure coronavirus. There are real lives at stake here”.
Human Rights Watch has also raised concerns over Sri Lanka using the current crisis caused by the pandemic as an opportunity to curb free expression.
Read more here: ‘Sri Lanka Uses Pandemic to Curtail Free Expression’ – HRW
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.
