Facebook and other social media services are ban temporarily in Sri Lanka (Image via: NewsIn.Asia)

Facebook & WhatsApp Blocked in Sri Lanka

COLOMBO - Following the series of Easter attack, the government of Sri Lanka stated that they would block Facebook and WhatsApp (13/5). This temporary blocking happened after an attack was reported against the Muslims, deemed as retaliation for the Easter incident.

On 21 April, three churches and three hotels in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, were devastated with series of suicide bombings, killing 253 people and injuring 500. Among the casualties, 38 were foreigners. Due to the incident, all schools in Colombo had to be closed, social media was banned temporarily, and curfew was imposed from 18.00 to 06.00 local time. Yesterday, the Catholic churches in Sri Lanka held its first Mass, aftermath the bombing. In addition, on 6 May, the schools were reopened.

After the Easter incident, other religions related incidents emerged in the country, and those incidents were against the Muslims. Some Muslim men in Sri Lanka were assaulted and beaten, and Muslim stores and buildings were thrown with stone and ravaged in Chilaw, a region known for its Christian population.

The incident sparked when a Sri Lanka Muslim man, Hasmar Hameed, replied to a post from a Christian. The reply was deemed as a threat by the people in Chilaw, so they decided to come over and give Hameed a lesson he would never forget. Aftermath, the crown then went to ravage mosques and some Muslim-based stores in Chilaw.

Judging from the incidents that happened, the Sri Lankan government decided to block Facebook and WhatsApp and other social media services, afraid of circulation of terrorism through messages and social media. This policy was not the first for Sri Lanka, for it was also applied last year on anti-Muslim purge.

While it looks like a good decision by the government, the people should be more careful and aware regarding the ban. Since Facebook is the face of the internet itself and looking back to the previous ban, the policy seems ineffective to counter terrorism, even it makes the condition worse because the communcation network in the nation could be severed by the temporal ban.

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/world/sri-lanka-blocks-facebook-whatsapp-after-mosque-attacked-easter-bombing-5724440/