Sri Lankan lawmakers on Tuesday began debating a controversial internet safety bill that has been criticized by opposition politicians, journalists and rights groups as a move by the government to stifle freedom of speech.

Public Security Minister Tiran Alles introduced the bill in Parliament, saying it seeks to address problems related to online fraud, abuse and false statements that threaten national security and stability.

He said the laws are necessary to deal with offenses committed online, noting that last year more than 8,000 such complaints were filed with police related to sexual abuse, financial scams, cyber harassment, data theft and other offenses.

However, media, internet and civil rights groups say the bill would have “a chilling effect on free speech,” as several provisions would serve to undermine human rights and freedom of expression. The groups have demanded that the government withdraw the bill.

Lawmakers are expected to vote on the bill on Wednesday.

The bill aims to establish an online safety commission with “wide-ranging powers to restrict free speech” that could direct users, service providers and others to “take down content and block access to accounts on extremely vague and overbroad grounds,” said Article 19, a rights watchdog, and 50 other groups.

Opposition lawmaker Rauff Hakeem said the government is trying to throttle freedom of speech in Sri Lanka, adding that “a very oppressive environment is going to be created.”

“This is a manifestation of a government which is trying to dismantle even the remaining few safeguards for freedom of expression in this country and to destroy democracy,” Hakeem said.

Alles rejected the accusations, saying the bill was not drafted with the intention of harassing media or political opponents.

Debate over the bill comes as Sri Lanka struggles to emerge from its worst economic crisis, which hit the island nation two year ago. The country declared bankruptcy in April 2022 with more than $83 billion in debt, more than half of it to foreign creditors.

The crisis caused severe shortages of food, fuel and other necessities. Strident public protests led to the ouster of then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The IMF agreed last March to a $2.9 billion bailout package.

Under new President Ranil Wickremesinghe, the severe shortages of food, fuel and medicine have largely abated over the past year and authorities have restored power supply. But public dissatisfaction has grown over the government’s effort to increase revenue by raising electricity bills and imposing heavy new income taxes on professionals and businesses.

Media and civil rights groups accuse the government of trying to introduce more repressive laws in an attempt to “suppress the public’s right to expression as a narrow effort with the aim of winning the upcoming elections at any cost.”

Sri Lanka’s presidential and parliamentary elections are likely to be held later this year or early next year.

AP

A repressive new internet law that Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe is trying to rush through parliament this week would create broad and vague new speech-related offenses punishable by lengthy prison terms. The law would seriously threaten the right to freedom of expression as Sri Lanka prepares for parliamentary and presidential elections later this year.

An internet user is unable to connect as he tries to log into Facebook Messenger, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, April 3, 2022.  © 2022 Ishara S. Kodikara/AFP via Getty Images

The proposed law, the Online Safety Bill, purportedly provides protections against online harassment, abuse, and fraud. Instead, it is mostly concerned with creating a new “Online Safety Commission,” appointed by the president, that can decide what online speech is “false” or “harmful,” remove content, restrict and prohibit internet access, and prosecute individuals and organizations.

Commission-appointed “experts” would be empowered to enter and search suspects’ premises. Offenses under the law carry hefty fines and prison sentences up to five years. The United Nations human rights office said the law “could potentially criminalize nearly all forms of legitimate expression, creating an environment that has a chilling effect on freedom of expression.”

The Asia Internet Coalition, an industry body including tech giants such as Google, Apple, and Meta, has called the bill a “draconian system to stifle dissent” and warned it “could undermine the potential growth of Sri Lanka’s digital economy.”

Sri Lanka is still reeling from an economic crisis partly caused by misgovernment and failures of accountability. In 2022, months-long protests demanding reform toppled the prime minister and president. Since coming to power that year, President Wickremesinghe has moved to stifle dissent.

Other repressive legislation before parliament includes a new broadcasting law, which the UN experts say could be used to “suppress dissenting voices,” and a counterterrorism law that “grants wide powers to the police – and to the military – to stop, question and search, and to arrest and detain people, with inadequate judicial oversight.”

According to the International Monetary Fund, which is supporting Sri Lanka’s economy, restrictions on civil society, including the “broad application of counter-terrorism rules,” already limit “oversight and monitoring of government actions,” contributing to “severe governance weaknesses and corruption vulnerabilities.”

Sri Lanka’s repressive laws have facilitated widespread human rights violations for decades and contributed to economic and political crises. Passing the Online Safety Bill would be a disastrous setback.

Jaffna District Parliamentarian S. Shritharan has been elected as the leader of the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) at the party election held today (21), Ada Derana reporter confirmed.

Mavai Senathirajah had previously served as leader of ITAK, which is a constituent party of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA).

Sivagnanam Shritharan contested the 2010 parliamentary election as one of the Tamil National Alliance electoral alliance’s candidates in Jaffna District and was elected to the Parliament. He was re-elected at the 2015 and 2020 parliamentary elections.

Following the country’s worst economic crisis, many development projects, particularly road development initiatives, which were approved or under implementation across the country were halted or abandoned by contractors on multiple grounds, making it difficult for the public to even access a decent road to carry out their daily activities.

The cash-strapped government also temporarily halted such projects to tighten the budget deficit.

In a village in Meesalai North, Chavakachcheri, residents are fed up with taking up the issue of renovating Thattankulam Road, their main access road, which is covered by two Grama Sevaka divisions. With the authorities taking little or no action on their pleas over the past 18 years, the residents came up with a final solution, hoping that this time the authorities would listen. Each family residing on the street came forward to donate their one-day salary, or Rs 1000 per head. They collected around Rs 100,000 and sent it to the Northern Province Governor’s official bank account, telling him in a petition that it was their contribution to the road development work.

In their petition, the villagers pointed out that several hundred people, including students, used the road, which is located near the A9 road, daily and requested the Governor’s Office to look into the issue urgently as their main access road had not been renovated for more than 18 years, despite various assurances given by authorities and local politicians.

A daily labourer who is residing on the street said: “We are sick and tired of requesting authorities to renovate this road, but since the government is also financially struggling, just like us, we thought of pooling money among ourselves to extend a helping hand since that is the only way left for us.”

Sunday Times.

Several worried ministers and MPs of the SLPP met with one of the party’s senior-most officials this week to raise concern over the delay in making preparations for the upcoming presidential election.

The ministers and MPs pointed out that one particular opposition party, though small in size, was making hectic preparations for the election. This includes holding large-scale meetings, setting up new “bala mandalas” and similar measures throughout the country.

“Why are we delaying our campaign? Won’t we be at a disadvantage if we don’t move to meet this threat?” the ministers and MPs asked the official. The senior party man, however, pointed out that the presidential election was at least six months away. “If we start our campaign now, what will be left to say six months down the line when the election is actually around the corner?” he asked his colleagues.

He then told the others that he had it on good authority that the smaller opposition party was receiving both political and financial backing from the diplomatic mission of a powerful Western nation. “Several NGOs connected to this embassy are also providing them funding. That is the secret behind their large-scale campaign. We are getting more information. Let us see how much help the embassy will give them,” said the official.

He added that in the meantime, the SLPP party would carry on as it had planned for now by reorganising itself at the grassroots level and holding pocket meetings.

Sunday Times

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has urged Sri Lanka’s Minister of Public Security to withdraw the proposed Online Safety Bill.

In a joint letter addressed to the Minister, the CPJ, together with 58 other organisations, urged Minister Tiran Alles to withdraw the relevant Bill, and to conduct ‘meaningful consultations with all stakeholders including local groups’ in this regard.

They further raised concerns that the proposed Bill is slated to be presented in Parliament later this month, without addressing the key concerns raised by stakeholders, experts and civil society about the severe implications that the Bill will have on the human rights and democratic values enshrined in the Constitution and international legal instruments to which people in Sri Lanka are entitle.

The letter also highlighted that the proposed Bill had a ‘chilling effect on free speech’ and ‘fails to incorporate the recommendations of experts’, while also having a ‘detrimental impact on Sri Lanka’s digital economy and avenues for employment online’.

“In light of the grave implications for the freedoms of people in Sri Lanka and the opacity of the legislative process thus far, we respectfully call on the government to withdraw the Bill, and to engage in meaningful, sustained and inclusive multi-stakeholder consultations, including civil society and human rights experts, on the way forward for online content regulation. This is essential to protect and ensure Sri Lanka’s commitment to a free, open, and safe internet and a flourishing democracy”, the letter concluded.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on January 20 called on Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe and discussed the progress of bilateral initiatives.

Mr. Jaishankar is in the Ugandan capital city of Kampala to represent India at the two-day summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), which began on Friday.

“Pleased to call on Sri Lankan President @RW_UNP on the sidelines of the NAM Summit in Kampala,” Mr. Jaishankar posted on X.

“Appreciate his continued guidance for the advancement of our bilateral initiatives. India’s commitment is reflected in our Neighbourhood First and SAGAR policy,” he said.

India’s Neighbourhood First policy guides its approach towards the management of relations with countries in its immediate neighbourhood. It is aimed at enhancing physical, digital and people-to-people connectivity across the region, as well as augmenting trade and commerce.

Sri Lanka was hit by a catastrophic financial crisis in 2022, the worst since its independence from Britain in 1948, due to a severe paucity of foreign exchange reserves.

As the country struggled, locked in the throes of the crisis, India extended multi-pronged assistance of about USD 4 billion to it through multiple credit lines and currency support in line with India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy.

Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) is India’s policy or doctrine of maritime cooperation in the Indian Ocean region.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Jaishankar met his Ugandan counterpart Gen JeJe Odongo.

“Delighted to begin the day with my dear friend @GenJejeOdongo. Thanked him for the excellent arrangements for the NAM Summit. Assured India’s wholehearted support for Uganda’s Chairship,” Mr. Jaishankar said on X.

“Noted the progress in our bilateral cooperation since my April 2023 visit. Direct flights, training & exchanges and commencement of the NFSU campus are among notable developments,” he added.

Mr. Jaishankar on Friday held a series of bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Bahrain, Serbia, Bolivia, Azerbaijan and Venezuela during which he discussed bilateral ties, as well as regional and global issues.

 The Hindu