Sri Lanka Blocks Social Media, Reimposes Curfew After Violence

Colombo: Sri Lanka on Monday temporarily blocked social media websites and messaging apps, including Facebook, Viber, and WhatsApp and reimposed curfew in certain areas after a post sparked anti-Muslim riots in several towns of the country. A group of people had stormed into Sri Lanka Chilaw town on Sunday following a controversial Facebook post by a Muslim shopkeeper about Sri Lanka “an attack plan”. Reports said that several people threw stones at mosques and attacked Muslim-owned shops and a man was also beaten up in the violence.

Amid the unrest, the Army fired shots in the air to disperse the mobs but the unrest spread to other towns, the Daily Mirror reported. An overnight curfew was imposed in Chilaw and Kuliyapitiya, Bingiriya, Hettipola, and Dummalasuriya areas and the social media ban was imposed to prevent the circulation of fake news and incitement to violence. (IANS)

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