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Even in the darkest of times, Sri Lankans retained their sense of humor.
In 2022, when the island nation’s economy collapses and the government announces a QR code system for gasoline rationing, a meme spreads online: “Scan your fuel QR code and forget about the past three months.” I did.
And when public outrage forced the powerful president to flee his palace, and protesters invaded the palace, frying snacks in the kitchen and jumping into the pool, another meme appeared about them. Captured the atmosphere at the time of the departure. The key is under the flowerpot. ”
It is this type of online expression that helped fuel Sri Lanka’s largest civil movement in decades that is now at risk for activists and rights groups.
They are concerned about a new law, the Online Safety Act, which gives the government broad powers to deem speech on social media as “prohibited speech”. Under the law, a presidentially appointed committee decides on the ban, and violations can result in fines ranging from hundreds of dollars to years in prison.
Public Security Minister Tiran Ares told parliament that the bill will prevent online fraud, the spread of false information and the abuse of women and children. But he also revealed potential political applications, saying it could be used against people who insult MPs on social media.
Sri Lanka is following the example of other countries in the region, most notoriously Bangladesh, which are cracking down on what people say online. In Bangladesh, a 2018 law known as the Digital Security Act has led to the imprisonment of activists and opposition leaders.
Tyagi Ruwanpathirana, South Asia regional researcher at Amnesty International, said the Sri Lankan law was “the latest weapon in the government’s arsenal to undermine freedom of expression and suppress dissent.” is ripe,” he added. For exploitation. ”
Rwanpathirana said the Sri Lankan government needed to “demonstrate the political will to uphold” its international human rights obligations this year as it prepares for its first elections since the 2022 crash.
Analysts say the main impetus for the new law is the protest movement that toppled the government in 2022.
Analysts say concerns persist as political leaders want to ensure there is no repeat, and the movement’s goals remain largely unfulfilled. Powerful president Gotabaya Rajapaksa was forced to step down in 2022, but little else changed at the top. Political elites simply rearranged seats, with Mr. Rajapaksa’s family-run party fielding new president Ranil Wickremesinghe until elections later this year.
Wickremesinghe, a veteran politician, is trying to revive the economy by introducing difficult fiscal reforms to improve the government’s balance sheet. But activists and rights groups say he also went after civil society leaders who contributed to the civil movement.
Bhavani Fonseka, senior fellow at the Center for Policy Alternatives, said: “We’ve seen many people use social media to criticize, challenge and push back against various national initiatives. The media played a major role in mobilizing the people.” Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka. “This gives governments new incentives to introduce restrictions.”
Colombo-based analyst Nalaka Gunawardena said the political intent of the new bill is for authorities to adjust it to better balance freedom of expression and the government’s concerns about online abuse. He said that this became clear from his refusal to do so.
Gunawardena said that in rushing to pass the bill, the government rejected proposals from media experts and rights activists to exempt those engaged in satire and parody.
Historically, satirists have found themselves in trouble and even exile in Sri Lanka for targeting the majority Sinhalese community and influential Buddhist monks. During the decades of the country’s bloody civil war, which ended in 2009, military leaders, particularly Mr. Rajapaksa, who served as defense secretary, were increasingly kept out of bounds.
When a coalition government briefly broke the Rajapaksa family’s grip on the country in 2015, political satire began to flourish online. New president Maithripala Sirisena was a favorite of meme creators.
The ascension of the feared Mr. Rajapaksa to the presidency in 2019 initially provided some respite, but cartoonists and satirists stand to lose as his economic management sends the country into a downward spiral. is almost gone.
Administrators of NewsCurry, a popular, anonymously run meme page with about 50,000 followers on the social media platform, say such efforts draw attention to anti-democratic behavior and lies by politicians, and encourage people to become more obedient. He said that the news is helping to fill a gap in the local media. The administrator, who requested anonymity for fear of conflict with authorities, said the new law should be renamed the “Politician Safety Law.”
Hamza Hanifa, a member of the group that runs the meme page, said many of her friends are afraid to continue making jokes because of the law. I’ve been posting less frequently.
“During the protests, we fearlessly expressed our opinions,” he said. “But now we are concerned.”
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