Sri Lanka’s new government has blocked www.mahinda.info, a website run by Mahinda Rajapaksa Information Centre. The website has been blocked since Friday by one of the internet service providers, Sri Lanka Mobitel, a fully-owned subsidiary of Sri Lanka Telecom.
Last January President Sirisena appointed his brother, Pallewatta Gamaralalage Kumarasinghe Sirisena as the Chairman of Sri Lanka Telecom.
President Maithripala Sirisena gave a specific order to lift direct online censorship as one of his first acts in power. Websites can be “prohibited or be subject to supervision and control” under S.69 of the Sri Lanka Telecommunications Act 1991 – but only under ministerial authority, and under a publicly announced order.
No such order was made to replace the directive issued by President Sirisena in January.
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Ru / September 13, 2015
its working at the moment .. :/
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Amarasiri / September 13, 2015
RE: Mobitel Blocks Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Website
It is working, and looks like CT has got some og MaRas stolen funds
CT alo has learned to lie, just like the others..
Is CT turning into a Lying Telegraph?
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Kasun / September 14, 2015
They have published an article about this. Here they put a voice call from the Mobitel.
http://www.mahinda.info/2015/09/malik-samarawickrama/
Mobitel removed the block after the colombo telegraph article.
Some of the idiots who commented on this blamed to Colombo Telegraph, dear idiots, believe me mobitel can remove the ban anytime they want, because it is an illegal ban. Think twice before commenting without getting blame for your parents.
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someone / September 14, 2015
Apparently “trc” ordered to block it: https://youtu.be/1QjY3GLT6Zg
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Point of View / September 13, 2015
Website is not blocked !
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Vanguard / September 13, 2015
Translated version is blocked. It gives below message
Forbidden
Sinhala version home page ok
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Amarasiri / September 13, 2015
English Version
It Works
http://translate.google.lk/translate?hl=en&sl=si&u=http://www.mahinda.info/
MaRa MaRa Chatu MaRa is smiling…
What is the Problem, CT?
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Naga / September 13, 2015
This again shows what a vindictive man Maithri is.
The more he engages in these types of activities, the more he will loose popular support.
Maithri’s government is no different from the Chinese government that shuts out all websites suspected to be anti-Chinese.
Only after reading this Colombo Telegraph report I visited the site and though its pages are written in Sinhala you can see the English version by pressing the Translate key of the website.
Incidentally, Mobitel cannot prohibit those who are based overseas from accessing the Mahinda Information Centre website or any other website it chooses to censor.
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Jim softy / September 13, 2015
Media freedom of the yahapalana govt.
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Jim softy / September 13, 2015
How many anti-Rajapakse web sites by Mangala Samaraweera alone when Mahinda Rajapakse was the president ?
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Amarasiri / September 13, 2015
Jim softy , Jimbo
It works! English Version.
http://translate.google.lk/translate?hl=en&sl=si&u=http://www.mahinda.info/
MaRa MaRa Chatu MaRa is smiling…
But hardly Anybody reads the info on the Medamulana Meeharaka…
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Pot Shot / September 13, 2015
Readers who have seen me commenting on this forum know that I was vehemently against the MR regime. However blocking his website is not the right thing to do neither is it the best way to restraini this rogue and murderor. Censoring free speech however hard it might be should not be permitted. These measures only show that MS and RW are unable to deal with MR and they are using silly childlike tactics to silence the man. When we voted MS and RW into power we gave them a mandate to user the full spectrum of the law to deal with this man. Now that they have struck deals with him outside the mandate given by the people they are resorting intimidating tactics which are not democratic.
Just get your act together and deal with him and his family boldly. Both of you are acting like a pair of sissies. If you can’t deal with it then tell us truthfully and we will vote somebody else to do it. Use the people power you have to get the job done before it expires because of your ineffective ways.
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Jim softy / September 13, 2015
Pot Shot:
Now what I believe is the way mahinda Rajapakse govt acted would be the exact way that this yahapalana govt would act.
Everybody was criticizing mahinda Rajapakse govt in every possible way. It was Tamils, indians, western govts as well his political opponents. Sri lankan media is very dishonest, low class and simply pathetic because they are very good at reporting lies and creating non-existing news.
Now I understand Mahinda Rajapakse govt was very reasonable.
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Pot Shot / September 14, 2015
Jim,
I differ on your comment. Despite the little knots the new government is getting itself into , I think a majority of the country is relieved that MR does not govern or may I say ‘rule” anymore. But what the new government must realise is that there is a massive disparity between the people’s expectations and their own agenda. MR ruled with an “iron fist” the people rejected him. RW is trying to rule the same way but with a “velvet glove” and he can soon be rejected by the people.
What the Sri Lankan politicians and electorates should know that unlike in the past where the masses were decisive in election defeats and losses today a lesser number of people have the potential to influence the masses to act through social media. Unless this understanding sinks in, the politicians we have are out of sync with reality and the people.
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maalumiris / September 13, 2015
I dont see the website is blocked.. but then again, I am not using MobiTel either
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jagath / September 13, 2015
Hi…
Pls check the source… i think it is the server blocking it..
Just type ping http://www.mahinda.info
netstat mahinda.info
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Saniipanado / September 13, 2015
The site can be accessed’!!M
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The Rogue Ayer / September 13, 2015
“Sri Lanka’s new government has blocked http://www.mahinda.info, a website run by Mahinda Rajapaksa Information Centre. The website has been blocked since Friday by one of the internet service providers, Sri Lanka Mobitel, a fully-owned subsidiary of Sri Lanka Telecom.”
Many commentators appear to disagree and manage to access the website. I have not tried myself.
My question is where did this news article come from?
No source or name of reporter is provided.
Is this again from the anonymous leak in the CID?
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yasiru / September 13, 2015
colombo telegraph get your facts correct. this is blocked from the host not the ISP
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Point of View / September 14, 2015
Looks like MR has given a dead rope to CT to get some sympathy !
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thonadamanny / September 13, 2015
Innocent [Edited out] Sira made to look a tyrant overnight by his puppeteer Chaura Regina @ CBK.
SIRA is paying a huge prize for being made the President.
SIRA is learning the Western modalities in a tie up to the Yahapalanaya at the expense humility.
Yahapalanaya & the puppeteer trying to keep SIRA happy in arranging a visit to the White House.
Noose round SIRA’s neck being tightend gradually by the day and he is made to look a villain and dictator.
Yahapalanaya attemptes to get SIRA look like MKR is a tough ask.
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NIRMALA N / September 13, 2015
Local Council of Medamulana must also block MaRa’s toilet pits.
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H / September 14, 2015
Relax lol has anyone checked out the robots.txt file?
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Sandaruwan / September 14, 2015
mahinda info website has written an article about this issue. They says the block has been remove just after colombo telegraph published this article. Because banning is an illegal work they can’t keep the ban any more due to the higher public attention. also there is a voice record on the mahinda info website where a call girl saying the block has done by the order of TRC but there is no such order is given.
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BBS Rep / September 14, 2015
If this is true, then this is once again an illustration of the path that Sirisena and Ranil have chosen to tread, the same path as the Mahinda Mafia.
Sirisena and Ranil have already chosen to tread on the disgusting path that MR took, that is to buy allegiance by giving ministerial portfolios or similer.
Disillusionment always follow high hopes of the voters in Sri Lanka – without fail.
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Isuru / September 14, 2015
[Edited out]
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Shanaka / September 14, 2015
Wasn’t too long ago that CT was also blocked, so this article being posted here is sadly ironic.. Wasn’t CT blocked by the “media freedom” respecting former gvmt?
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maalumiris / September 14, 2015
Ironic is right ! :) :) :)
It proves that CT is being quite impartial if it is being blocked by the media freedom respecting former government AND the media freedom respecting present government !
Equally disliked by both so they must be doing something right !
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thecabaal / September 14, 2015
website works.
clearly shows CT just likes stirring up crap t increase views !
kindly start posting names of authors to avoid this.
be professional
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