{"id":121276,"date":"2014-03-09T01:58:46","date_gmt":"2014-03-08T20:28:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=121276"},"modified":"2014-03-15T23:11:30","modified_gmt":"2014-03-15T17:41:30","slug":"unp-demands-mobile-networks-reveal-who-orders-internet-censorship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/unp-demands-mobile-networks-reveal-who-orders-internet-censorship\/","title":{"rendered":"UNP Demands Mobile Networks Reveal Who Orders Internet Censorship"},"content":{"rendered":"

The UNP today accused the Rajapaksa regime for illegally blocking web-based media. “What began as the censorship of websites disseminating separatist propaganda, soon extended to the blockade of those spreading gossip and rumour. Today,the Government has taken the next logical step. It has begun the censorship of credible news sources available on the internet.\u00a0The Colombo Telegraph<\/i>, the\u00a0Sri Lanka Mirror<\/i>\u00a0and the\u00a0Sri Lanka Guardian<\/i>\u00a0are far above the standard of either Eelamist propaganda or gossip. The Colombo Telegraph<\/span><\/a> is also a website that is a platform for varying shades of opinion, not all of them anti-Government.” the UNP said in a statement.<\/p>\n

We publish below the statement in full;<\/p>\n

The United National Party is deeply concerned of reports that state owned and private internet service providers are now colluding with the repressive Rajapaksa regime to curtail the freedom of information even further in this country. After years of using violence, intimidation and coercion to silence Sri Lanka\u2019s mainstream media, the regime has turned its eyes completely on the web-based media, the last refuge of the country\u2019s truth seekers and dissenters.<\/p>\n

\"Rajapaksa<\/a>

Rajapaksa<\/p><\/div>\n

The Rajapaksa Government has been blocking the internet beginning since 2006, when hostilities resumed with the LTTE. Over the years, excusing its censorship with arguments that websites were scurrilous and defamatory, the Government has officially issued viewing bans on several Sinhala and English language websites that offer alternative news.<\/p>\n

The UNP does not believe censorship is the answer, even when the media breaches ethical boundaries or publishes libelous material.\u00a0Legal and regulatory avenues are available when the freedoms are abused and given the scope and breadth of the internet, it will never be an effective answer to simply censor specific websites.<\/p>\n

As the party that repealed draconian criminal defamation laws that sought to muzzle the free press with threat of imprisonment, the UNP believes ideas should be defeated only ideologically and never by censorship, which is a tool of autocrats and those seeking to quash dissent and abuse power.<\/p>\n

What began as the censorship of websites disseminating separatist propaganda, soon extended to the blockade of those spreading gossip and rumour. Today, the Government has taken the next logical step. It has begun the censorship of credible news sources available on the internet.\u00a0The Colombo Telegraph<\/i>, the\u00a0Sri Lanka Mirror<\/i>\u00a0and the\u00a0Sri Lanka Guardian<\/i>\u00a0are far above the standard of either Eelamist propaganda or gossip. The Colombo Telegraph is also a website that is a platform for varying shades of opinion, not all of them anti-Government.<\/p>\n

The censorship of these websites are indubitable proof that the Rajapaksa Government\u2019s true aim is to suppress all news sources who fiercely refuse to toe the regime\u2019s propaganda line and those that continue to expose the truth and corruption rampant within the state machinery.<\/p>\n

This is also why the censorship of these internet sources have been identified as being part of a trajectory towards autocracy and gross violations of the peoples\u2019 right to know by the US State Department\u2019s Human Rights Country report on Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n

The censorship on all these websites is unofficially carried out by internet service providers and mobile networks. The Government refuses to officially notify the public of the censorship, because to acknowledge the blockade would be to acknowledge it is extending censorship to regular news sources. It will not be long before it is official newspaper websites that see similar censorship online when they publish stories unfavourable to the ruling dynasty.<\/p>\n

More disturbing is the fact that private mobile and internet providers are adhering to the Government\u2019s \u2018unofficial\u2019 ban. Questions posed to these providers and networks by angered viewers and customers, have elicited no response, or vague references to technical issues.<\/p>\n

As this country\u2019s main opposition, we demand that the mobile networks be accountable to the Sri Lankan public and their customer base. They need to reveal on what official instructions or court order they are implementing this illegal censorship. The TRC has maintained it knows nothing of the ban of the websites.<\/p>\n

This country\u2019s opposition demands to know whether the shareholders of these companies know of and approve this gross violation of their customers\u2019 rights and privacy. It is a travesty that Sri Lanka\u2019s corporates have bowed to Government pressure in this way, in breach of its trust contract with its customer base. It is hoped that while they may be powerless to refuse the Government orders, these companies will at the very least, have the courage enough to reveal to the general public and their customers the reasons for their repressive action. Do not become stakeholders in the ruling regime\u2019s repression and stifling of freedom of expression.<\/p>\n

Related stories;<\/p>\n

Article 19 Slams Ban On Colombo Telegraph Website<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/strong>Dialog Board Director And Friday Forum Member Jayantha Dhanapala Fails To Stop CT Blockade On Dialog Network<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Sri Lanka Blocks Websites And The President Lies On Twitter<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Once Again Colombo Telegraph Blocked; Dialog And Etisalat Tamper DNS Responses<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

TRC Blocks Colombo Telegraph, Warns Service Providers To Maintain It\u2019s A \u2018Technical Glitch\u2019<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Colombo Telegraph Blocked, How To Reach Us Now: Sri Lanka Telecom And Mobitel Joins The DPI Club!<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Sri Lankan Govt. Periodically Blocked Colombo Telegraph In 2013: US Human Rights Report<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

History of Colombo Telegraph blocking<\/strong><\/p>\n

First -December 26, 2011 –\u00a0We are blocked but we will not be stopped<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Second –\u00a0May 8, 2012 –\u00a0Colombo Telegraph Blocked Again<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Third –\u00a0March 29, 2013 \u00a0–\u00a0Sri Lanka Blocks Colombo Telegraph<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/strong>Selected Tweets: Colombo Telegraph Unblocked<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Fourth –\u00a0August 23, 2013 –\u00a0Colombo Telegraph Blocked, How To Reach Us Now: Sri Lanka Telecom And Mobitel Joins The DPI Club!<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Other attempts\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

October 26, 2012 –\u00a0Colombo Telegraph Was Hacked<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

August 9, 2012\u00a0ColomboTelegraph Password Cracking Attempt Blocked<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Freedom House Report: Freedom On The Net 2012, Sri Lanka Is A Country At Risk<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[…]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":121277,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,1,6969,2375],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-121276","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-colombotelegraph","category-news","category-popular-stories","category-stories"],"yoast_head":"\nUNP Demands Mobile Networks Reveal Who Orders Internet Censorship - Colombo Telegraph<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/unp-demands-mobile-networks-reveal-who-orders-internet-censorship\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"UNP Demands Mobile Networks Reveal Who Orders Internet Censorship - Colombo Telegraph\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"[…]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/unp-demands-mobile-networks-reveal-who-orders-internet-censorship\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Colombo Telegraph\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2014-03-08T20:28:46+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2014-03-15T17:41:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Mahinda_Cell_Phone.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"290\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"411\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"COLOMBO TELEGRAPH\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"COLOMBO TELEGRAPH\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/unp-demands-mobile-networks-reveal-who-orders-internet-censorship\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/unp-demands-mobile-networks-reveal-who-orders-internet-censorship\/\",\"name\":\"UNP Demands Mobile Networks Reveal Who Orders Internet Censorship - Colombo Telegraph\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/unp-demands-mobile-networks-reveal-who-orders-internet-censorship\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/unp-demands-mobile-networks-reveal-who-orders-internet-censorship\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Mahinda_Cell_Phone.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2014-03-08T20:28:46+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2014-03-15T17:41:30+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#\/schema\/person\/9db3d0cfcfa59e1997e3c3524d454cb3\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/unp-demands-mobile-networks-reveal-who-orders-internet-censorship\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/unp-demands-mobile-networks-reveal-who-orders-internet-censorship\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/unp-demands-mobile-networks-reveal-who-orders-internet-censorship\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Mahinda_Cell_Phone.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Mahinda_Cell_Phone.jpg\",\"width\":290,\"height\":411},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/unp-demands-mobile-networks-reveal-who-orders-internet-censorship\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"UNP Demands Mobile Networks Reveal Who Orders Internet Censorship\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/\",\"name\":\"Colombo Telegraph\",\"description\":\"In journalism truth is a process\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#\/schema\/person\/9db3d0cfcfa59e1997e3c3524d454cb3\",\"name\":\"COLOMBO TELEGRAPH\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/920b3181b0bf86b5c339ad9f0963a89f6a8b19c4b971e629987a021ba7a663df?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/920b3181b0bf86b5c339ad9f0963a89f6a8b19c4b971e629987a021ba7a663df?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"caption\":\"COLOMBO TELEGRAPH\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/author\/colombo_telegraph\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"UNP Demands Mobile Networks Reveal Who Orders Internet Censorship - Colombo Telegraph","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/unp-demands-mobile-networks-reveal-who-orders-internet-censorship\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"UNP Demands Mobile Networks Reveal Who Orders Internet Censorship - Colombo Telegraph","og_description":"[…]","og_url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/unp-demands-mobile-networks-reveal-who-orders-internet-censorship\/","og_site_name":"Colombo Telegraph","article_published_time":"2014-03-08T20:28:46+00:00","article_modified_time":"2014-03-15T17:41:30+00:00","og_image":[{"width":290,"height":411,"url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Mahinda_Cell_Phone.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"COLOMBO TELEGRAPH","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"COLOMBO TELEGRAPH","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/unp-demands-mobile-networks-reveal-who-orders-internet-censorship\/","url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/unp-demands-mobile-networks-reveal-who-orders-internet-censorship\/","name":"UNP Demands Mobile Networks Reveal Who Orders Internet Censorship - Colombo Telegraph","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/unp-demands-mobile-networks-reveal-who-orders-internet-censorship\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/unp-demands-mobile-networks-reveal-who-orders-internet-censorship\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Mahinda_Cell_Phone.jpg","datePublished":"2014-03-08T20:28:46+00:00","dateModified":"2014-03-15T17:41:30+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#\/schema\/person\/9db3d0cfcfa59e1997e3c3524d454cb3"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/unp-demands-mobile-networks-reveal-who-orders-internet-censorship\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/unp-demands-mobile-networks-reveal-who-orders-internet-censorship\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/unp-demands-mobile-networks-reveal-who-orders-internet-censorship\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Mahinda_Cell_Phone.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Mahinda_Cell_Phone.jpg","width":290,"height":411},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/unp-demands-mobile-networks-reveal-who-orders-internet-censorship\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"UNP Demands Mobile Networks Reveal Who Orders Internet Censorship"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/","name":"Colombo Telegraph","description":"In journalism truth is a process","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#\/schema\/person\/9db3d0cfcfa59e1997e3c3524d454cb3","name":"COLOMBO TELEGRAPH","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/920b3181b0bf86b5c339ad9f0963a89f6a8b19c4b971e629987a021ba7a663df?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/920b3181b0bf86b5c339ad9f0963a89f6a8b19c4b971e629987a021ba7a663df?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","caption":"COLOMBO TELEGRAPH"},"url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/author\/colombo_telegraph\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Mahinda_Cell_Phone.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121276","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=121276"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121276\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":121278,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121276\/revisions\/121278"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/121277"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=121276"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=121276"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=121276"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}