Colombo, March 16 (newsin.asia): The Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena is likely to lift the State of Emergency on Saturday on arrival from a visit to India and Japan, Secretary to the President, Austin Fernando, said here on Friday.
“My guess is that it will be lifted tomorrow,” Fernando said.
Asked about a report that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe does not want the Emergency to be lifted immediately, Fernando said that he is not aware of any such demand.
“He may have made a request to the President to that effect, but it is for the President to decide. My guess is that the Emergency will be lifted tomorrow, after the President returns to the island,” Fernando said.
Asked if the Facebook authorities had agreed to censor abusive content like hate speech in their meeting with government officials on March 15, the President’s Secretary said: “ The talks went off well. They said that they would filter the content to rid it of objectionable material. But I do not know if they will actually do it.”
Viber and Facebook, banned under the Emergency rules imposed on March 7, were restored after a public outcry and foreign diplomatic pressure.
(The featured image at the top is that Austin Fernando, Secretary to the Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena)
