Sri Lanka lifted a week-long ban on Facebook
According to sources Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena said he ordered authorities to remove the block, imposed across the country during anti-Muslim riots last week that left three people dead after police said the social network was being used to fuel violence. The president who is presently touring Japan said on Twitter "His secretary has discussed with officials of Facebook, who have agreed that its platform will not be used for spreading hate speech and inciting violence".
Meanwhile Sirisena did not elaborate on what, if any, concrete commitments Facebook had made and there was no immediate comment from the social media giant. But earlier on Wednesday the company said it was responding to Sri Lanka's concerns over incendiary material.
Further Censorship and media oppression were used widely by strongman
president Mahinda Rajapakse, who for a decade in power ordered local internet
providers to block anti-government sentiment online. Moreover his successor
President Maithripala Sirisena was elected in 2015 promising an end to draconian
government restrictions, but some websites critical of the government were
blocked even before the ban on Facebook.