Ban on websites means a fortune for Anusha!

Sunday, 02 March 2014

Following continuous blockings against 33000.lk that had become popular in Sri Lanka recently, the website had made inquiries and found that TRC director-general Anusha Pelpita had blocked them at the instigation of a popular personality. Neither the government nor the Information Department was responsible, the latter has said.

According to 33000.lk, banning websites to serve personal needs has become a very easy task now. If someone feels a website has published something unfavourable, that person will need a very short time to get it banned. A telephone call does the needful. The TRC chief should be contacted through one of his go-betweens, who will mention an amount, which has to be deposited within three days at a certain bank account, or else, the blocking of the website is removed. Politicians who claim that websites are blackmailing them, and senior journalists who had lost their might, demonstrate their true nature by keeping silent over this misdeed.

Since the websites popular in Sri Lanka are not registered with the Information Department, they are reluctant to seek legal redress against this. Knowing this well, the TRC chief is fishing in troubled waters. Gossip websites have found various ways to reach their readership even if banned or blocked locally. Higher the number of gossip websites, Pelpita’s fortunes increase.

Commenting on this, information ministry secretary Dr. Charitha Herath says neither he nor his ministry has any connection to this. He is of the view that trying to control social websites could result in far worse situations.