Sri Lanka’s defence secretary announced his regime would be launching a “Cyber Security Act”, just weeks after the defence ministry took control of state institutions that govern for non-governmental organisations, as well as the technology, telecommunications and media agencies.
The defence ministry said the policy would be used as “a mechanism for immediate removal of ethnically and religiously sensitive posts that spread hatred via social media networks,” as well as to “address emerging cyber crimes issues that pose a threat to the national security”.
The announcement comes as war crimes accused defence secretary Kamal Gunaratne addressed staff at Sri Lanka’s Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) this week.
“In the absence of national security, ICT of no use,” he told them. “It is a privilege for you to be under the Defence Ministry because the Ministry has more access, more power and more resources.”
Earlier this month Gunaratne called on the British government to share military intelligence and technology to combat “terrorism”, as he slammed the Tamil diaspora in a meeting with Britain’s High Commissioner.
