Sri Lanka restricts access to social media amid protests

Sri Lanka temporarily restricted access to social media platforms on Sunday, an independent internet monitoring service and local media outlets reported.

Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and WhatsApp appeared blocked out for people, NetBlocks tweeted.

Sri Lankan TV channel Ada Derana reported that the platforms were restricted temporarily at "the request of the Defense Ministry."

The chairman of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka confirmed to Reuters news agency that the social media block was ordered by the government.

"It was imposed in the interests of the country and people to maintain calm," Jayantha de Silva, the chairman of the federal telecom regulatory authority, told Reuters.

Sri Lanka's upheaval

The social media restrictions came after the Sri Lankan government imposed a nationwide curfew Saturday evening to limit the movement of people until Monday morning.

Still, protesters, angry with the government's handling of the ongoing economic crisis, defied the curfew and took to the streets to demonstrate.

More than 650 people who broke curfew rules were arrested in the Western Province, which includes capital city, Colombo, Reuters reported.

Protesters clashed with police on Thursday as they demanded President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's ouster.

Rajapaksa declared a state of emergency on Friday after protests outside his house turned violent, saying tougher laws were needed to secure order in the country.

Hashtags in opposition to the government like "#GoHomeRajapaksas" and "#GotaGoHome" had been trending locally for days on Twitter and Facebook.

Opposition lawmakers defy nationwide curfew

Several dozen opposition lawmakers on Sunday defied the nationwide curfew and took to the streets, in an attempt to keep pressure on authorities.

The lawmakers gathered at opposition leader Sajith Premadasa's official residence in Colombo and began their march to the nearby Independence Square.

Armed Sri Lankan security forces set up checkpoints and have reportedly blocked the demosntration.

Sri Lanka's economic crisis

Sri Lanka's economic crisis shows no signs of abating, as inflation and food prices, amid a shortage of foreign currency reserves, keep hitting record highs.

Sri Lanka's shortage of currencyto purchase fuels has meant that people are living without power for several hours on any given day.

Exams have been postponed for millions of students, and hospitals have been forced to push back routine surgeries because of a shortage of equipment.

rm/jcg (Reuters, AFP)