President Maithripala Sirisena says that 75% of the news items in Sri Lanka's online publications are free of the truth.
The president who visited the UK to attend the Commonwealth Heads of State summit Tuesday (April 17) made this statement while speaking to a group of Sri Lankans living in London.
According to the President the recent Sinhala Muslim clashes that took taken place in Kandy were also based on false propaganda spread through the internet.
President Maithripala Sirisena also pointed out that social media sites has even become a serious issue for the United States and that the decision of the lankan government to shut down the social media during the clashes averted a great deal of destruction that could have taken place.
President Maithripala Sirisena also said that the attempts made by some to hide the truth and promote falsehood are a hindrance to the forward march of the country.
Therefore, the President invited the Sri Lankan community living in London to assist the journey of building the country with a proper understanding of the real situation of the Motherland.
Members of academics, businessmen, university students and many others representing various fields were present at the meeting and President Maithripala Sirisena was warmly welcomed by them.
Expressing his views, the President further explained that the real information on the propagandas followed by the government to develop the country by establishing freedom and democracy do not flow to the people.
A major reason for that is certain media and social media platforms attempt on highlighting falsehoods and suppressing the truth to gain narrow political advantage and commercial benefits, he said and further stated that they have not truly understood the value of the freedom given to everybody by the present government.
The President, who emphasized that the government has taken steps with great dedication to fulfil the duties on behalf of the dear Motherland during the last three years, said that one of the priorities of it is to establish coexistence and reconciliation and to make the peace gained by the country a permanent one.
Thus, the President said that the economic plans made towards monitoring the country towards development and building the economy of the people of the country has often succeeded while the victories gained internationally through the past three years getting close to the international community, which was earlier against the Motherland, also takes a special place.
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