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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Dear Sagarika,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Thank you for this. You are right to flag the issue.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>As it happens, I was in Sri Lanka last week and was surprised when WhatsApp suddenly stopped working. I later found out that the government had blocked access to WhatsApp and to Facebook because of the unrest and potential violence in Kandy.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>As you know, ISOC opposes blocking, see:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> <a href="https://www.internetsociety.org/blog/2011/09/blocking-internet-content-harmful-or-efficient">https://www.internetsociety.org/blog/2011/09/blocking-internet-content-harmful-or-efficient</a> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>And the more recent paper at:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> <a href="https://www.internetsociety.org/resources/doc/2017/internet-content-blocking/">https://www.internetsociety.org/resources/doc/2017/internet-content-blocking/</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>ISOC Switzerland made a statement back in December 2016 regarding blocking, see:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> <a href="https://www.isoc.ch/archives/2430">https://www.isoc.ch/archives/2430</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Best,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Richard<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div style='border:none;border-left:solid blue 1.5pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 4.0pt'><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Chapter-delegates [mailto:chapter-delegates-bounces@elists.isoc.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Sagarika Wickramasekera<br><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, March 15, 2018 07:03<br><b>To:</b> Chapter Delegates<br><b>Cc:</b> Subhashish Panigrahi<br><b>Subject:</b> [Chapter-delegates] internet restriction in and social media ban in Sri Lanka.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>Dear All,<o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>We are facing a critical situation of restriction internet in some part of the country and social media ban. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>As internet society Sri Lanka chapter we raise our voice by conducting open discussion forum for multi stake holder community and today we are going to handover the summary document to relevant authorities along with the press release. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>We are not agreed on any kind of control on internet and we believe in the net neutrality. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Please do join your hands with us with supporting ideas where you have the similar situations.<o:p></o:p></p><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Sagarika Wickramasekera <br>Asst.Network Manager<br>SriPalee Campus,<br>University of Colombo.<br>BSc.(Nat.Sci) CCNA,CCSP,MBA<br>President ISOC Sri Lanka chapter<br>LKiNG Advisory board member<o:p></o:p></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>