President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Saturday issued an Extraordinary Gazette barring people from staying in public places ahead of a planned protest for Sunday.
As per the Gazette, it prohibited anyone from being on any public road, railway, public park, public recreation ground or other public ground or seashore in such areas with effect from 6.00 pm on April 02 to 6.00 am on April 04, reported Daily Mirror.
President considers that it is necessary to maintain public order in the area.
"Whereas I consider that it is necessary to maintain public order in the areas specified in the Schedule hereto, I, GotabayaRajapaksa, President, by virtue of the powers vested in me under Section 16 of the Public Security Ordinance (Chapter 40) do by this Order direct that no person shall be on any public road, railway, public park, public recreation ground or other public ground or the seashore in such areas, from 18.00 hour of April 02nd, 2022 to 06.00 hour of April 04th, 2022, except under the authority of a written permit granted by Secretary, Ministry of Defence or Secretary, Ministry of Public Security or Inspector-General of Police or any officer authorized by them," read the government notification signed by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
Sri Lanka government has also imposed a nationwide social media blackout after midnight on Sunday, April 3, according to an internet observatory.
Some two dozen social media platforms were affected including Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram.
Ahead of the planned protest for Sunday, the island nation had declared a 36-hour curfew from Saturday to Monday as the country faced a severe power crisis and rising inflation.
The island nation of 22 million people is having a hard time dealing with blackouts for up to 13 hours a day as the government scrambles to secure foreign exchange to pay for fuel imports.
( With inputs from ANI )
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