The controversial Online Safety Law that entered Sri Lanka’s statute books in February which has erupted widespread national and international censorship and criticism brought to the attention and scrutiny of the White House
when President Biden’s special assistant for Asian-American Affairs and Senior Liaison for the Asia-Pacific Region had a lengthy discourse with two Sri Lankan expatriates known to American lawmakers and socio-political activists as advocates for strengthening US-Sri Lanka relations, and most importantly, removing misunderstandings between the two nations.
Erika L. Moritsugu, a senior official in President Joe Biden’s White House staff handling Asian-American Affairs and Senior Liaison for Asia-Pacific Region, Sanje Sedera, Democratic Party activist in the State of Nevada who maintains continuous rapport and dialogue with U.S. lawmakers as well as the inaugural-Chair of the US-Sri Lanka Chamber of Commerce, and Daya Gamage, former US State Department Foreign Service National Political Specialist, met on February 28, in Las Vegas, Nevada, for a thought provoking dialogue connected to US-Sri Lanka relations and issues in the Indo-Pacific Region in which Sri Lanka is strategically located.
Ms. Moritsugu made a special trip to Las Vegas to have this dialogue with Mr. Sedera and Mr. Gamage while scheduling meetings with officials of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPI).
Besides involved in political and foreign affairs Mr. Sedera during the COVID-19 pandemic that hit Sri Lanka hard, liaised with US Congresswoman Dina Titus, co-chair of US-Sri Lanka Caucus and member of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee’s South Asia Sub-Committee, to drastically increase the US-contributed medication to Sri Lanka.
Besides engaged in enhancing relations between the two nations, and clearing misunderstandings, the highlight of the discourse with Ms. Erika Moritsugu was the recently enacted Sri Lanka’s Online Safety Law.
Sri Lanka Parliament in mid-January this year enacted regulations to regulate online content sparking criticism from human rights groups and the diplomatic community that the government was trying to crack down on dissent and strife freedom of speech.
Both Mr. Sedera and Mr. Gamage were well aware that the obnoxious features of the Online Safety Act were communicated and made known to the diplomatic officials of the U.S. Department of State through the department’s diplomatic representative Ambassador Julie Chung, nevertheless the real message about the obnoxious features of the legislation has not been well communicated to Washington policymakers.
Having had the discourse with Ms. Moritsugu, the features of the Online Safety Law have now reached White House ‘policy wonks’ who work closely with President Biden.
It was explained that the Act provides sweeping powers to the Online Safety Commission, appointed by Sri Lanka President, and that this panel could decide what constitutes a prohibited statement and issue, take down orders to internet service providers and social networks.
Accompanying Erika Moritsigu was Krystal Ka’ai, Executive Director of White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
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