COLOMBO (News 1^st) – President Maithripala Sirisena has issued instructions to lift the restrictions imposed on Whatsapp from midnight tonight (March 14).

According to the President’s Media Division, the President, who is currently on a State visit to Japan, issued the instructions to the Secretary to the President, Austin Fernando after evaluating the security situation in the country.

The decision comes a day after restrictions imposed on Viber were lifted at midnight yesterday (March 13) on the instructions of the President.

On March 7^th, the government took a decision to ban social media platforms including Facebook, Whatsapp and Viber in the wake of the unrest which broke out in Kandy.

However, a final decision is yet to be reached on relaxing the restrictions on Facebook.

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