Foreign Office warns of social media blackout in Sri Lanka after violent clashes

A state of emergency has been declared after days of anti-Muslim violence and rioting.

The authorities have imposed curfews and shut down social media sites and messaging platforms.

The Foreign Office (FCO) has urged Britons in the country to be vigilant, although there are no reports of any other major tourist destinations being affected.

Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo is operating as normal, although there is some disruption to localised travel.

The FCO said on its website: “You should exercise caution, avoid protests and rallies, comply with local security requirements and follow the advice of local authorities.”

Sri Lanka Tourism has also issued its own guidance for tourists, stressing foreign passports can be used to circumnavigate curfews in the Kandy district.

“The situation in Kandy is improving and the area is fast returning to normalcy,” it said on its website. “No violent incident has been reported from the district in the last 24 hours.

“Police have imposed a curfew in the Kandy district from 6pm to 6am tomorrow (March 9) purely as a precautionary measure.”

Anyone in the country is also urged to consult the Sri Lankan Tourism Development Authority website, which is issuing regular updates.

Tourists can potentially get around the social media blackout by using a VPN.