Weaponising social media against Government opponents 

Online trolling is the price that almost all who are in the public eye have to pay in these days of social media. Like in most countries politicians are the ones at the receiving end of most online trolling and rightly so given that public scrutiny comes with the job. Apart from politicians, other public figures too face online scrutiny and criticism, but when trolling happens in an organised manner and crosses over to threats, intimidation and harassment, there is a cause for concern. 

The 2022 people’s struggle or Aragalaya which began as a genuine camping due to public discontent with the then Government in power was soon hijacked by organised groups with vested interests. Social media was the tool they used to propagate their interests while demonising anyone else they felt were not aligned with their views.  Ironically the then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa also came to power through organised social media campaigns which promoted him as the country’s saviour, but the bubble soon burst.

The National People’s Power (NPP) was also largely a creation of social media and the Party recruited a large number of their supporters to carry out their campaigns which contributed heavily to their electoral victories.

While the paid social media creators may have fallen by the wayside now, there are still a large number of supporters of the ruling side, who relentlessly go behind anyone who speaks out against the Government. They see no wrong in anything the Government does and are blind, just like those who once supported the Rajapaksas or other parties blindly.

One of the latest to be targeted by NPP trolls is Bar  Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) President Rajeev Amarasuriya, who has come out strongly against the Government decision to extend the retirement age of judges of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal. The very same trolls who once thought the BASL was the lifeline for the country during the Aragalaya now think the worst of BASL and its members because they oppose a Government decision that impacts the judiciary.

The Church of Ceylon (Anglican Church of Sri Lanka) on Friday joined the long list that opposes the Government’s move to extend the retirement age of appellate court judges. In a statement, the Church expressed concern and disappointment over the Cabinet’s decision to proceed with the amendment, warning that such a move could undermine the rule of law and public confidence in the independence and impartiality of the judiciary.

Will the Government trolls now go behind those of the Anglican Church because they have taken a stance against a Government decision? Is organised trolling of those seen as opposed to Government moves a tool to deter criticism and intimidate opponents?

A big part of the problem with those blindly supporting the JVP-led NPP is their refusal to admit that no political  group is sacrosanct. However much they profess to have the interests of the public at heart, self-interests come first. The NPP has already shown that it is not very different from the other political parties that held power in the past. Promises to abolish the executive presidency have been forgotten and suddenly what has sprung up is a constitutional amendment to increase the retirement age of judges.

In Animal Farm, the celebrated work of George Orwell, the final chapter awakens the reader to the corrupting nature of political power. The NPP too is caught in the same trap as its predecessors and no point of trolling against opponents can hide this fact.