“I introduced internet to Sri Lanka” – PM

Prime Minster Ranil Wickramasinghe said he is responsible for introducing the internet to Sri Lanka for the very first time.
Wickramasinghe made this statement while participating at the opening of newly built swimming complex of Isipathana College, Colombo.
“I took steps to introduce internet to Sri Lanka back when I was the Prime Minister in 1993. I went to USA and signed an agreement with then US Vice President Al Gore and obtained internet to Sri Lanka.”
Meanwhile, The Prime Minster said that representatives of Facebook are expected in the country tomorrow to hold discussions with government officials.
“Our hope is not to ban Facebook but to confirm a number of rules in relation to Facebook in the coming weeks. When these rules are confirmed we have legal authority over monitoring information shared on social media platforms.”
Facebook is sending its representatives to the country following the temporary ban imposed by the government on it and other social media sites and messaging platforms following communal violence in Kandy last week.
(Source: Ada Derana)
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i was concious of the internet proces in the 80s while i was serving as a volunteer for the UNDP in an obscure place where global communications were vestigal. I was told by my handler that i should get access tot the internet. But then the only communication that i had with the outside world was a radio with a shortwave band and inter net eas outside my scope. I had a system developed by the british calledt the spectrum that had no internet connection.
that was in the 80’ws i wonder where Ranil was then to claim that he was responsible for the introduction of the internet based to sri lanka. The first that i used was hotmail that maid some pioneerign work followed by yahoo to be succeeded by google. story rnds here