How a travel ban on Gotabaya Rajapaksa re-engineered the online defence of Suresh Sallay (opens original article in a new tab)

A travel ban on Gotabaya Rajapaksa triggered a surge in Facebook content defending Suresh Sallay, with narratives linking the former president to the 2019 Easter attacks and involving coordinated online campaigns.

• A court-ordered travel ban on former Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on 3 June led to a significant increase in Facebook posts about Suresh Sallay, the former intelligence chief.
• Facebook content about Sallay surged 23 times after the travel ban, with further increases following a minister's statement linking Sallay to the 2019 Easter attacks.
• Posts included narratives framing Sallay as a war hero, claims of his mistreatment in custody, and counter-accusations against political opponents, with some evidence of coordinated online campaigns.