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This Video Shows Sri Lankan Ministers Stripped By Protestors During Anti-Government Protests? No, Viral Claim Is False
Writer: Jakir Hassan
A journalist at heart loves the in-depth work of reporting, writing, editing, research, and data analysis. A digital and social media enthusiast.
India, 16 May 2022 1:47 PM GMT
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As the founding editor, Bharat had been heading the newsroom during the formation years of the organization and worked towards editorial policies, conceptualizing and designing campaign strategies and collaborations. He believes that through the use of digital media, one could engage the millennial's in rational conversations about pertinent social issues, provoking them to think and bring a behavioral change accordingly.
Creatives : Jakir Hassan
A journalist at heart loves the in-depth work of reporting, writing, editing, research, and data analysis. A digital and social media enthusiast.
People on social media claimed that Sri Lankan ministers were stripped naked by the protestors. However, we found that the people seen in the video were prisoners.
The situation in Sri Lanka is in Chaos due to skyrocketing inflation and violent protests by the public. A few days back, after the resignation of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, the angry mob set Rajapaksa's ancestral house on fire. 5 people have died in heavy violence, including one MP from Rajapaksa's party.
Meanwhile, a video has gone viral on social media. In the viral video, a crowd can be seen surrounding some people and asking questions to them. People who are being questioned can be seen kneeling on the ground, stripped, and frightened. It is being claimed that people seen pleading in the video are the ministers of Sri Lanka, who have been stripped by the people during the anti-government protests.
A Twitter user shared this video and wrote, "It's very sad what's happening in #SriLanka. These stripped men are the corrupt ministers rightfully beaten by poor, hungry, angry people. These ministers let #Rajapaksa clan fill their coffers. Now the country faces bankruptcy. #SriLankaEconomicCrisis #SriLanka #SriLankaProtests."
Another user wrote, "All these naked people are ministers of Sri Lanka. The Pakistani government has banned all news from Sri Lanka so that the people do not suffer the same fate."
It is being widely shared on Twitter and Facebook with a similar claim.
Claim:
People seen pleading in the video are the ministers of Sri Lanka, who have been stripped by the people during the anti-government protests.
Fact Check:
The Logical Indian fact check team verified the claim and found it to be misleading. The men in the video are prisoners.
During the initial investigation, we extracted different keyframes from the viral video using the InVid tool and conducted a Google reverse image search. We found the same video tweeted by Daily Mirror on May 10. The caption of the video reads, "It was reported that prisoners were bought today (10) to attack the protesters at #GotaGoGama."
We found journalist Sunanda Deshapriya sharing the same video. The caption of the video reads, "#SriLanka #GoHomeGota. Video evidence has surfaced to prove that Mahinda Rajapaksa has bought prisoners to attack peaceful protestors on 090522. These are prisoners from open prison cam at Watarka and they have been transported by Jailer Rathnayake." According to it, the people in the viral video are prisoners who allegedly attacked the protesters. This may be the reason why they were being interrogated.
On searching more, we found the same video in a verified Srilankan YouTube News channel dated 10 May 2022. The title of the video reads in English, "Used prisioners to attack? - Explanation from the Department of Prisons."
Fact check website Boom contacted Dinidu De Alwis, a Colombo-based activist, who confirmed that the men seen in the video are in fact prison inmates and not ministers. He said that the video was taken on Monday. It shows several prisoners being taken to Colombo from a labour camp in order to attack protestors at Galle Face. While talking about the video, he told Boom, "The guy who speaks to the camera says that they are inmates from Watareka prison who for two years have been part of a rehab programme. He then goes on to say that a jailor called Ramanayake is the one who brought them today."
Though we cannot independently verify the exact reason behind the mob attack on the people in the video. But it is evident from our investigation that the men seen in the viral video are prison inmates and not Sri Lankan ministers. Hence, the viral claim is false.
If you have any news that you believe needs to be fact-checked, please email us at factcheck@thelogicalindian.com or WhatsApp at 6364000343.
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