Sri Lanka- Internet providers yesterday agreed to block phonographic sites and The Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (TRC) said it would set up a special unit to monitor websites that upload such material into the web.

TRC director general Priyantha Kariyaperuma [pictured] said internet providers also agreed to work with the Commission to help bring culprits in Sri Lanka to book.

He said 12 sites had been blocked on a Court order and pointed out that since the word ‘sex’ has a scientific connotation it had been decided to use a another word for it where porn sites were concerned.

Mr. Kariyaperuma assured there won’t be any restriction on viewing other websites and had requested the Colombo University School of Computing to design some

mechanism to block the porn sites.

The decision to ban the pornographic sites comes after President Mahinda Rajapaksa requested government officials to monitor the sites and look into the possibility of banning them following a complaint received from Police Chief Jayantha Wickramaratne on the spreading menace.

New laws for adults-only films

By Olindhi Jayasundere

The Public Performance Board said yesterday it had proposed new laws to reduce the number of adults-only films being shown without Board approval at theaters.

Chairman, Asoka Serasinghe said each year several adults-only films were shown illegally in cinemas.

“Adults-only films can only be exhibited after the PPB issues a certificate. Many films don’t posses a certificate so they are known to forge them. This is unlawful and we intend to put a stop to it,” the Chairman said.

He said as a means of resolving this issue the showing of adult-only films put on hold for a while.

The new Act proposes a maximum penalty of Rs.500,000 and a minimum penalty of Rs.50,000 for showing adults-only films without a PPB certificate.

Two years jail has also been proposed for those found guilty.

The Public Performance Act at present imposes a fine of Rs.1,500.