Joint efforts needed to combat extremist propaganda via cyber tech’ – Defence Secy

INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
States should collaborate closely to combat incitement and the spread of hate and violent extremist propaganda through the use of modern
information and communication technologies, Defence Ministry Secretary Gen
(retd) Shantha Kottegoda told the opening session of the Colombo Defence Seminar in Colombo yesterday
The two-day ‘Colombo Defence Seminar - 2019,& the 9th in sequence commenced at the BMICH yesterday (29), under the theme ‘Evolving
Military Excellence in the Contemporary Security Landscape&.President Maithripala Sirisena, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces as the
Chief Guest graced the inaugural ceremony at the invitation of the Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva
Foreign participants, representing 42 countries were scheduled to attend with 13 foreign and 14 local speakers
However, Colombo-based diplomats of several western nations had reportedly absented themselves from the formal Seminar inauguration
yesterday morning.