Social media has erupted over what it believes is evidence that lockdown regulations in Sri Lanka are being applied selectively.

The outrage comes as a result of a number of "privileged" Colombo-based residents openly flouting the lockdown and sharing pictures of their escapades on social media.

Most notable among these are none other that Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Namal Rajapaksa, who posted several photos of himself surfing in Arugumbay on the East Coast, as well as Thisuri Wanniarachchi, the daughter of a retired Army General and her husband who posted pictures of themselves aboard a yacht in Colombo.

When asked about the flagrant violation of the quarantine regulations, Wanniarachchi replied that any "vaccinated person" could do it in Sri Lanka.

The incidents sparked anger among others in Colombo who are obediently adhering to lockdown regulations by remaining at home as specified by the government.

Most vocal among these was Dr Asha de Vos, a leading marine biologist who was awarded the BBC 100 Women award in 2018 and well as National Geographic Emerging Explorer Grantee in 2016.

'I’ve not been out to sea in 1.5 years to do fieldwork because of restrictions and now you tell me I could have done it all this time? Am I the fool here?' she tweeted out yesterday, adding, 'I can’t go out to sea to do work that honestly helps out country and planet. But people can go and just hang out? Isn’t there something a bit odd about that?'

Detractors also point out that while high-profile Colombo residents are going out during lockdown and posting images of themselves online, police are regularly rounding up and arresting people from underprivileged areas across the country for attempting to leave the house to find food or for other more essential issues.

Clarification:

It has been brought to our attention that Senel Wanniarachchi, the brother of Thisuri Wanniarachchi, was not part of the ‘yacht incident’ in question. We regret the error and we have edited our story accordingly.