DIFFERENT PRIORITIES IN THE SINHALA AND TAMIL PRESS
Tamil Headlines
Virakesari: “The government is not interested in the new constitution” – ITAK MPs tell U.S. ambassador | Virakesari group won 14 awards | Pictorial: Award winners of Virakesari at the 25th Annual Journalism Awards for Excellence 2024 organised by the Sri Lanka Press Institute and The Editors’ Guild of Sri Lanka
Thinakaran: ‘Gem Sri Lanka’ exhibition held at Bentota | “The government has not granted permission for Israeli citizens to build places of worship in the country” – Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya | Decision taken to celebrate the 77th National Independence Day at a very low cost; no airshow | Pictorial: Lake House wins six journalism awards
Thinakkural: “The U.S. should help us achieve the most noble political solution in many countries, federalism; and the US should take the Geneva resolution to the next level” – ITAK MPs tell Julie Chung | Pictorial: Thinakkural wins three awards
Thamilan: “Israeli construction intensifies in Sri Lanka!; who is granting permissions?” – Mujibur Rahuman questions | Pictorial: Liberty Publishers wins six awards
Sinhala Headlines
Lankadeepa: The Ministry of Health has paid Rs. 38.23 billion in OT while ignoring the circular; the 213 fingerprint scanners that were fixed spending Rs. 30 million are also not working | Easter Sunday attack: A confession from the suspects to court
Divaina: “There is a risk of 100,000 illegal immigrants coming into the country; we are prepared to work in accordance with international law if they are refugees” – Ananda Wijepala states quoting the intelligence unit; 116 have already arrived
Ada: “There is a risk of 100,000 illegal immigrants coming into the country; 116 have already arrived; revelation made through information from the intelligence unit” – Ananda Wijepala
Mawbima: “100,000 foreigners to enter the country by unlawful means” – Ananda Wijepala | Pictorial: 25th edition of the Journalism Awards for Excellence
Dinamina: Cases to be filed against 1,042 candidates who did not submit expense reports; 197 party secretaries and independent groups also among them
Aruna: Cases filed against 12 presidential election candidates who have not submitted expense reports on election campaigns
Anidda: This paper is published on Fridays only
TAMIL PRESS PRIORITIES
Photo credits: Daily Mirror
“The government is not interested in the new constitution” – ITAK MPs tell U.S. ambassador
Thinakkural, Virakesari
A delegation of Illankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK) MPs headed by Sivagnanam Shritharan held a discussion with U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung in Colombo. The MPs pointed out that although the government initially said it would draft a new constitution, it is not currently considering it. If the new constitution is based on a unitary constitutional system that does not meet the national aspirations of the Tamil people, the Tamil people will have no choice but to oppose and vote against it.
Virakesari reports that the ambassador claimed that the U.S. remains committed to a lasting political solution for the Tamil people, adding that the U.S. has not changed its position on truth-seeking, accountability and crimes against humanity.
Shritharan stated that they had told the ambassador that a federal system in which powers cannot be taken away would be the ideal solution for the ethnic crisis.
“The government will take steps to provide justice for Lasantha Wickrematunge” – Minister of Justice
Thinakaran, Thamilan, Virakesari
Minister of Justice and National Integration Harshana Nanayakkara told parliament that the government will take steps to bring justice for the slain journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge. He added that they will uphold justice in this matter, and that steps are being taken for that. He further added that as a government, they have a responsibility to protect the independence of the judiciary. The minister noted that such cases have been obstructed in the past; however, the current government is acting very cautiously in this regard.
Five industrial zones to be established in the Northern Province soon
Thinakaran
A discussion was held in parliament between Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Vijitha Herath and ruling party Jaffna District MPs Rajeevan Jeyachandramoorthy and S. Sri Bavanandarajah. Herath told the latter that lands have been identified for the establishment of five industrial parks in the Northern Province and that work plans will be implemented soon. He added that Tamil diaspora who are interested in investing in Sri Lanka can do so through the Sri Lanka Investment Board. Meanwhile, the MPs informed the minister that Tamil diaspora are interested in investing in the North.
SINHALA PRESS PRIORITIES
Photo credits: Newswire
Police investigations against 1,239 who did not submit the expense reports for the general election
Divaina, Ada, Mawbima, Dinamina, Aruna
Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) Priyantha Weerasooriya has ordered an investigation into 1,239 individuals including 1,042 candidates and 197 party secretaries and independent group leaders who failed to report their income and expenditure for the 2024 General Election, in violation of the Election Expenditure Regulation Act. The Election Expenditure Regulation Act, No. 03 of 2023 states that all political parties, independent groups or candidates are required to submit their financial reports to the district returning officers within 21 days of the election results being announced. Accordingly, the acting IGP has instructed police divisions in the relevant electoral districts to begin investigations into the candidates.
A two-day debate on ‘Clean Sri Lanka’ in parliament |“‘Clean Sri Lanka’ cannot be done
forcefully” – Amarasuriya
Lankadeepa, Divaina, Ada, Mawbima, Aruna
Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya stated that a two-day debate will be held on the ‘Clean Sri Lanka’ initiative on January 21 and 22. She added that the debate will be held in order to create more public awareness about the initiative. The premier further added that some organisations are carrying out certain programmes based on the ‘Clean Sri Lanka’ initiative without understanding its main purpose. The ‘Clean Sri Lanka’ initiative, which was launched in order to lead the country towards a positive economic, environmental and societal change by subjecting the entire society to a deep transformation, is being opposed only by a group of people who do not like social transformation. Amarasuriya stressed in parliament yesterday (8th) that the government will not submit to such objections.
Agreement to grant Japanese jobs for workers
Divaina, Dinamina
The Ambassador of Japan to Sri Lanka Hon. Isomata Akio stated that in the future new job fields will be opened in Japan for Sri Lankans. The ambassador stated this when he met Chair of the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau Kosala Wickramasinghe at the bureau yesterday (8th). The ambassador also expressed his happiness about the training given to Sri Lankans seeking employment in Japan.
“Removing unnecessary fixtures in three-wheelers is good” – Ranawaka
Dinamina
Former minister Patali Champika Ranawaka, leader of the United Republic Front (URF), stated that the removal of the extra fixtures and modifications in buses and three-wheelers, which are means of public transport, through the implementation of the government’s ‘Clean Sri Lanka’ programme is a very good move. However, Ranawaka added, this process cannot solve the country’s public transport problem, and that the deep problems of public transport will not be addressed through this initiative.
COMMON PRIORITIES: SINHALA & TAMIL PRESS
Photo credits: Getty Images
A grace period of three months to remove unnecessary fixtures to buses | Discussions between trade unions and the police are successful: bus strike halted
Lankadeepa, Divaina, Ada, Dinamina, Aruna, Thinakkural, Thamilan
The private bus associations have been granted a three month grace period to adhere to the ‘Clean Sri Lanka’ traffic police operations. Accordingly, the nationwide strike action that was to be launched by trade unions of private bus associations against the ‘Clean Sri Lanka’ traffic police operations was called off. The private bus associations had decided to suspend the planned strike following successful discussions with Acting IGP Priyantha Weerasooriya yesterday (8th). Private bus associations had resorted to launching a strike action after expressing objections to the ‘Clean Sri Lanka’ traffic police operations which ordered vehicles to remove illegal modifications.
“There is a risk of 100,000 illegal immigrants coming into the country; 116 have already arrived; revelation made through information from the intelligence unit” – Ananda Wijepala
Lankadeepa, Divaina, Ada, Mawbima, Virakesari, Thinakkural
Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala stated that information has been received that over 100,000 illegal immigrants are likely to arrive in Sri Lanka in the coming days. Minister Wijepala informed parliament yesterday (8th) that the information was received based on investigations conducted by the Sri Lanka Police and Army Intelligence Unit regarding the group of Rohingya refugees that arrived in Sri Lanka recently. Wijepala added that Sri Lanka is prepared to work in accordance with international law if the immigrants in question are identified as refugees. Divaina and Ada, quoting the minister, highlight that 116 illegal immigrants have already arrived in the country.
Common priorities: Additional stories
1. The teacher who leaked the paper in the North Central Province suspended – Lankadeepa, Divaina, Ada, Dinamina, Aruna, Thinakaran
2. “What are the Israeli temples that are being built under police protection” – Rahuman – Mawbima, Virakesari, Thinakkural, Thamilan
3. “The government did not grant any permission [to build Israeli temples]” – Amarasuriya – Mawbima, Thinakaran, Thamilan
4. “Sri Lanka is rising up strongly after a period of hardship” – Weerasinghe – Divaina, Mawbima, Virakesari