Major stories in the Sinhala and Tamil press: Mar.24 – 30

Signposts the differences and nuances in reporting between Sinhala and Tamil language newspapers.

Over the past week the Sinhala and Tamil press converged in relation to six main stories. The six stories were on the: (i) preparations for the upcoming local government elections; (ii) sanctions imposed by the United Kingdom on four Sri Lankans, including former military officers; (iii) tabling of the Batalanda Commission report; (iv) 2025 Budget; (v) arrest of Deshabandu Tennakoon; and (vi) views in support of and opposition to the progress of the government. There was only one story featured exclusively in the Sinhala press. That was on the reported rise in organised crime in the country. The Tamil press exclusively featured two main stories, and they were on the: (i) disputes over contested land in the Northern and Eastern Provinces, including in Jaffna and Trincomalee and (ii) demands to provide justice and accountability for past crimes perpetrated on minority communities.