Major stories in the Sinhala and Tamil press: Apr.21 – 27

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) exposition of the sacred tooth relic; (ii) arrest of Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan (alias Pillayan) and investigations into the Easter Sunday attacks; (iii) preparations for the upcoming local government elections; (iv) assassination of Dan Priyasad; (v) death of His Holiness Pope Francis; (vi) tensions unfolding between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam attack. There were two stories featured exclusively in the Sinhala press. They were on the: (i) preparations by the CIABOC to file cases against several individuals and (ii) reported rise in organised crime. The Tamil press exclusively featured three main stories, and they were on the: (i) delays in implementing the government’s promises, including to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and draft a new constitution; (ii) demands for justice and solutions for the grievances faced by the Tamil speaking communities; (iii) internal tussles in Tamil and Muslim political parties ahead of the local government elections.