Major stories in the Sinhala and Tamil press: May 5 – 18

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

Over the past two weeks the Sinhala and Tamil press converged in relation to five main stories. The five stories were on the: (i) 2025 Local Government Election outcome; (ii) the death by suicide of a schoolgirl in Kotahena; (iii) erection of a memorial commemorating Tamil genocide in Brampton, Canada; (iv) escalating tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam attack; and (v) enforcement of the law against politicians of past governments. The Sinhala press exclusively featured two main stories, and they were on the: (i) state celebrations of Vesak and (ii) reported rise in organised crime and road accidents. The Tamil press exclusively featured three main stories, and they were on the: (i) commencement of the commemoration of Mullivaikkal Remembrance Day with the serving of Mullivaikkal kanji (porridge); (ii) delays in the government’s promises materialising, especially concerning the grievances faced by the Tamil-speaking communities; and (iii) calls to revoke the gazette concerning land acquisition by the state in the North and East.