Major stories in the Sinhala and Tamil press: June 15 – June 21

Highlights the differences and nuances in reporting between Sinhala and Tamil newspapers

Over the past week, the Sinhala and Tamil press converged in relation to six main stories. The six stories were on the: (i) dengue outbreak in the country; (ii) preparations to face the El Niño effect; (iii) detention of Suresh Sallay under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA); (iv) enforcement of the law against politicians and state officials of past governments; (v) signing of a ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran; and (vi) writ petition submitted requesting that former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa not be arrested.

The Sinhala press exclusively featured one main story, and it was on the fluctuation of the value of the Sri Lankan rupee against the US dollar.

The Tamil press exclusively featured five main stories, and they were on the: (i) discovery of over 370 skeletal remains at the Chemmani mass grave; (ii) demands for accountability and justice concerning past atrocities, including enforced disappearances; (iii) demands to abolish the PTA; (iv) problems faced by the Hill Country Tamil community and the increase in wages of plantation workers; and (v) protests demanding the release of private land under state occupation, including in Valikamam North.