Major stories in the Sinhala and Tamil press: August 31 – September 6

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 seven main stories. The seven stories were on the: (i) Supreme Court deliberation on the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution Bill; (ii) completion of two years in office by the NPP government; (iii) investigations into and arrests of politicians from past governments; (iv) arrests of organised crime leaders and seizing of drug hauls; (v) impact of the flash floods in Nepal; (vi) impact of El Niño on Sri Lanka; and (vii) status of the country’s economy.

There were no topics featured exclusively in the Sinhala press.

The Tamil press exclusively featured five main stories, and they were on the: (i) exhumation of over 500 skeletal remains at the Chemmani mass grave site; (ii) ongoing protests in Valikamam North, Jaffna, and Keppapilavu, Mullaitivu, demanding the release of privately-owned lands; (iii) Demands for accountability and justice concerning past atrocities, including enforced disappearances; (iv) problems faced by the Hill Country Tamil community and the increase in wages of plantation workers; and (v) commencement of the 63rd Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).