Major stories in the Sinhala and Tamil press: Jun.30 – Jul. 6

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 four main stories. The four stories were on: (i) Minister Sunil Handunneththi’s participation in a panel discussion hosted by the World Economic Forum; (ii) the ongoing investigations into the release of “red-labelled” containers; (iii) the tussles between political parties to secure control in local government authorities; and (iv) the enforcement of the law against politicians of past governments. The Sinhala press exclusively featured two main stories, and they were on the: (i) reported rise in organised crime including murders and (ii) granting of the approval to disburse the fifth tranche of the IMF EFF. The Tamil press exclusively featured three main stories, and they were on the: (i) excavations at the Chemmani mass grave; (ii) visit of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk; and (iii) demands for justice and post-war accountability, including calls for the release of lands occupied by the military and for answers regarding missing persons.