Major stories in the Sinhala and Tamil press: May 4 – May 10

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) death of former SriLankan Airlines CEO Kapila Chandrasena; (ii) proposal to increase the electricity tariff; (iii) alleged theft of USD 2.5 million from the Treasury by hackers; (iv) prevailing inclement weather; (v) measures taken to counter the impact of the war in the Middle East on Sri Lanka’s economy; (vi) government’s progress across multiple sectors, including the economy and governance. 

There were no stories featured exclusively in the Sinhala press. 

The Tamil press exclusively featured three main stories, and they were on the: (i) Commemoration of the Mullivaikkal Remembrance Week and the distribution of Mullivaikkal kanji (rice porridge) ; (ii) demands for accountability and justice concerning past atrocities, including enforced disappearances and mass graves, including at Chemmani; and (iii) the problems faced by the Hill Country Tamil community and the increase in wages of plantation workers.