DIFFERENT PRIORITIES IN THE SINHALA AND TAMIL PRESS |
Tamil Headlines
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Virakesari: “International expertise is essential”; HRCSL recommends; states that the manner and depth of the burials indicate the possibility of unlawful killings | The final report of Volker Türk released Thinakaran: Large quantities of drugs in airmail service parcels; worth Rs. 31.2 million; seized by Customs at Seeduwa storage yesterday| Five-hour statement from Rajitha | Ice drug factory in Nuwara Eliya linked to ‘Kehelbaddara Padme’; shocking details revealed in investigation |
Thinakkural: “Leaders told us to kill Prabhakaran while he was surrounded by the military! International and local leaders, including Sampanthan, Karunanidhi, and Jayalalithaa, instructed us to eliminate Prabhakaran; during the elections when the Congress party was winning, Shivshankar Menon also ordered us to ‘finish him off’” – Champika Ranawaka states | Over 5,000 gold articles of the LTTE handed over to the Central Bank; CID informs court Thamilan: Mahinda’s residence to be used by CID! Decision at the government’s top level; steps to evict Rajapaksa as well |
Sinhala Headlines
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Lankadeepa: Mahinda Rajapaksa’s official residence to be given to the CID | Doctor uses luxury vehicle with fraudulent number plate Divaina: Official bus travel permit book of the Welikada Police, missing; body of an infant from the National Hospital mortuary, also missing | The target of the Maligawatta shooting was a school friend of Kanjipani: friend survives with no injuries; innocent (bystander) severely injured Mawbima: 24 demands made on restructuring: CEB to work-to-rule from today: serious decision to be made if solutions are not given within two weeks – Collective of trade unions | Rent of the shops at the Kurunegala Municipal Council increased from Rs. 6,000 to Rs. 36,000: shop owners stage strong protest |
Dinamina: President shines red light on corrupt police officers: “resign if you cannot do the right thing” – President states at the 159th Police Day celebrations; President presents awards to police heroes Aruna: Rs. 6 billion defrauded digitally under the name of a private bank: many fraudulent websites found mimicking bank websites | “No murder is ever sanctified by the passage of time” – President | “We will not let a road be built through Sinharaja” – Minister of Environment states Anidda: This paper is published on Fridays only |
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TAMIL PRESS PRIORITIES |
Photo credits: The Island
“International expertise is essential”; HRCSL recommends; states that the manner and depth of the burials indicate the possibility of unlawful killings
Thinakkural, Virakesari, Thinakaran
The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) has stated that there are reasonable possibilities that illegal killings and burials took place at the Chemmani mass grave.
The HRCSL, after observing the ongoing excavation work at the site, noted that 90% of the exhumed skeletons were found without clothing.
The HRCSL has called for the creation of a permanent process to investigate these mass graves in consultation with all parties and has recommended that the Minister of Defence issue a directive prohibiting any military official from interfering with the investigation into the Chemmani mass grave.
The commission also said that international expertise and technical facilities are essential for the effective completion of this investigation.
“We do not want Katchatheevu to be turned into a tourist destination” – Rev. Fr. Jebaratnam
Thinakkural, Virakesari
Rev. Fr. J. Jebaratnam, the Vicar General of the Jaffna Diocese, has said that the diocese does not want Katchatheevu Island to be developed into a tourist destination. Speaking at a media briefing of the Jaffna District Interfaith Council, Rev. Fr. Jebaratnam noted that the island is a sacred place where St. Anthony’s Church is located and where devotees from Sri Lanka and India gather annually for the feast. He added that the Jaffna Diocese is responsible for the arrangements of the annual festival and hopes that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake will consult with the diocese before making a final decision. |
“Time is needed to address wartime allegations”; Minister Vijitha points out to diplomats; arrangements also underway for president’s visit to the USAThamilan
Minister of Foreign Affairs Vijitha Herath has met with foreign diplomats in Colombo to discuss Sri Lanka’s ongoing engagement with the UNHRC. The minister stated that the Government needs more time and space to address issues raised by the UN regarding the reconciliation process and alleged human rights violations during the war. He further highlighted the progress made by the Government in the past 11 months, including its anti-corruption program, the ‘Clean Sri Lanka’ project, and amendments to the new Anti-Terrorism Act and Online Safety Act. Herath also outlined efforts to strengthen domestic accountability mechanisms, such as the Office on Missing Persons (OMP), the Office for Reparations (OR), and the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR). The minister called on the diplomats to continue supporting Sri Lanka’s reform journey. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is scheduled to address the UN General Assembly in New York on 24 September and will also visit Japan at the invitation of the Japanese Prime Minister, Shigeru Ishiba. |
“Leaders told us to kill Prabhakaran while he was surrounded by the military! International and local leaders, including Sampanthan, Karunanidhi, and Jayalalithaa, instructed us to eliminate Prabhakaran; during the elections, when the Congress party was winning, Shivshankar Menon also ordered us to ‘finish him off’” – Champika Ranawaka states
Thinakkural Former Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka, in a recent interview, claimed that during the final stages of the war, when the Sri Lanka Army had surrounded LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran in the Puthumathalan area, international and local Tamil leaders, including R. Sampanthan, [late chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu] M. Karunanidhi, and J. Jayalalithaa, concluded that Prabhakaran could not be saved and should be “finished.” According to Ranawaka, attempts to rescue the LTTE leader through international cooperation, including with the US Marines, were initiated via Kumaran Pathmanathan, but these efforts ultimately failed. He also claimed that the US sided with the Sri Lankan forces and helped eliminate the Sea Tigers after it was proven that the LTTE had provided technological assistance to al-Qaeda in an attack on a US base in Yemen. |
“There is no justice for Tamils in Sri Lanka; confirmed by Anura’s visit to Jaffna” – GajendrakumarThinakkural
All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC) MP Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam claimed that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s visit to Jaffna confirms that Tamils will not receive justice in Sri Lanka. Ponnambalam stated that the President’s failure to visit the Chemmani mass grave site shows that “the NPP government is adopting the same Sinhala Buddhist nationalist policies as previous governments.” He added that it would now be realised as foolish for some of us to write letters to President Anura Kumara, who is the head of such a government, asking him to help establish justice in the Chemmani issue. Ponnambalam, therefore, insists that pursuing the matter through the International Criminal Court “is the only path to justice for the genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes committed in the Tamil areas.” |
SINHALA PRESS PRIORITIES |
Photo credits: Ceylon Today
24 demands made on restructuring: CEB to work-to-rule from today: serious decision to be made if solutions are not given within two weeks – Collective of trade unions
Lankadeepa, Mawbima, Aruna
Engineers and employees of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) have decided to launch an islandwide work-to-rule campaign from midnight today (4th) in protest against what they claim is a restructuring process that violates provisions of the amended Electricity Act.
Executive Committee Member of the CEB Engineers’ Union, Dhanushka Ramanayake (Lankadeepa and Aruna report his name as Dhanushka Parakramasinghe) stated that all trade unions of the CEB had unanimously agreed to launch this trade union action based on 24 demands, which include ensuring the restructuring process is carried out properly and protecting the professional rights of workers.
The first phase of the work-to-rule campaign will continue until 15 September.
Ramanayake further stated that if a satisfactory response is not received by then, the unions are prepared to intensify their trade union action in a second phase.
Former IGP Pujith Jayasundara released from the case of threatening a lift operator
Divaina, Mawbima The Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court, yesterday (3rd), ordered the release of former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Pujith Jayasundara from the case filed over allegedly assaulting a lift operator at the Police Headquarters. The accusation had been made regarding an incident that took place at the Police Headquarters in 2017. Former IGP Jayasundara had been arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) over the incident. |
Rs. 6 billion defrauded digitally under the name of a private bank: many fraudulent websites found mimicking bank websites
Aruna The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) informed the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court yesterday (3rd) that several websites, designed to resemble the official website of a leading private bank in the country, were used to defraud individuals of over Rs. 6 billion. Accordingly, Chief Magistrate Asanga Bodaragama instructed the CID to conduct a thorough investigation and promptly take the suspects involved into custody. |
“We will not let a road be built through Sinharaja” – Minister of Environment states
Aruna
Minister of Environment Dammika Patabendi stated that no permission will be granted to construct a road from Ilumbakanda to Suriyakanda in the Sinharaja Forest Reserve.
The minister made the statement while responding to a question from a journalist during a media briefing held at the Department of Government Information yesterday (3rd).
The journalist had asked whether approval had been granted to build a road from Ilumbakanda to Suriyakanda in the Sinharaja Forest Reserve.
COMMON PRIORITIES: SINHALA & TAMIL PRESS |
Photo credits: Daily Mirror
President shines red light on corrupt police officers: “resign if you cannot do the right thing” – President states at the 159th Police Day celebrations; President presents awards to police heroes
Divaina, Mawbima, Dinamina, Aruna, Virakesari, Thinakaran, Thamilan
Addressing the 159th Police Day celebrations held yesterday (3rd), President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated that no crime is sanctified through the passage of time and that time will never be an obstacle in bringing criminals to justice.
President Dissanayake assured that the incumbent government is determined to punish crimes without any discrimination, regardless of when or where they were committed.
The 159th Police Day celebrations were held at the Thimbirigasyaya Police Stadium, under the theme ‘Let’s Protect the Law – Let’s Value Peace’.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stressed that although police officers are tasked with taking action against the drug menace, some have neglected that responsibility, and therefore, he requested that this old practice be abandoned.
He further added that officers who fail to comply should step down from their duties, and if they do not resign voluntarily, discussions are underway to remove them from service.
A two-minute silence was observed in memory of the police officers who sacrificed their lives for the country.
President Dissanayake also felicitated ASP Rohan Olugala of the Western North Crimes Division and ASP Mahinda Jayasundara of the Criminal Investigation Department for their crucial role in tracking down a Sri Lankan underworld group in Indonesia.
During the event, promotions were also granted to 4,254 police officers.
Agreement to release 506 BYD vehicles, which were held up at Customs, on the condition of submitting additional bank guarantees
Divaina, Mawbima, Dinamina, Aruna, Thamilan
Sri Lanka Customs, yesterday (3rd), gave an undertaking to the Court of Appeal that it will release a total of 506 BYD electric vehicles that had been detained.
The vehicles will be released on the condition of subjecting them to the submission of additional bank guarantees.
The agreement was made when a petition filed by John Keells Holdings PLC, the importer of the electric vehicles, was taken up in the Court of Appeal.
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Common priorities: Additional stories
1. 80th anniversary of the victory over the Second World War held in Beijing – Divaina, Mawbima, Dinamina, Thamilan
2. 18 new judges appointed to the High Court – Mawbima, Dinamina, Thinakkural
3. Ranil Wickremesinghe falls ill again: party anniversary postponed to September 21 – Dinamina, Thinakkural, Thamilan
4. Mahinda Rajapaksa’s official residence to be given to the CID – Lankadeepa, Thamilan
4. Rajitha Senaratne questioned by the CID for five hours: remanded again – Dinamina, Thinakaran
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