DIFFERENT PRIORITIES IN THE SINHALA AND TAMIL PRESS |
Tamil Headlines
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Virakesari: Two-year prison sentence for Illukpitiya; the Supreme Court bench rules he committed an act of contempt against the court | The ITAK emphasises to the Indian high commissioner that election delays cannot be allowed | “The Tamil people are disappointed” – Shanakiyan Thinakaran: “Trade union action by the Ceylon Electricity Board employees: Those unwilling to work may leave on their own”– Nalinda Jayatissa | Contempt of court: [The former] controller general of immigration and emigration sentenced to prison | The X-Press Pearl shipping company refuses to pay the compensation for Sri Lanka’s marine damage |
Thinakkural: “One year after assuming office, Anura has betrayed the Tamil people; no solutions provided even for basic issues” – Shanakiyan | Five-day continuous hunger strike in Chemmani demanding adherence to international justice procedures | ITAK MPs meet with the Indian high commissioner; explanation given on political situation Thamilan: Contempt of court case: Harsha sentenced to prison! | The minister of justice leaves for Geneva |
Sinhala Headlines
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Lankadeepa: The USD 1 billion compensation for the X-Press Pearl ship will not be paid – The shipping company chief informs AFP | A lesson that the employees will remember: Former immigration chief imprisoned for three years over contempt of court; reduced to two years after removing the remand period Divaina: Former immigration chief imprisoned for two years over contempt of court for implementing the cabinet decision instead of complying with the court order related to the issuance of electronic visas | [The company that operated] X-Press Pearl refuses to pay the compensation of USD 1 billion | Representative companies pay Rs. 300 million in compensation for X-Press Pearl, respecting the court order | The UN office concerned over refusal to pay the compensation for the X-Press Pearl ship Mawbima: The deadline for the first payment was yesterday: Rs. 300 million paid out of the Rs. 7.5 billion; “That is all we can give” – A statement from the local agent | The South combed over to locate Shantha’s haul of drugs: The owner of the lorry and two drivers arrested; the son of the individual who died in hospital also taken |
Dinamina: Former Controller General of Immigration and Emigration Harsha Illukpitiya sentenced to two years in prison over violating Supreme Court orders and contempt of court | Many secrets behind the haul of drugs seized from Tangalle; the drugs had been brought ashore by an accomplice of an opposition politician’s brother; Unakuruwe Shantha, who led the operation, had for served as security for the spouse of a VIP for sometime Aruna: Former immigration chief imprisoned for two years over contempt of court Anidda: This paper is published on Fridays only |
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TAMIL PRESS PRIORITIES |
Photo credits: Daily FT
“One year after assuming office, Anura has betrayed the Tamil people; no solutions provided even for basic issues” – Shanakiyan
Thinakkural, Thamilan, Virakesari
Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) Leader Udaya Gammanpila claimed that the president, ministers and deputy ministers could face imprisonment in the future for including false information or concealing facts in their assets and liabilities declarations.
Gammanpila stated that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s travel expenses for his June 2024 visit to Britain were not included in his declaration. He further noted that the expenses for a 2024 trip to India and Canada, which Dissanayake undertook as the leader of the JVP, were also not revealed. Gammanpila referred to Section 8(2) of the Anti-Corruption Act, which mandates the disclosure of gifts or benefits received, and claimed that the president failed to do so.
ITAK attempts to speak directly with the president regarding the resolution [of the Tamil national problem]! A letter sent requesting a meeting
Thinakkural, Thamilan In a letter sent to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday (23rd), ITAK Leader C.V.K. Sivagnanam and General Secretary M.A. Sumanthiran have requested a meeting to directly discuss the Tamil national issue. The letter, titled “Solution to the Tamil National Problem”, notes that one year has passed since the president’s inauguration without any action on his promise to resolve the matter. The party has appointed a committee comprising its leader, general secretary, and eight MPs to discuss the issue with the government. They have urged the president to allocate a convenient time for the meeting. |
Signatures of the Tamil people handed over to the UN resident coordinatorVirakesari
A delegation representing several Tamil nationalist parties met with the UN resident coordinator in Sri Lanka, Marc-André Franche, at his Colombo office to hand over signatures collected during a petition drive. The delegation, which included MP Selvam Adaikkalanathan, also submitted a joint letter from the leaders of their respective parties. Addressed to the UN high commissioner for human rights, the letter calls for swift justice for atrocities committed against the Tamil people. It specifically requests international supervision, technical assistance, funding, and security for the continued excavation of mass graves in the North-East, including the site at Chemmani, to ensure that evidence is properly validated. |
Five-day continuous hunger strike in Chemmani demanding adherence to international justice procedures
Thinakkural
The Association of Relatives of the Disappeared in the North and East has announced a relay hunger strike at the Chemmani junction in Jaffna, to be held from Thursday, September 25, to Monday, September 29.
The protest, coinciding with the ongoing 60th session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), demands justice for the forcibly disappeared through an international mechanism. The association voiced disappointment with a recent UN report that suggested allowing the current government to pursue a domestic solution, stating they do not believe it will lead to an acceptable outcome.
The association also called for specific actions at the Chemmani mass grave site, including conducting DNA tests to identify victims, protecting the excavation area from the upcoming rainy season, and allowing relatives of the disappeared to monitor the process.
SINHALA PRESS PRIORITIES |
Photo credits: Ada Derana
“Present in parliament the reasons for removing the NCM against the deputy minister of defence” – The opposition requests
Divaina, Mawbima, Dinamina
Speaking in parliament yesterday (23rd), Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa requested the speaker to present the reasons for the rejection of the No-Confidence Motion (NCM) brought against Deputy Minister of Defence Aruna Jayasekara.
The opposition leader stated that he has no personal issues with the deputy minister, who is currently the acting minister of defence. He requested that the report of the Parliament Secretariat and the attorney general’s report, along with the reasons based on which the NCM was rejected, be presented.
“The NCM was rejected in accordance with the report of the AG and the Parliament Secretariat” – The speaker
Dinamina The speaker stated in parliament yesterday (23rd) that the No-Confidence Motion (NCM) against Deputy Minister of Defence Aruna Jayasekara was rejected based on relevant information, including reports provided by the Attorney General’s Department and the Parliament Secretariat. The speaker also stated that the opportunity to discuss the matter was provided at the request of the opposition after the previous meeting of the Committee on Parliamentary Business, and if necessary, another opportunity could be given. |
Export income worth USD 11 billion gained within eight months – The Export Development Board
Dinamina The Export Development Board (EDB) stated that the Sri Lankan export sector has shown a significant positive and stable progression during the first eight months of 2025, with the export revenue exceeding USD 11 billion. The total export revenue for the year stood at USD 11,554.32 million, marking a 6.61% increase compared to the same period in 2024. |
COMMON PRIORITIES: SINHALA & TAMIL PRESS |
Photo credits: Ada Derana
Former immigration chief imprisoned for two years over contempt of court
Lankadeepa, Divaina, Mawbima, Dinamina, Aruna, Virakesari, Thinakaran, Thamilan
In a landmark ruling yesterday (23rd), the Supreme Court (SC) sentenced former Controller General of Immigration and Emigration Harsha Illukpitiya to two years imprisonment for contempt of court.
The verdict followed his failure to comply with an interim order related to the issuance of electronic visas during the previous administration. The three-judge bench delivered the verdict after Illukpitiya unconditionally admitted to the charges against him.
The case was focused on his disregard for an SC-issued interim injunction, which was intended to halt the implementation of specific electronic visa procedures.
The USD 1 billion compensation for the X-Press Pearl ship will not be paid – The shipping company chief informs AFP
Lankadeepa, Divaina,Virakesari, Thinakaran
A Singapore-headquartered shipping company announced yesterday (23rd) that it will refuse to pay the USD 1 billion in damages ordered by a Sri Lankan court for causing the country’s worst environmental pollution case.
In an exclusive interview, X-Press Feeders Chief Executive Officer Shmuel Yoskovitz stated he believed that making the payment would have wide-ranging implications on global shipping and “set a dangerous precedent.”
The company operated the Singapore-registered container ship MV X-Press Pearl, which sank off the Colombo Port in June 2021 after a fire, believed to have been caused by a nitric acid leak, burned for nearly two weeks.
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Common priorities: Additional stories
1. Leave cancelled for CEB employees involved in the strike – Divaina, Dinamina, Aruna, Thamilan
2. The three individuals in Seenimodara died because of an ice overdose – The autopsy reveals | Suspicions as to whether poison was the reason behind the mysterious death in Tangalle | The cause of the deaths of the three people who died in Tangalle was heroin in beer – Divaina, Mawbima, Aruna, Virakesari
3. “The Ella bus accident: The driver had been driving for 30 hours without rest” | “Obtaining a driver’s licence before December 31 made mandatory; special inspections in public transport” – Bimal Rathnayake – Dinamina, Thinakaran, Thinakkural, Thamilan
4. “Be warned before electricity is interrupted” – A red light from Minister Nalinda Jayatissa – Lankadeepa, Aruna, Virakesari
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