DIFFERENT PRIORITIES IN THE SINHALA AND TAMIL PRESS |
Tamil Headlines
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Virakesari: “Stop the wind power project immediately” – Opposition leaders Mano and Kavinda demand; arrangements made to go to Mannar today to join the protest | Forty people dead at Vijay’s rally Thinakaran: Forty people dead at Vijay’s rally | President Anura at the EXPO 2025 exhibition in Japan |
Thinakkural: “If you are truly acting on transitional justice, then bring the perpetrators before justice; international representatives urge Sri Lanka” – Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam | “Issue of enforced disappeared persons; UNHRC deceiving our people” – Shritharan MP | “Massive devastation will occur in society [due to drugs]” – Minister Ananda Wijepala warns Thamilan: Mass tragedy at actor Vijay’s rally; 40 dead! |
Sinhala Headlines
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Lankadeepa: Bribery cases to be heard in a separate court; subjects allocated to 15 High Courts in Colombo Divaina: Investigations underway to apprehend the police officer who alerted Padme’s group on Olugala, who travelled to Indonesia; a copy of the red notice had been shared via WhatsApp; “The police officer who betrayed [the police] will be shown no mercy” – The IGP | Dear monks, may you attain nibbana! Another monk who was receiving treatment in the ICU passes away; no requirement arose to upgrade the cable car, which had been installed when technology was not advanced, as no issues had previously occurred Mawbima: A sexually transmitted disease (syphilis) spreads among the toque macaques and monkeys in Polonnaruwa; “We are vigilant: There is no need to be alarmed at present” – The minister [of environment] says | The 100th gunshot of the year from Tissamaharama; one person dies |
Dinamina: Vehicles imported, assembled and sold: Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia SLPP council member Amal arrested; 60 million worth of vehicles seized | The mobile phone of Sampath Manamperi, who was arrested on an incident related to ‘ice’, placed on the path of a train and destroyed; “Data regarding many secrets were stored on the SIM card” – The police state Aruna: “Some bills are drafted by foreign NGOs” – The CIABOC director-general expresses opposition to the new laws to be imposed on schools Anidda: This paper is published on Fridays only |
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TAMIL PRESS PRIORITIES |
Photo credits: Tamil Guardian
Shutdown in Mannar against police brutality | Statements on the incidents
Thinakkural, Virakesari, Thamilan, Thinakaran
Thamilan, Thinakkural: Rev. Fr. S. Marcus, leader of the Mannar Citizens’ Committee, has called for full cooperation from all parties for the general shutdown protest in Mannar today (29th), both to oppose the upcoming wind power project in Mannar and to condemn the police attacks on the people.
Thinakkural: ACTC MP Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam stated that the police violence against the people in Mannar is “state terrorism,” adding that the “true face of the government is revealed.”
Thinakkural: Chairperson of the Federation of Community Organisations in the Mannar District, Mr. V.S. Sivakaran, claimed that before installing wind turbines in Mannar, the government must come for discussions, otherwise the protest will erupt.
Thinakkural: Rev. Fr. S. Vasanthan, the Parish Priest of Kaddaikaadu, claimed that “during the UN Human Rights Council session, since attacks were carried out here in Sri Lanka against religious leaders, our people’s rights must be secured through international intervention rather than the global community remaining passive.”
They also organised a peaceful protest to condemn the police brutality.
Virakesari: Opposition leaders Mano Ganesan and Kavinda Jayawardhana have demanded the immediate halt of the wind power project.
They have also arranged to go to Mannar today to participate in the protest.
They strongly condemned the police attacks on the public.
Thinakkural reports Mano Ganesan’s statement.
Thinakaran: Minister Ramalingam Chandrasekar claimed that if the Mannar land is at risk, the projects will be stopped; work is allowed to proceed only under (certain) conditions.
Thinakkural quotes the minister saying that the projects should be allowed to proceed.
Virakesari quotes Chandrasekar, saying that there will not be any harm due to the project.
“If you are truly acting on transitional justice, then bring the perpetrators before justice; international representatives urge Sri Lanka” – Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam
Thinakkural ACTC MP Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam stated that international representatives have stated that justice is an essential component of transitional justice and that this is not possible without bringing perpetrators before the courts. Speaking to the media after participating in a hunger strike by the families of the forcibly disappeared in Chemmani, Jaffna, he claimed this was conveyed to a parliamentary delegation by officials from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). Ponnambalam accused successive governments of deceiving the international community by creating superficial mechanisms while pressuring victims’ families to accept compensation instead of justice. He added that the ongoing protests aim to expose the current government’s “false agenda” and reiterate the demand for an international investigation to punish those responsible for the disappearances. |
“Families of the disappeared allowed to hold commemorations” – Delegation led by the Minister of Justice at the UNThinakaran
At the 29th session of the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances, a Sri Lankan delegation led by Minister of Justice Harshana Nanayakkara stated that families of the disappeared are permitted to hold memorials, provided such events do not glorify terrorist organisations. Responding to questions from the committee’s experts, the delegation affirmed that Sri Lanka observes a National Day for the Disappeared, to which victim families are invited to speak. The delegation also clarified that Certificates of Absence are issued only at the request of family members and are not mandatory. Furthermore, they reported that the Office for Reparations has already provided financial assistance to over 4,000 families. |
SINHALA PRESS PRIORITIES |
Photo credits: ONLANKA
Vehicles imported, assembled and sold: Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia SLPP council member Amal arrested; Rs. 60 million worth of vehicles seized
Dinamina, Divaina, Lankadeepa
Amal Silva, an SLPP council member of the Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Municipal Council and a former Western Provincial Council member, was arrested on September 28 by the Walana Central Anti-Corruption Unit.
The arrest is in connection with the possession of three illegally imported luxury jeeps, including Land Rover and Mitsubishi models, valued at over Rs. 60 million.
Investigations revealed that the vehicles were allegedly registered using fraudulent documents and the registration numbers of decommissioned government vehicles.
The scheme reportedly involved altering data at the Department of Motor Traffic, with one military-style jeep found to have been illegally imported and disguised as a Sri Lanka Army vehicle.
Silva is scheduled to be produced before the Panadura Magistrate on September 29.
“Some bills are drafted by foreign NGOs” – The CIABOC director-general expresses opposition to the new laws to be imposed on schools
Aruna Speaking at a meeting held at the Ministry of Education on September 27, Director General of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) Ranga Dissanayake strongly criticised the proposed Penal Code (Amendment) Bill introduced with the aim of ending corporal punishment that targets children as well as harmful disciplinary practices. While addressing national school principals, Dissanayake argued that existing laws are sufficient for matters concerning children and warned that the new amendment could lead to future protests from parents. He also suggested that some legislative drafts are prepared by foreign NGOs. The principals reportedly applauded the director general’s statements and subsequently heckled an official from the Child and Women’s Bureau who spoke in favour of the bill. Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya also joined the session later, at which point several principals appealed to her to reconsider the amendment. The amendment bill has not been passed, although it was debated in parliament on September 24. |
“There are ways to punish children without humiliating them” – The prime ministerSpeaking at a meeting with national school principals on September 27, Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya clarified that the proposed amendment on punishing children is for the protection of all children in society and is not an issue limited to schools. She emphasised that the law is not aimed at teachers but addresses the broader societal problem of physical and mental abuse of children, including those in state care, on probation, and in police custody. The prime minister stated that the government has not banned disciplining children but questions the societal belief that discipline requires physical torment or mental humiliation. She asserted that there are many positive methods to discipline a child without causing harm and proposed holding workshops to discuss these alternatives. |
Bribery cases to be heard in a separate court; subjects allocated to 15 High Courts in Colombo
Aruna, Lankadeepa
A new programme has been introduced to the Colombo High Court to expedite hearings, following instructions from Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena to the Judicial Service Commission.
The programme assigns specific types of cases to designated judges and courts, creating specialised divisions for matters such as bribery and corruption, child abuse, narcotics and financial fraud.
As part of this allocation, nine High Courts will hear criminal cases, three will handle commercial and civil cases, and one has been designated solely for bribery and corruption cases.
Under this system, one High Court, presided over by Judge Mohammed Mihail, will exclusively hear cases related to bribery or corruption.
Colombo’s Chief High Court Judge Manjula Tillakaratne, in addition to hearing cases involving appeals and writ applications, will oversee the administration of the 15 High Courts involved in the new structure.
COMMON PRIORITIES: SINHALA & TAMIL PRESS |
Photo credits: AP
40 dead at Vijay’s rally
Aruna, Dinamina, Divaina, Thamilan, Virakesari, Thinakkural, Thinakaran
The death toll in the stampede at the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam party’s campaign meeting, led by its leader Vijay, has increased to 40.
The incident, which occurred in Karur, also left over 50 people injured and hospitalised.
The stampede was reportedly caused by a crowd surging towards the campaign vehicle while Vijay was speaking, leading to those in the front being crushed.
According to Tamil Nadu security sources, Vijay may be arrested on several charges, including not starting the campaign at the permitted time and failing to provide basic facilities for a large crowd.
In response to the tragedy, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has announced relief for the victims and visited the injured in the hospital.
Meanwhile, the Federation of Tamil Nadu Traders’ Associations has announced that shops across the state will be closed today in mourning for the deceased.
“No new taxes through the upcoming budget. The reduction of existing tax [percentages] to be considered as well” – The president states in Japan
Dinamina, Lankadeepa, Virakesari, Thinakkural
Addressing the Sri Lankan community in Tokyo during his visit to Japan, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated that the government aims to avoid introducing new taxes in the upcoming budget.
He also announced that consideration would be given to reducing certain existing tax percentages in the future.
The president also invited Sri Lankans living in Japan to invest in the country, assuring them that the government would provide all necessary facilities.
Thinakkural reports that the president noted that Sri Lanka has reached an important milestone in its economic journey.
Virakesari reports that the president further affirmed the government’s commitment to resolving Sri Lanka’s ethnic issue within a constitutional framework.
Commenting on the situation in the North, the president added that, “It was the Northern Province that was most severely devastated by the war. The people there suffered terribly. This is the truth. The people of the North only wish to live in peace and tranquility. Compared to other provinces, the Northern Province has the highest military presence. The army camps in the North will be removed in line with security procedures.”
The meeting was held on September 28 at the Reiyukai Hall in Tokyo and was organised by the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Japan in collaboration with volunteer organisations.
President Dissanayake is on an official visit to Japan from September 27 – 30.
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Common priorities: Additional stories
1. Ranil Wickremesinghe visits Mahinda Rajapaksa at Carlton House – Aruna, Dinamina, Mawbima, Thamilan, Virakesari, Thinakkural, Thinakaran
2. “A national movement will be launched to eradicate drugs and the underworld” – The minister of public security | Red notices issued on 72 criminals who have fled overseas – Divaina, Mawbima, Thinakkural, Virakesari
3. COPE summons the heads of 457 state institutions – Dinamina, Thamilan, Thinakaran
4. Investigations underway to apprehend the police officer who alerted Padme’s group on Olugala, who travelled to Indonesia – Divaina, Thinakkural, Virakesari
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