DIFFERENT PRIORITIES IN THE SINHALA AND TAMIL PRESS |
Tamil Headlines
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Virakesari: A new resolution adopted in Geneva without a vote; a written report to be presented during the 63rd session; a detailed report during the 66th session | Britain remembers Manoharan; points out that many families continue to lose their lives without truth or justice Thinakaran: Tragic accident in Gampola yesterday evening; three women killed while attempting to cross the road | 31 mobile phones belonging to underworld gang members put several politicians in trouble! “No one will escape” – Says the minister of public security | “The new education reforms will not cause any harm to teachers” – The prime minister |
Thinakkural: A new resolution on Sri Lanka adopted without a vote at the UNHRC; Sri Lanka did not request a vote or express any opposition | “Many continue to die without obtaining justice despite fighting for a very long time” – The British representative expresses concern | “The international community says justice must be served by the perpetrators themselves” – The Association of Families of the Disappeared in the North and East Thamilan: A resolution regarding Sri Lanka adopted without a vote at the UNHRC; 22 countries co-sponsor and sign the resolution | A huge payment at Customs; special information revealed |
Sinhala Headlines
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Lankadeepa: An IMF report reveals the “demons” who swallow the government’s money: The CPC, CEB, Sri Lankan Airlines, NWSDB and the SLPA; the loss incurred in 2022 alone amounts to Rs. 1,025 billion | Three pedestrians killed by a car driven by a woman: Accelerator depressed mistakenly instead of the brakes; collides with a lorry; the driver has used a temporary licence; two, including the driver, hospitalised Divaina: 32 pigeons that were given as evidence by the court, stolen from the zoo: One officer suspended; statements obtained from five | Three mothers who had observed sil (Buddhist practice of observing eight precepts on Poya days) killed by a car in Doluwa, Gampola: Another mother in critical condition; the woman who drove the vehicle arrested Mawbima: This newspaper was unavailable at the time of publishing FrontPage |
Dinamina: A national school with fewer than 50 students – A report by the Ministry of Education reveals | A fatal road accident in Gampola-Doluwa on Vap [October] Poya day: Three women who had observed sil, killed Aruna: 70% of retirees’ calls go unanswered: Not enough staff to say “hello” to the calls that are made Anidda: This paper is published on Fridays only |
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TAMIL PRESS PRIORITIES |
Photo credits: Ceylon Independent
“Mahinda should be given the death penalty for treason” – Sarath Fonseka urges the government to reopen investigations if it has the courage to do so
Thinakkural, Thamilan, Virakesari
Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka has accused former President Mahinda Rajapaksa of treason, stating that the penalty for such acts under the Constitution is death.
Speaking at an event in Matara on Sunday (5th), Fonseka alleged that Rajapaksa ordered a 48-hour ceasefire in 2009 with the intention of protecting LTTE leader Prabhakaran and other senior cadres. He further claimed that Rajapaksa paid USD 2 million to the LTTE during the 2005 presidential election to prevent the Tamil community from voting for his opponent. Fonseka urged the current government to reopen investigations into these matters to prove its credibility.
“Many continue to die without obtaining justice despite fighting for a very long time”– The British representative expresses concern
Thinakkural, Virakesari While presenting the new resolution on Sri Lanka at the UNHRC, the representative for the UK remembered Dr. Kasipillai Manoharan, an activist who recently passed away. Dr. Manoharan had been fighting for justice since his son was among the five students killed in Trincomalee in 2006. The representative stated that his death is a reminder that many family members have passed away without seeing justice served for their loved ones or learning the fate of the disappeared. The new resolution acknowledges the current government’s commitments to address long-standing human rights concerns and urges it to end the surveillance of activists and families of the disappeared, ensure mass grave investigations are conducted with dignity, and establish an independent prosecutor’s office to end impunity. |
“The government will not take the Geneva resolution into consideration” – Minister ChandrasekarThinakkural
Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources Ramalingam Chandrasekar has stated that the government will not consider the Geneva resolution, adding that such resolutions have been proposed since the end of the war in 2009. He asserted that the government’s conscience is clear as it acts honestly towards the people and, unlike its predecessors, does not engage in betrayal. The minister claimed that the NPP government is genuinely concerned about addressing the issues of war-affected people, citing its leadership in the Chemmani mass grave excavation as an example. He expressed confidence that justice for the affected people can be delivered through the country’s independent judiciary. |
“The international community says justice must be served by the perpetrators themselves” – The Association of Families of the Disappeared in the North and East
Thinakkural
Secretary of the Association of Families of the Disappeared in the North and East C. Jenitha stated that the Tamil people’s mistake in the last parliamentary election has become a significant problem.
Jenitha claims that by voting for the NPP, the Tamil people created an illusion for the international community that they support a domestic justice mechanism. According to Jenitha, this has wrongly suggested that an internal inquiry can provide a solution, undermining the victims’ long-standing demand for an international investigation.
Jenitha also criticised the National Peace Council of Sri Lanka for seeking justice from the minister of justice, accusing them of trying to nullify the victims’ struggle by promoting a domestic process.
SINHALA PRESS PRIORITIES |
Photo credits: Ada Derana
A national school with less than 50 students – A report from the ministry of education reveals
Dinamina, Aruna
A new report issued by the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education outlining the progress in 2024 and the way forward for 2025, reveals that there are 1,506 schools where the student population is between 1 and 50. The report further indicates that this figure includes one national school. The report also notes a significant increase in this category of schools. According to 2023 data, there were only 1,473 schools with a student population between 1 and 50, which is an increase of 33 schools compared to 2022.
The war in Gaza reaches the two-year mark: Israel-Hamas commence talks
Dinamina Foreign media reports that critical talks aimed at ending the Gaza war, which reached the two-year mark today (7th), commenced in Cairo, Egypt, yesterday (6th), with the participation of both sides, raising hopes for peace between the people of Israel and the Gaza Strip. Foreign leaders expressed confidence that the talks held yesterday (6th) would be instrumental in securing the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas and achieving peace in the Gaza Strip. |
The second phase of increasing public sector salaries from the next budgetDinaminaThe government announced that the second phase of the public sector salary increase, which was introduced under three phases in the 2025 Budget, will be implemented through the 2026 Budget. Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Economic Development Anil Jayantha stated that the government is taking steps to increase the salaries of government employees by between 60% and 80% over the three years starting from 2025, which is to be paid in three phases. 30% of this total salary increase was granted to government employees this year. The minister added that the government is taking measures to pay a further 30% to 35% of the remaining amount through next year’s budget. |
Foreign aid halted for four water projects
Aruna
Information has been revealed that four water projects operating under the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) are now being implemented under domestic funding, as foreign funding for these projects has been halted.
The projects for which foreign funding has been halted are the Gampaha, Attanagalla, and Minuwangoda Integrated Water Supply Project; the Kandy North-Pathadumbara Integrated Water Supply Project; the Anamaduwa Integrated Water Project; and the Aluthgama, Mathugama, and Agalawatta Integrated Water Supply Project.
The NWSDB provided this information in response to an inquiry submitted to the Ministry of Urban Development, Construction and Housing under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
COMMON PRIORITIES: SINHALA & TAMIL PRESS |
Photo credits: The Island
A new resolution on Sri Lanka adopted without a vote at the UNHRC
Virakesari, Thinakaran, Thinakkural, Thamilan, Lankadeepa
The resolution A/HRC/60/L.1/Rev.1, which focuses on promoting reconciliation, accountability, and human rights in Sri Lanka, was adopted without a vote at the 60th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) yesterday (6th).
The amended resolution, co-sponsored by 22 countries, extends the mandate for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) concerning Sri Lanka for an additional two years. The resolution calls on the OHCHR to continue the work mandated by resolution 51/1, provide a written update at the 63rd session, and present a comprehensive report on progress at the 66th session.
The primary sponsors of the resolution include the UK, Canada, Malawi, Montenegro and North Macedonia, with a majority of the other co-sponsors being European nations.
Lankadeepa reports that the resolution “against” Sri Lanka was opposed by Ethiopia and Cuba while China praised Sri Lanka’s progress in terms of protecting human rights and reviving the economy.
Both Lankadeepa and Virakesari report that Sri Lanka has formally rejected the resolution.
Accident in Doluwa, Gampola kills three women
Lankadeepa, Divaina, Dinamina, Aruna, Thinakaran, Thinakkural
A serious road accident that occurred near the Doluwa Temple on the Gampola-Kandy road resulted in the death of three people and injuries to two others, who were admitted to the Gampola Teaching Hospital.
According to the Gampola Police, the accident occurred when a car, which was heading towards Gurukele Nillambe, ran over a group of women standing near the temple before colliding with a parked lorry. Police confirmed that the driver of the car possessed only a learner’s driving permit. Investigations revealed that the driver was practising, having been given the car by her spouse, who holds a valid licence and had driven the car during the initial part of the journey.
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Common priorities: Additional stories
1. 32 pigeons that were given as evidence by the court, stolen from the zoo: One officer suspended; statements taken from five – Divaina, Aruna, Thinakaran
2. The archeological museum at Somawathi declared open by the president – Divaina, Virakesari
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