This week’s cartoons
Cartoon 1:
Courtesy of Aruna, Aug.4, 2025
Context: In the past, burglars in Sri Lanka had a habit of first inserting a pot into a house they wished to rob to identify if the residents were alert to such attempts. This cartoon suggests that the government is attempting to test the waters in a similar way to see how their interventions will be received by the youth clubs.
Cartoon 2:
Courtesy of Virakesari, Aug.5, 2025
Context: Somaratne Rajapakse is a former Sri Lankan army soldier who was convicted of the gang rape and murder of Krishanti Kumaraswamy and her family in Chemmani. During investigations in 1998, Rajapakse alleged that around 300 – 400 bodies of those killed extrajudicially were buried in Chemmani. In 1999, he identified possible burial sites, which led to the discovery of a few skeletal remains in the area. Following the recommencement of excavations at the site, Rajapakse’s spouse – in a letter to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake – claimed that he is prepared to testify if an international investigation is launched.
Cartoon 3:
Courtesy of Mawbima, Aug.6, 2025
Context: Refers to the Sinhala idiom ගොනා හැරෙන්නේ පොල් පැළේ කන්න (trans: the bull turns because it wants to eat the coconut palm), which implies that a person’s true intentions can be discerned from the way they go about doing something.
Cartoon 4:
Courtesy of Lankadeepa, Aug.9, 2025
Cartoon 5:
Courtesy of Lankadeepa, Aug.9, 2025
Cartoon 6:
Courtesy of Virakesari, Aug.9, 2025
Cartoon 7:
Courtesy of Sunday Lankadeepa, Aug.10, 2025
Cartoon 8:
Courtesy of Tamil Mirror, Aug.10, 2025