DIFFERENT PRIORITIES IN THE SINHALA AND TAMIL PRESS |
Tamil Headlines
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Virakesari: “A [daily] wage of Rs. 1,700 by the end of the year” – President Anura Kumara Dissanayake assures | “The Indian-origin Tamil community is a bridge between the two nations; India’s assistance to Sri Lanka is like the responsibility felt towards a family member” – Santosh Jha | Harini meets the Chinese president; also visits the Great Wall of China Thinakaran: “Equal rights, equal status, and dignity for the Malayagam community” – The government assures that action will be taken to provide Rs. 1,700 as the daily wage by the end of this year | 220,538 new vehicles registered within nine months | “A person who does not understand the love of relatives is unfit to be an MP” – The Association for Relatives of the Enforced Disappearances strongly condemns Ramanathan Archchuna | 65,000 houses to be built across 25 districts with assistance from the Indian government; “A project worth Rs. 64 billion” – Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha | The Suraksha child insurance scheme: More benefits for students |
Thinakkural: Rameswaram fishing families plan a protest: All families to travel in boats to Katchatheevu very soon and seek refuge; Tamil Nadu fisherfolk demand immediate intervention from the Indian government; “We will fully support efforts made for your capture if you enter” – The Northern Province Fishermen’s Federation warns the Tamil Nadu fisherfolk | The director-general of the WHO arrives in Sri Lanka Thamilan: We will not abandon the estate workers; a wage increase by the end of the year! President Anura makes a firm announcement of a daily wage of Rs. 1,750 | “What is the salary formula?” – TMC Leader Mano questions | “Housing event a publicity stunt; no real handover of deeds took place” – Jeevan Thondaman alleges | “India and Sri Lanka are ‘Civilisational Twins'” – Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha in Bandarawela |
Sinhala Headlines
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Lankadeepa: The police demand payment for providing security at events; Rs. 3.2 million per month for the BMICH alone | “60% of state institutions are corrupt, and even those who drafted the Anti-Corruption Act find certain parts of it unclear” – The director general of the CIABOC Divaina: The Mount Lavinia court incident: Attorney arrested? “If a wrong was committed, the law will be rigidly enforced. The police will stand by the officer” – The IGP; the PC remanded until today |
Mawbima: This newspaper was unavailable at the time of publishing FrontPage Dinamina: “The daily wage of estate workers to be increased to Rs. 1,750” – The president Aruna: The Mount Lavinia Court incident: “Wanninayake has not appeared despite being summoned to provide a statement” – The police media spokesperson; “A decision will be made after consulting the Bar Association” – Attorney Wanninayake Anidda: This paper is published on Fridays only |
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TAMIL PRESS PRIORITIES |
Photo credits: The Island
“First, increase wages at the government-owned estates” – Mano Ganesan advises the president
Virakesari, Thamilan
Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) Leader and MP Mano Ganesan urged the president to first increase the wages for workers in the three government-managed estates before negotiating with the private sector.
Commenting on the president’s announcement of increasing the daily wage of estate workers to Rs. 1,700 by the year’s end, Ganesan questioned whether the hike applies to the Rs. 1,350 basic wage, which affects Employees’ Provident Fund contributions, or includes other allowances. He argued that if the president’s formula mirrors the private sector’s “more norms, more pay” model, it is not a new solution, as low productivity from neglected crops prevents workers from meeting such targets.
Ganesan reiterated his party’s position that the long-term solution to this problem is to turn workers into smallholders through tripartite agreements.
Rameswaram fishing families plan a protest: All families to travel in boats to Katchatheevu very soon and seek refuge; Tamil Nadu fisherfolk demand immediate intervention from the Indian government
Thinakkural Tamil Nadu fisherfolk have announced plans for a large-scale protest in which fishing families from Rameswaram will travel by boat to seek refuge on Katchatheevu island. The protest is intended to demand the immediate intervention of the Indian central government to secure the release of fisherfolk detained in Sri Lanka. The fisherfolk were arrested on October 9 near Neduntheevu for allegedly poaching in Sri Lankan waters and have been remanded until October 23; their four boats were also confiscated. At a protest held in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu Mechanised Boat Fishermen’s Association District Coordinator Jesuraja stated that attacks and arrests at sea have been increasing. He urged the Indian central government to negotiate with the Sri Lankan government for a permanent solution, adding that the prime minister could resolve the issue immediately if he chooses to. |
The UNHRC seeks USD 3.8 million for the accountability programme in Sri LankaThinakkural
The UNHRC has requested USD 3.8 million to fund its Sri Lanka Accountability Project (OSLap) from October 2025 to September 2027. Operating under the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the project serves as a mechanism to collect evidence for future accountability processes regarding serious human rights and international humanitarian law violations in Sri Lanka. The project’s mandate was recently extended for another two years.
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SINHALA PRESS PRIORITIES |
Photo credits: ONLANKA
The Mount Lavinia court incident: Attorney arrested?
Lankadeepa, Dinamina, Divaina, Aruna
The police have launched an investigation into an incident that occurred at the Mount Lavinia Magistrate’s Court on October 10, where a lawyer was allegedly assaulted by a police officer during a dispute over moving a vehicle. The officer was arrested and remanded until October 13, while a separate probe is underway into claims that another senior lawyer verbally threatened and used force against the officer.
Divaina reports that Inspector General of Police (IGP) Priyantha Weerasooriya confirmed a joint investigation by the Police Legal Division and the Mount Lavinia Police to arrest senior lawyer Gunaratne Wanninayake for allegedly threatening and obstructing a police officer.
Meanwhile, Lankadeepa quotes Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Ananda Wijepala, who described the lawyers’ behaviour as ugly and inappropriate.
The Bar Association of Sri Lanka has issued a statement strongly condemning the assault of a lawyer by a police officer and opposing the use of force by the police against any person.
Mahinda and Maithri request bullet proof vehicles
Dinamina, Aruna Former Presidents Mahinda Rajapaksa and Maithripala Sirisena have requested the return of the bulletproof vehicles they previously used. The vehicles were recently handed over to the Presidential Secretariat following the repeal of the Presidents’ Entitlements Act. Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Ananda Wijepala confirmed that the requests will be referred to the Security Review Committee. |
“I did not call for Mahinda to be hanged” – FonsekaDinamina, Aruna
Former MP Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka denied claims that he stated that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa should be hanged. Speaking at a press conference in Colombo, Fonseka alleged that his remarks at a rally in Matara were misreported by sections of the media and misrepresented on social media. He clarified that he had referred to Rajapaksa’s actions during the 2005 elections and the war period as “anti-national” and noted that in other countries such actions could warrant the death penalty under their laws. Fonseka emphasised that he never called for Rajapaksa’s execution, accusing political opponents and supporters of distorting his statement for propaganda.
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“No laws should undermine respect for teachers” – The cardinal
Aruna
Archbishop of Colombo His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith has urged authorities to consider the country’s unique culture and values when introducing rules to the education system.
Speaking at a special service held on October 10 to mark the 150th jubilee of St. Baptist College, Nagoda, Kandana, the cardinal warned against adopting Western-style regulations that could limit the authority of teachers or create unnecessary conflicts between students, parents, and schools.
The cardinal stressed that education policies should preserve respect and affection among teachers, parents, and children, rather than adding “more problems” to the system.
COMMON PRIORITIES: SINHALA & TAMIL PRESS |
Photo credits: Ada Derana
“The daily wage of estate workers to be increased to Rs. 1,750” – The president
Dinamina, Lankadeepa, Divaina, Aruna, Thinakkural, Virakesari, Thinakaran, Thamilan
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake announced that the government will take measures this year to grant plantation workers their long-awaited daily wage of Rs. 1,750.
Attending a ceremony held at the Bandarawela Public Grounds to hand over housing title deeds to the Malayagam community, the president reaffirmed the government’s dedication to protecting the economic and social rights of plantation workers, acknowledging their 202 years of contribution to strengthening the national economy through hard labour.
(Dinamina, Lankadeepa, Divaina, Aruna and Thamilan report the proposed daily wage hike as Rs. 1750, while Thinakkural, Virakesari and Thinakaran report it as Rs. 1,700.)
The PM visits China
Dinamina, Divaina, Thinakkural, Virakesari, Thinakaran
Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya arrived in Beijing, China, yesterday (12th) to attend the 2025 Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women at the invitation of the Chinese government. During her visit, the PM will participate in the summit and hold bilateral discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang.
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Common priorities: Additional stories
1. The WHO director-general arrives in Sri Lanka for the regional conference – Dinamina, Thinakkural, Thinakaran
2. “If electricity tariffs are increased, we will take to the streets with the people” – Premadasa – Dinamina, Divaina, Thinakkural
3. The police demand payment for providing security at events; Rs. 3.2 million per month for the BMICH alone – Lankadeepa, Thinakkural
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