DIFFERENT PRIORITIES IN THE SINHALA AND TAMIL PRESS |
Tamil Headlines
|
Virakesari: “Attempt to conceal the truth by blaming someone who is no longer alive” – Main Opposition’s accusation regarding the murder of Wasim Thajudeen | “The government is incapable” – says the opposition leader Thinakaran: Permanent land deeds promised for unauthorised lands; Rs. 100 million fraud under the ‘Urumaya’ scheme! | Ban on providing polythene bags during purchases; system of charging an additional fee to begin from November | “The government will act with full commitment to ensure the safety of children” – Prime Minister | Dutch citizen arrested for flying a drone camera over the Presidential Secretariat |
Thinakkural: Delay in excavating the Chemmani mass grave due to the Ministry of Justice not releasing the allocated funds; case adjourned to the upcoming 13th; if the rainy season begins, there will be a prolonged delay in excavation | “Will the international community deliver justice for the skeletal remains of children being recovered in the mass grave?” Protest held in Chemmani with flames raised in hands Thamilan: Where are the disappeared children?; protest held in Jaffna | “Thajudeen murder: those who erred in the ‘B’ report are partners of the NPP government” – Mujibur Rahman | Now a fee for polythene too! |
Sinhala Headlines
|
Lankadeepa: “55 houses of ministers have been closed down for a year: the final decision in the hands of the cabinet” – Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government Prof. Chandana Aberathne | Student beats up teacher on Children’s Day | Three students in Monaragala have consumed moonshine: a group in another school have taken guli (edibles) Divaina: To whom does the cache of weapons that was found in Weheragala belong? Were they used by the military? Divers used to find more weapons | Underworld figures that fled the country hide in various locations: [criminals] apparently run and hide even at the sight of police officers who went abroad for other jobs | “There are 74 kids in an area in Wanathavilluwa that have not gone to school even one day” – Director (Cultural Promotion) for the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Prof. Ranasinghe |
Mawbima: A student in a school in Monaragala has severely assaulted a teacher, causing the teacher to be hospitalised even before the amendments to the Penal Code were passed | Giving polythene bags for free to be banned: “the law will be brought soon” – AG tells the Court Dinamina: “Ban on free polythene bags from November 1: Standard certification mandatory for plastic water bottles, baby milk bottles, and plastic food packaging” – Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe | President Anura Kumara Dissanayake meets the Emperor of Japan, Naruhito Aruna: “9,100 children under probation custody: largest group in the Western Province” – Assistant Commissioner (Administration) of the Department of Probation and Child Care Services, P.N.D. Perera Anidda: This paper is published on Fridays only |
[paywall layout_id=”1906″ service_tags=”TMA,FP” preview=”true”]
TAMIL PRESS PRIORITIES |
Photo credits: The Island
Protest in Jaffna; seeking justice for the disappeared
Thinakkural, Virakesari, Thamilan
A rotational hunger strike demanding international justice for the Tamil people, organised by the Association of Relatives of the Forcibly Disappeared in the North and East, concluded yesterday (1st) in Chemmani with a protest.
The hunger strike, which began on September 25, involved relatives of the disappeared from the five Northern districts, politicians, activists, and university students.
The participants reiterated their rejection of domestic justice mechanisms and called for an independent international investigation into the Tamil genocide, disappearances, war crimes, and mass graves.
Marking International Children’s Day, the protesters also held a torch-lit demonstration and demanded justice for children killed during the war, and a statement read aloud will be sent to the Human Rights Commission.
Virakesari reports that during the demonstration on the final day, protesters burned a copy of the report submitted by the Sri Lankan government to the United Nations (UN).
Thinakkural reports that the protesters burned the report submitted by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk to the Human Rights Council, completely rejecting it.
They claimed the report was an attempt to protect the Sri Lankan government during the UN Human Rights Council session.
“Attempt to conceal the truth by blaming someone who is no longer alive” – Main Opposition’s accusation regarding the murder (case) of Wasim Thajudeen
Virakesari, Thinakkural, Thamilan SJB MP Mujibur Rahman alleged that individuals who obstructed the murder investigation of rugby player Wasim Thajudeen now hold key positions in the NPP government. Speaking at a press conference yesterday (1st), Rahman claimed that those who incorrectly wrote the B-Report and concealed phone records between Temple Trees and the Narahenpita Police on the day of the incident are now in high government posts, including as senior presidential advisors. He accused the government of attempting to deliver injustice by blaming a deceased person for the murder. Rahman also criticised President Anura Kumara Dissanayake for failing to deliver on his four key election promises to expedite justice for the Easter Sunday attacks, the Thajudeen murder, the disappearance of Prageeth Eknaligoda, and the murder of Lasantha Wickrematunge. He urged the government to stop engaging in childish games and fulfill its promises instead of blaming the deceased. |
Delay in excavating the Chemmani mass grave due to the Ministry of Justice not releasing the allocated fundsThinakkural
The Chemmani mass grave case was postponed to October 13 by the Jaffna Magistrate’s Court during its hearing yesterday (1st). The postponement was due to the Ministry of Justice’s failure to release funds for the budget allocated for the third phase of the excavation. The court was informed that the budget, submitted on September 16 and forwarded to the Ministry of Justice through the High Court, had not yet received financial approval. If the budget is approved by the next hearing date, an announcement will be made regarding the commencement of the third excavation phase. It was also noted that a delay would postpone the excavation until next April, as the impending monsoon season would cause prolonged waterlogging in the marshy Chemmani area. |
UN rapporteurs’ concern about the suppression of the families of the disappeared
Virakesari Rapporteurs from the United Nations (UN) Committee on Enforced Disappearances have expressed serious concern over the compulsory detention and oppression faced by the families of Sri Lanka’s forcibly disappeared. During the committee’s 29th session in Geneva, which reviewed Sri Lanka from September 26-29, Co-Rapporteur Olivier de Frouville acknowledged positive steps like the establishment of the Office on Missing Persons (OMP) but questioned how the government would end recent short-term disappearances, including white van abductions and forced detentions. He noted that such incidents were recorded in the 1980s, 1990s, and during the war until 2009. Meanwhile, Co-Rapporteur Carmen Rosa Villa Quintana stated that victims’ families are threatened by state surveillance and oppression, adding that authorities have sometimes refused to accept their complaints. The Sri Lankan delegation at the session was led by Minister of Justice and National Integration Harshana Nanayakkara. |
“Even with 159 MPs, the government is of no use” – Opposition Leader SajithThinakkural, Virakesari
Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa stated that for the first time in the country’s 76-year history, the public is presenting its problems to him rather than to the ruling government. He highlighted that this is occurring despite the government securing a clear majority of 159 out of 225 seats in Parliament with millions of votes. Premadasa asserted that although the people granted the government a strong mandate, expecting solutions, it has failed to deliver them. He made these remarks at a mobile service program and membership drive for the SJB in Anuradhapura. The opposition will now take these public grievances to the government and pursue all possible avenues to find resolutions, he added. |
SINHALA PRESS PRIORITIES |
Photo credits: Ministry of Women and Child Affairs Website
“Children’s Day will be celebrated on 20 November from next year” – Minister Saroja Paulraj
Divaina, Aruna
Minister of Women and Child Affairs Saroja Savithri Paulraj stated that attention has been drawn to celebrating Children’s Day on November 20 instead of October 1.
She made this statement during a media briefing held at the Department of Government Information.
The minister stated that although a few countries in the world, including Sri Lanka, observe October 1 as Children’s Day and Elders’ Day, the rest of the world celebrates them on November 20.
Accordingly, she added that although opinions differ regarding Children’s Day, attention will be drawn to the date of celebrating Children’s Day in the future after discussions.
“The decision to give teaching appointments to development officers in schools will be made following the court verdict” – Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Higher Education, and Vocational Education, Nalaka Kaluwewe
Divaina, Dinamina Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Higher Education, and Vocational Education, Nalaka Kaluwewe, stated that the integration of Development Officers serving in schools into the Teacher Service will be carried out immediately after the Court of Appeal case concludes. He stated that several cases related to the competitive examination, which was scheduled to be held on March 25, 2023, for the inclusion of graduate officers in government service, including the Development Officers serving in schools, into the Teacher Service, have now concluded in the Supreme Court (SC). However, he further stated that since the case currently being heard in the Court of Appeal has not yet concluded, future actions regarding the examination will be taken after the judgment in that case is delivered. |
“No police officer who is involved in drug crimes and trafficking will be kept in service” – IGP
Divaina, Aruna Inspector General of Police (IGP) Priyantha Weerasooriya stated that for discipline to be established in this country, the discipline of the Police must first be established. He further stated that there will be absolutely no room left for criminals and traffickers to remain in the Police. The IGP made the statement in Matara during a ceremony to distribute school supplies to children of Police officers serving in the Galle, Elpitiya, Matara, and Tangalle Police Divisions of the Southern Province. He further stated that if there is no discipline in the Police, society cannot be fixed. He added that from now on, any officer found to be addicted to drugs, involved with traffickers, or engaged in any form of wrongdoing, especially criminal acts, will not be allowed to remain in the Police. |
COMMON PRIORITIES: SINHALA & TAMIL PRESS |
Photo credits: Ada Derana
“Polythene bags will not be given free: new laws will be brought in to reduce the use of polythene bags” — AG promises the SC
Lankadeepa, Divaina, Mawbima, Dinamina, Thinakaran, Thamilan
The Central Environment Authority, the Environment Minister, and the Secretary to that ministry, along with responsible parties of the Attorney General’s Department, provided an undertaking to the Supreme Court yesterday (1st) that they would amend the ordinances of the Consumer Affairs Authority and publish a Gazette notification.
This action is intended to prevent the free issuance of polythene shopping bags when purchasing goods from stores and to allow a charge to be levied for them, to minimise the use of single-use, disposable shopping bags that cause environmental damage.
Additionally, the government has decided to make the SLS Standard Certificate mandatory for reusable plastic water bottles, baby milk bottles, and plastic food packaging, and to ban the free issuance of polythene bags to consumers starting from November 1.
Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development Wasantha Samarasinghe, stated that this meaningful decision was taken for the future well-being of children on World Children’s Day (1st).
“The government is bringing up the Thajudeen (case) to cover up the containers that were released” — Namal Rajapaksa
Mawbima, Dinamina, Virakesari, Thinakkural, Thamilan
SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa stated that the government is trying to reignite the Wasim Thajudeen murder case to cover up and distract the people from the issue of the released containers.
He added that the statements given by the Police media spokesperson is information that should be presented to a court and that the only reason this information is being said in the media is to build up a political dialogue about the case.
He added further that the government is doing a great injustice to the departed soul of Thajudeen.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Common priorities: Additional stories
1. To whom does the cache of weapons that was found in Weheragala belong? Were they used by the military? Divers used to find more weapons – Divaina, Dinamina, Aruna, Thinakaran, Thamilan
2. Acquisition of Rs. 93 million in assets: Keheliya’s case to commence on October 15 – Divaina, Dinamina, Virakesari, Thinakaran
3. Earthquake in the Philippines kills 69 and injures 150 – Divaina, Dinamina, Aruna, Thamilan
4. The Thajudeen murder: “do not seize my father for a crime he did not commit” – Kajja’s elder son states – Lankadeepa, Mawbima, Thinakkural
5. “The act was brought to stop abuse of children: not to put teachers and parents in prison” — Amarasuriya – Lankadeepa, Virakesari
[/paywall]