"හිටපු කොටියා" ද? විත්තිකරුවෙක් ද?

Abstract

On 7th April 2023, an article published in the Divaina newspaper used the term “Hitapu Kotiya” to describe a suspect who was allegedly a former member of the LTTE and had been released from a court case regarding drugs. This kind of reporting contributes to the stigma against former LTTE members who are being rehabilitated and living peaceful lives. In contrast, other newspapers such as Ada, Mawbima, and Dinamina described the former LTTE member as a suspect or a fisherman without using discriminatory terms.