Jaffna Monitor - Unafraid and Unbowed

U.N. Envoy Urges Sri Lanka to Resolve Northern Land Disputes

JAFFNA, Sri Lanka — March 26, 2026 — The United Nations’ top representative in Sri Lanka on Thursday called for urgent action to resolve long-standing land disputes in the country’s north, after meeting farmers who have been barred from accessing their lands for nearly a decade despite holding legal title. Marc-André Franche, the U.N. Resident Coordinator and representative of the Secretary-General in Sri Lanka, visited Kovilvayal, a village in the Kilinochchi district, where he met with affect

Our Reporter

Mar 26, 2026 — 2 min read

Iran Says Sri Lanka Invited Warship Before U.S. Strike, Confirming Jaffna Monitor Report

JM Exclusive March 2026

Our Special Correspondent

Mar 24, 2026 — 2 min read

Global Surgeon Honoured in Jaffna, Calls for Pride in Local Medical System

March 2026 Monitor Memo

Our Special Correspondent

Mar 23, 2026 — 4 min read

Jaffna Lecturer Killed in Alleged Family Plot Laid to Rest

JM Exclusive March 2026

Our Reporter

Mar 22, 2026 — 3 min read

Elephant Incursion in Jaffna Fuels Claims of Engineered Land Seizure

JAFFNA, Sri Lanka — March 26 — A herd of wild elephants that suddenly appeared in farmland in the Vadamarachchi East area of Jaffna this week has ignited fresh accusations that Sri Lanka’s wildlife authorities may be using animals to strengthen claims over disputed territory. Residents and a local Catholic priest said the elephants destroyed at least 36 coconut trees in the Kattaikadu–Keavil area earlier this week, describing the incident as unprecedented in a region with no historical record o

JM Exclusive March 2026

Our Reporter

Mar 26, 2026 — 2 min read

Velnampy Assumes Office as Jaffna University’s 11th Vice Chancellor.

JAFFNA, Sri Lanka — March 25 — Senior Professor of Accounting at the University of Jaffna, Prof. T. Velnampy, assumed office on Wednesday as the institution’s 11th Vice Chancellor, succeeding Prof. C. Srisatkunarajah, whose term concluded a day earlier. Prof. Velnampy, an academic known for his administrative experience, has in recent years been seen engaging in public forums associated with the National People’s Power (NPP), including attending some of its meetings. His appointment by Preside

March 2026 Monitor Memo

Our Reporter

Mar 25, 2026 — 1 min read

Book Reviews: “The Overthinker and the Elephant” by Vinayak Nirmalan

Dr: Mrs N Rodrigo, Colombo, Sri Lanka The Overthinker and the Elephant is a must read for all thinkers - not necessarily “overthinkers”! It is a thought-provoking, honest, humane, soul searching, spiritual journey in the quest for happiness. The narrative is set against the stunning, luminous backdrop of the night sky in the Himalayas, written in a fluid, friendly, down-to-earth style, enlivened with good humor. Authored by a young second-generation doctor of Sri Lankan origin, domicil

Book Review March 2026

Jaffna Monitor

Mar 25, 2026 — 2 min read

Anura Calls Modi as Iran Remarks Complicate Sri Lanka’s Position

COLOMBO, — March 24 — Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake spoke by telephone with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, with both leaders emphasizing the need to keep vital global shipping routes open amid rising tensions in West Asia. According to India’s public broadcaster Prasar Bharati, the call was initiated by Mr. Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The two leaders “reiterated the importance of keeping shipping lines open and secure in the interest of the whole world,” it said i

JM Exclusive March 2026

Our Reporter

Mar 24, 2026 — 1 min read

Unafraid and Unbowed

Archbishop, Archbishop, why hast thou forsaken us in our hour of sorrow and slaughter?

"Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins." - Isaiah 58:1 His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, Archbishop of Colombo and chief shepherd of the Catholic flock in all of Sri Lanka, has recently marked fifty years in the sacred priesthood. As the highest-ranking prelate whose dominion spans the entire island, he now stands as a mighty voice crying for justice, calling upon the nations of the earth for interv

Editorial July 2025

Kaniyan Pungundran

Jul 14, 2025 — 12 min read

Jaffna Library Burning: The Day They Burned the buddha and his dhamma

Why South Asia Reveres Books-and Fears Their Destruction Irrespective of religion, across the Indian subcontinent, books have long held an exalted status. In the indigenous spiritual traditions that emerged from this land-Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism-knowledge is not merely valued; it is venerated in the highest order. In homes, temples, and schools across the region, people treat books with profound reverence-never touching them with their feet, and if done accidentally, offering a

Cover Story June 2025

Kaniyan Pungundran

Jun 16, 2025 — 14 min read

Chemmani: Where Justice Was Buried

The dead do not speak - but the earth does A few years ago, I visited Cambodia. My original aim was to see the Angkor Wat temple complex. But, as always, my journalistic instincts led me deeper into rural Cambodia, where I found myself in quiet conversations with a few former soldiers of the Pol Pot regime, now living ordinary lives as toddy tappers, farmers, and small shop owners. One of them - a former henchman of the Khmer Rouge - opened up after a few glasses of toddy. In a hauntingly calm

Editorial June 2025

Kaniyan Pungundran

Jun 16, 2025 — 7 min read

Explore our archive of articles, interviews, and creative projects

Trincomalee Oil Farm and Energy Hub: Sri Lanka’s Missed Opportunity Returns

By: Dr. Gamini Goonetilleke The Trincomalee Oil Tank Farm stands today as one of the most strategically significant yet historically underutilized energy assets in South Asia. Located in the deep natural harbour of Trincomalee, the facility embodies a convergence of history, geopolitics, and economic potential. In the current global context—marked by energy insecurity, shifting geopolitical alliances, and regional competition—the Trincomalee oil farm offers Sri Lanka a renewed opportunity

Guest Column OP-ED

Dr. Gamini Goonetilleke

Mar 24, 2026 — 10 min read

The Levantine Hummus Wars

By: Abbi Kanthasamy A dispatch from a tired restaurant owner watching cousins argue over the same recipe. If the conflict in Jerusalem had been about food instead of religion, it would have ended centuries ago. Because food fights — real ones — are easy. You gather everyone in a room. You put the dishes on the table. People shout a bit. Someone’s grandmother intervenes. And eventually everyone eats. Peace, or something very close to it. Religion, unfortunately, has proven far less coop

Guest Column March 2026

Abbi Kanthasamy

Mar 23, 2026 — 4 min read

Government Signals Fresh Delays in Provincial Elections as Panel to Submit Only ‘Initial Report’

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka’s long-delayed provincial council elections appear set for further postponement, with a parliamentary panel now expected to submit only an initial report within three months. The select committee, chaired by Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, had originally been tasked with producing a report within that timeframe. But at its first meeting last week, Mr. Vijitha Herath indicated that only a preliminary report would be delivered, suggesting that further stages of rev

JM Exclusive March 2026

Our Special Correspondent

Mar 22, 2026 — 3 min read

Sri Lanka Fuel Prices Rise by Up to 30%, Adding Pressure on Cost of Living

March 21, 2026, COLOMBO — The ruling National People’s Power (NPP) government sharply raised fuel prices from midnight on Saturday, with increases ranging from roughly 21 to 26 percent — a move expected to ripple through transportation networks, food supply chains, and household budgets across a country still struggling to recover from a crippling economic collapse. The price hike is likely to intensify pressure on ordinary Sri Lankans, whose incomes have largely stagnated and are unlikely to k

March 2026 Monitor Memo

Our Reporter

Mar 21, 2026 — 2 min read