A Jaffna-based civil activist has used Tamil actor Vijay’s landmark electoral victory in Tamil Nadu as a launchpad for a biting satirical open letter that says far more about Sri Lankan Tamil political culture than it does about the film star himself — lampooning dynastic privilege, and caste hierarchy. Arun Siddharth, Jaffna District Coordinator of Sarvajana Balaya, addressed the letter to Vijay at his party’s Chennai headquarters, opening with a salutation to the “Honorable ‘Excellency’ Comma

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld the death sentences of four men convicted in the 2015 abduction, gang rape, and murder of Sivaloganathan Vithiya, an 18-year-old student from Jaffna. In a ruling delivered by a five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena, the court dismissed appeals filed by the chief accused, Mahalingam Sasikumar — widely known as “Swiss Kumar” — and three others seeking to overturn their convictions. The court also set asi

JAFFNA, Sri Lanka — In one of his more theatrical and illogical speeches in Parliament, Jaffna District MP Ramanathan Archchuna suggested that Sri Lanka should not only hand over Katchatheevu, but also give away Jaffna itself to Tamil Nadu — a remark that observers said seemed to have little connection between tongue and brain, if any. “Not only Katchatheevu — give Jaffna to Tamil Nadu too. The people of Tamil Nadu will look after us,” Mr. Archchuna declared during a speech that quickly drew at

JAFFNA, Sri Lanka — Supporters of Tamil film star Vijay gathered across parts of Jaffna on Monday night to celebrate the strong electoral showing of his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections. Groups of mostly young fans assembled in Jaffna town, Kakkaitheevu, Gurunagar, and other areas, waving TVK flags, lighting firecrackers, and staging spontaneous street celebrations as election results confirmed the party’s major gains in the southern Indian