Jaffna Monitor - Unafraid and Unbowed

Tilvin Silva Casts Suspicion on Easter Attack Book, Says Truth ‘Will Emerge Soon’

VAVUNIYA, Sri Lanka — April 6, 2026 — Tilvin Silva, general secretary of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and widely regarded as a key behind-the-scenes figure in Sri Lanka’s ruling establishment, said on Sunday that the truth behind the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings would “emerge very soon,” while casting suspicion on individuals promoting alternative narratives through recent book publications. Speaking at the 55th April Heroes’ Commemoration in Vavuniya, Mr. Silva suggested that some of tho

Our Reporter

Apr 6, 2026 — 2 min read

Lavan Akshayan Cremated as Jaffna Mourns a Top-Performing Student

April 2026 Monitor Memo

Our Reporter

Apr 5, 2026 — 3 min read

For 359 Days, Easter Claims. In Court, None — The Pillayan Case

April 2026 OP-ED

Our Reporter

Apr 5, 2026 — 5 min read

Former LTTE guerrillas battle hardships, trauma and taunts.

April 2026 JM Exclusive

M.R. Narayan Swamy

Apr 4, 2026 — 11 min read

A Dark Date in the Contemporary Calendar of Humanity

February 28, 2026, marks a dark date in the contemporary calendar of humanity; a day when the hands of the clocks went on strike in a state of protest and profound shock. On this day, the unlawful attacks by the Zionist regime and the United States against the territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran dealt a finishing blow to the discourse of international law regarding the prohibition of the threat or use of force in international relations. From this date onward, who can still re

April 2026 OP-ED

Dr. Alireza Delkhosh

Apr 6, 2026 — 4 min read

From Remittances to Investment: Rethinking the Tamil Diaspora’s Role

The Tamil diaspora has long been an integral part of Jaffna’s social, economic, and cultural landscape. Spread across countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and parts of Europe, this global community has maintained strong and enduring ties with Northern Sri Lanka. These connections have been expressed through family relationships, financial support, cultural exchange, and political engagement. During periods of conflict and immediate post-war recovery, diaspora contributions p

Guest Column OP-ED

Colonel Nalin Herath

Apr 6, 2026 — 5 min read

Judges’ Retirement Age: A New Proposal and Its Implications

By: Professor G. L. Peiris I. The Constitutional Context Independence of the judiciary is, without question, an essential element of a functioning democracy. In recognition of this, ample provision is made in the highest law of our country, the Constitution, to engender an environment in which the courts are able to fulfil their public responsibility with total acceptance. As part of this protective apparatus, judges of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal are assured of security of t

April 2026 Guest Column

Professor G. L. Peiris

Apr 6, 2026 — 5 min read

Sri Lankan Deputy High Commissioner’s Presence at Puducherry Political Event Raises Interference Concerns

CHENNAI, India — April 6, 2026 — Sri Lanka’s Deputy High Commissioner for South India, Ganesanathan Ketheeswaran, has come under scrutiny following allegations that he attended a politically linked gathering in Puducherry, drawing criticism from Indian opposition figures and raising questions about diplomatic conduct during an election period. Pawan Khera, a senior leader of the Indian National Congress, alleged in a social media post that Mr. Ketheeswaran participated in an event organized by

April 2026 JM Exclusive

Our Reporter

Apr 6, 2026 — 4 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

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Teachers’ Union Blames Northern Officials for Loss of Hardship Allowances in Jaffna’s Island Schools

JAFFNA, Sri Lanka — April 6, 2026 — The Ceylon Teachers’ Union has accused education authorities in Sri Lanka’s Northern Province of negligence in the suspension of hardship allowances for teachers working in remote island communities, saying the decision has left dozens of educators without essential support despite the challenging conditions they face. Joseph Stalin, the union’s general secretary, said a formal complaint had been lodged with the Secretary of the Ministry of Education, citing

April 2026 Monitor Memo

Our Reporter

Apr 6, 2026 — 2 min read

Sri Lanka’s Indian Ocean Reckoning

By Abbi Kanthasamy Sri Lanka’s real strategic question is not whether it can become “the next Singapore” or a miniature Dubai. It is whether it can finally learn the harder lesson those two city-states teach: that financial centres are not created by tax gimmicks, real-estate spectacle, or patriotic rhetoric. They are built by states that become credible before they become glamorous. In 2026, that distinction is even more important than it was a generation ago. The old haven model—low tax, ligh

April 2026 Guest Column

Abbi Kanthasamy

Apr 5, 2026 — 6 min read

The Shepherd's Flock: Protecting the Human Rights of the Public Servant

By: Jeevan Thiagarajah At the heart of a functioning democracy lies a profound paradox: the public servant is both an instrument of the state and a citizen entitled to the full protection of the Constitution. Their service conditions — carefully stipulated by the Public Service Commission and relevant regulations — are not mere administrative guidelines. They are guarantees of dignity. Courts and tribunals have repeatedly reinforced this principle: a person does not surrender their fundamental

April 2026 Guest Column

Jeevan Thiyagaraja

Apr 5, 2026 — 6 min read

Jaffna Student Dies Days After Securing Three A’s in A/L Examination

JAFFNA, Sri Lanka — April 4, 2026 — A 19-year-old student from Jaffna Hindu College who had recently emerged as one of the district’s top performers in Sri Lanka’s Advanced Level examination died on Saturday after several days in intensive care, hospital officials said. The student, Lavan Akshayan, a resident of Inuvil, had been admitted to the Jaffna Teaching Hospital about a week earlier with what was initially a wound infection. It later progressed to sepsis — a life-threatening condition in

April 2026 Monitor Memo

Our Reporter

Apr 4, 2026 — 2 min read