Our Reporter

Our Reporter

‘Our Reporter’ is a collective byline representing a team of Jaffna- and Sri Lanka-based journalists and editorial staff who contribute to Jaffna Monitor.


Jaffna Alumni Honour Classmate Killed at 17 by Building a Study Hall

Jaffna Alumni Honour Classmate Killed at 17 by Building a Study Hall

On a humid morning inside the premises of Jaffna Hindu College, a group of middle-aged men stood quietly as a plaque was unveiled on a newly constructed study hall for hostel students. They were not donors in the conventional sense. They were former classmates — members of the school’s 2001 Advanced Level batch — returning more than a quarter century later to honour a friend whose life was cut short when he was killed by the military during the civil war. The facility, completed at a cost of 1


Our Reporter

Our Reporter

ITAK’s Crackdown on Dissent Tests Its Democratic Credentials

ITAK’s Crackdown on Dissent Tests Its Democratic Credentials

The Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK), long regarded as the principal vehicle of democratic Tamil politics in Sri Lanka, has issued a verbal directive barring members from publicly criticising internal party decisions — a move that has raised serious concerns about the party’s commitment to democratic norms. Jaffna Monitor has learned, through multiple independent sources within the party hierarchy, that senior figures recently communicated through internal channels that disciplinary proceedin


Our Reporter

Our Reporter

Under Sanctions and Fire, Iran Asserts Resilience — Seeks Closer Sri Lanka Ties

Under Sanctions and Fire, Iran Asserts Resilience — Seeks Closer Sri Lanka Ties

Iran's ambassador to Sri Lanka, Dr. Alireza Delkhosh, used the country's National Day reception on Wednesday to make a broad case for expanded bilateral cooperation, while defending Tehran's record on economic resilience, technological progress, and foreign policy independence. The event, held at the ITC Hotel in Colombo to mark the 47th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, drew a cross-section of Sri Lanka's political and diplomatic establishment. Health and Mass Media Minister Dr. Nali


Our Reporter

Our Reporter

Australia Awards 2027 Intake Prioritises North and East Districts

Australia Awards 2027 Intake Prioritises North and East Districts

Applications have opened for the 2027 intake of the Australia Awards Scholarships for Sri Lankan citizens, with the programme placing particular emphasis on applicants from conflict-affected and socioeconomically disadvantaged districts, as well as professionals working in the disability sector. The application window began on February 1, 2026, and will close on April 30, 2026. Programme guidelines state that late submissions — including incomplete or delayed supporting documents — will not be


Our Reporter

Our Reporter

Swiss Embassy’s Tamil Strategy Risks Reinforcing Hardline Narratives

Swiss Embassy’s Tamil Strategy Risks Reinforcing Hardline Narratives

The Swiss Embassy in Colombo is set to convene Tamil political parties on Feb. 19 in an effort to encourage a unified position on Sri Lanka’s long-running constitutional question. But even before the meeting takes place, observers across the island are questioning whether the initiative reflects the country’s political realities. The gathering comes at a time when prospects for sweeping constitutional reform appear distant. The current government has offered no indication that it intends to pur


Our Reporter

Our Reporter

Landmark Bill Seeking to End Child Marriage Presented to Parliament

Landmark Bill Seeking to End Child Marriage Presented to Parliament

Opposition MP and President's Counsel Faiszer Musthapha has submitted a Private Member Bill to Parliament seeking comprehensive reform of Sri Lanka's Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act (MMDA), marking what legal experts describe as the most far-reaching reform effort in decades to address discriminatory provisions affecting Muslim women and children. The Muslim Marriage and Divorce (Amendment) Bill, submitted to the Secretary-General of Parliament Kushani Rohanadeera today, proposes sweeping amend


Our Reporter

Our Reporter

Over 50 Students, Teachers Injured in Wasp Attack at Kilinochchi School Despite Prior Warning

Over 50 Students, Teachers Injured in Wasp Attack at Kilinochchi School Despite Prior Warning

More than 50 students and teachers were injured on Wednesday morning after wasps from a nest on the premises of Kilinochchi Maha Vidyalayam attacked students and staff, triggering panic across the school. At least 39 students were admitted to hospital for treatment, while the deputy principal and two teachers were also hospitalised. According to eyewitness accounts, students fled classrooms in fear, abandoning their school bags and learning materials as they attempted to shield themselves from


Our Reporter

Our Reporter

Sumanthiran-Aligned Shanakiyan Named ITAK Parliamentary Group Leader

Sumanthiran-Aligned Shanakiyan Named ITAK Parliamentary Group Leader

The Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) has appointed Batticaloa District MP Shanakiyan Ragul Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam as its new Parliamentary Group Leader, removing senior Jaffna legislator Sivagnanam Sritharan in a leadership overhaul that has exposed deepening factional divisions within Sri Lanka's main Tamil political party. The appointment of the 35-year-old Shanakiyan, widely regarded as a close ally of Acting General Secretary M. A. Sumanthiran, comes after weeks of internal discord ove


Our Reporter

Our Reporter