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.

Sumanthiran Says President AKD Asked Him to Serve as Justice Minister

Sumanthiran Says President AKD Asked Him to Serve as Justice Minister

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — M.A. Sumanthiran, the acting general secretary of the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK), said that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake had asked him to accept the post of Minister of Justice after assuming office — an offer he said he declined, citing his party’s political position and principles. Mr. Sumanthiran made the disclosure on Sunday at a memorial event in Colombo marking the first death anniversary of the Tamil journalist Rajanayagam Bharathi. He was responding to
March 2026 Monitor Memo
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Our Reporter
Israel–Iran War Sparks Petrol Panic in Jaffna

Israel–Iran War Sparks Petrol Panic in Jaffna

JAFFNA, Sri Lanka — Hours after reports emerged that the United States and Israel had launched coordinated strikes on Iran, motorists across Sri Lanka’s Northern and Eastern Provinces began lining up at fuel stations, fearing that the distant conflict could disrupt fuel supplies to the island nation, which remains heavily dependent on imported petroleum. Long queues formed outside petrol sheds in Jaffna town by Saturday afternoon, with motorcycles, three-wheelers, and cars stretching for hundre
February 2026 Monitor Memo
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Our Reporter
European Union Allocates Additional €1 Million in Humanitarian Aid to Sri Lanka After Cyclone Ditwah

European Union Allocates Additional €1 Million in Humanitarian Aid to Sri Lanka After Cyclone Ditwah

COLOMBO, February 27, 2026 — The European Union has announced an additional €1 million in humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka, reinforcing relief efforts for communities still recovering from the devastation caused by Tropical Cyclone Ditwah, which struck the island in late November 2025 and triggered widespread flooding and landslides across all 25 districts. The latest allocation, equivalent to more than LKR 370 million, brings the EU’s total humanitarian contribution to Sri Lanka’s cyclone
February 2026 Monitor Memo
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Our Reporter
When Namal Rajapaksa’s Platform Was Cancelled, So Were the Questions

When Namal Rajapaksa’s Platform Was Cancelled, So Were the Questions

JAFFNA— Plans for a debating-style event featuring Namal Rajapaksa — a former cabinet minister and the political heir to the Rajapaksa family — were cancelled in Cambridge and Oxford following protests by Tamil student groups and sections of the diaspora. Demonstrators argued that a platform at elite institutions should not be extended to a member of a political dynasty widely associated — in Tamil memory and in international human-rights discourse — with wartime atrocities, militarisation, and
February 2026 Monitor Memo
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Our Reporter
Colombo Accused of Governing Tamil North Through the Back Door

Colombo Accused of Governing Tamil North Through the Back Door

Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, leader of the Tamil National People's Front (TNPF) and a member of Parliament, has accused Sri Lanka's government of attempting to administer the country's Tamil-majority Northern Province through a network of unofficial "shadow ministers," bypassing a long-dormant elected provincial council and effectively concentrating power in the hands of the ruling party. He made the allegations on the floor of Parliament this week, warning that the move amounted to an unconstitu
February 2026 Monitor Memo
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Our Reporter
RDA Signals Need for Permanent Mullaitivu Bridge, India Open if Asked

RDA Signals Need for Permanent Mullaitivu Bridge, India Open if Asked

MULLAITIVU, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka’s Road Development Authority (RDA) has confirmed that the temporary Bailey bridge installed on the Paranthan–Karaichchi–Mullaitivu (A035) road after Cyclone Ditwa was never intended to serve as a long-term solution, as pressure grows for the construction of a permanent structure along one of the district’s most vital transport corridors. In an interview with Jaffna Monitor, a senior engineer attached to the RDA’s Northern Province office, speaking on condition
February 2026 Monitor Memo
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Our Reporter
Residents of Mullaitivu Appeal to India for Permanent Bridge After Temporary Structure Faces Restrictions

Residents of Mullaitivu Appeal to India for Permanent Bridge After Temporary Structure Faces Restrictions

MULLAITIVU, Sri Lanka —Residents of Mullaitivu District are appealing to the Government of India to replace the temporary bridge on the Paranthan–Karaichchi–Mullaitivu (A035) road with a permanent structure, arguing that while the emergency installation restored vital connectivity after a devastating cyclone, it is no longer sufficient to meet the region’s daily transportation demands. The bridge was installed by India following Cyclone Ditwa, which caused extensive damage to infrastructure acr
February 2026 Monitor Memo
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Our Reporter
Namal Rajapaksa Event Cancelled at Cambridge After Protests — But Who Benefits?

Namal Rajapaksa Event Cancelled at Cambridge After Protests — But Who Benefits?

The Cambridge Union has cancelled a scheduled speaking event featuring Namal Rajapaksa following sustained pressure from the Tamil diaspora. The decision, announced after what the Union described as “urgent and serious discussions,” was justified on the grounds that it did not believe “a balanced and open discussion on this subject” was possible at present. The invitation had sparked coordinated opposition from Tamil student organisations across the United Kingdom, who accused both the Cambridg
February 2026 Monitor Memo
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Our Reporter