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.


India Sends Lifeline Fuel to Sri Lanka as Supplies Collapse

India Sends Lifeline Fuel to Sri Lanka as Supplies Collapse

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — March 28, 2026 — India has delivered an emergency shipment of 38,000 metric tons of petroleum to Sri Lanka, including 20,000 metric tons of diesel and 18,000 metric tons of petrol, according to a statement from the High Commission of India in Colombo, as the island nation grapples with fuel supply disruptions linked to escalating tensions in the Middle East. The shipment follows a telephone conversation on March 24 between Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India and President


Our Reporter

Our Reporter

Machete Attack Leaves Young Man Critically Injured in Jaffna as Drug-Linked Violence Surges

Machete Attack Leaves Young Man Critically Injured in Jaffna as Drug-Linked Violence Surges

JAFFNA, Sri Lanka — A young man was left fighting for his life after a brutal machete attack in the Pannai area of Jaffna on Thursday evening. According to police, the victim, Soundirarajah Majith, in his early twenties, was riding a motorcycle when he was chased down by a group of assailants on two other bikes. The attackers overtook him, hacked him with machetes and other sharp weapons, and fled. During the assault, Majith lost control of his motorcycle and plunged into the nearby sea. Offic


Our Reporter

Our Reporter

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

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

Our Reporter

Elephant Incursion in Jaffna Fuels Claims of Engineered Land Seizure

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


Our Reporter

Our Reporter

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

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


Our Reporter

Our Reporter

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

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


Our Reporter

Our Reporter

Jaffna Lecturer Killed in Alleged Family Plot Laid to Rest

Jaffna Lecturer Killed in Alleged Family Plot Laid to Rest

JAFFNA, Sri Lanka — March 22, 2026 — A senior University of Jaffna lecturer killed in an alleged family plot was buried Sunday, as new details from police investigations painted a disturbing picture of the crime. Dr. (Mrs.) Thayalini Thileepan, 54, a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Siddha Medicine, was laid to rest following funeral rites held at her residence in Jaffna. Her 19-year-old daughter, one of the main suspects in the case, was permitted by court order to attend the funeral under


Our Reporter

Our Reporter

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

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


Our Reporter

Our Reporter