June 2026

Government Wants Ex-Intelligence Chief Dead, says Lawyer

Government Wants Ex-Intelligence Chief Dead, says Lawyer

By M.R. Narayan Swamy The Sri Lankan government wants former intelligence chief Suresh Sallay, whose health has become precarious after launching a hunger strike in custody, to die because it cannot prove that he was in any way involved in the 2019 Easter bombings that killed 269 people, one of his lawyers alleges. This is the reason the retired Major General has been forced to undergo “inhuman treatment” in CID custody so that he breaks psychologically and commits suicide, one of Sally’s lawy
Guest Column June 2026
M.R. Narayan Swamy

M.R. Narayan Swamy
The Diaspora’s Dangerous Nostalgia

The Diaspora’s Dangerous Nostalgia

by Kumulan Every time I see Khalistan rallies in Canada, the UK, Australia, or some comfortable Western suburb with clean pavements, I feel like I am watching political cosplay with a blood-soaked backstory. Flags. Slogans. Martyr posters. Angry men with microphones. Boys born in Mississauga, Southall, Surrey, or Melbourne shouting about liberation with the confidence of people who have never had to live through the consequences of the liberation they are selling. It is all very heroic when t
Guest Column June 2026
Kumulan

Kumulan
Did Sri Lanka Really Repay $8 Billion?

Did Sri Lanka Really Repay $8 Billion?

A claim that Sri Lanka repaid $8 billion in debt during the first quarter of 2026 has spread widely across pro-government social media and political messaging in recent weeks. Supporters of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake have cited the figure as evidence that the country's economic recovery has accelerated and that the government is restoring financial stability after the crisis that culminated in the sovereign default of 2022. At first glance, the claim appears remarkable. Eight billion do
June 2026 Opinion & Analysis
Jaffna Monitor Economic Desk

Jaffna Monitor Economic Desk
What the Medical Report on Suresh Sallay Says — and What It Means

What the Medical Report on Suresh Sallay Says — and What It Means

COLOMBO — A medico-legal report on Major General (Retired) Thuwan Suresh Sallay, the former Director of the State Intelligence Service who is detained over the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, has become a central document in proceedings before the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court. Prepared on the order of that court, it sets out Sallay’s own account of his detention, the results of his physical examination, the findings of five medical specialists, and a forensic psychiatric assessment. This articl
JM Exclusive June 2026
Our Reporter

Our Reporter
Suresh Sallay Begins Hunger Strike Under PTA Detention

Suresh Sallay Begins Hunger Strike Under PTA Detention

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka’s former military intelligence chief, retired Maj. Gen. Suresh Sallay, has begun a hunger strike while in police custody, according to Udaya Gammanpila, a former member of Parliament who has also acted as one of his lawyers. Speaking at a news conference that he said had been convened at the request of Sallay’s wife and son, Mr. Gammanpila said the retired officer had resorted to the protest over conditions in detention. Mr. Gammanpila said Sallay’s son visited h
June 2026 Monitor Memo
Our Reporter

Our Reporter
The Man Who Survived the LTTE — and Saved Its Members

The Man Who Survived the LTTE — and Saved Its Members

By M.R. Narayan Swamy “Please don’t harm me! Yes, I am a Tiger. I was told to keep a watch on you, so I came here. Please don’t have me killed!” This is how a young spy sent by the Tamil Tigers spoke in visible despair after being identified by Douglas Devananda, a sworn enemy of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The incident took place a few years before the LTTE went down fighting in 2009. A Sri Lankan minister, then, Douglas, was presiding over a camp organized by his Eela
Guest Column June 2026
M.R. Narayan Swamy

M.R. Narayan Swamy