May 2026

ITAK’s Senior Leadership Descended Into Disorder at Central Committee Meeting

ITAK’s Senior Leadership Descended Into Disorder at Central Committee Meeting

What had long been carefully cultivated as the polished public image of M.A. Sumanthiran, the gentleman politician, constitutional moderate, self-styled peace advocate within Tamil politics, and outspoken critic of violence committed in the name of Tamils, was dramatically shaken during yesterday’s explosive Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) central committee meeting in Vavuniya, according to multiple senior party sources who spoke to Jaffna Monitor. Behind closed doors, the meeting reportedl
JM Exclusive May 2026
Our Reporter

Our Reporter
Could Prabhakaran Have Ever Succeeded?

Could Prabhakaran Have Ever Succeeded?

By M.R. Narayan Swamy When Velupillai Prabhakaran walked into Chanakya cinema in Delhi in 1985, no one packing the air-conditioned hall could have guessed that this man would soon become one of the world’s most feared and powerful insurgents. But for his stocky build, there was nothing to distinguish him from the three other Sri Lankan Tamils with him who, away from the war theatre, had decided to see an English movie. The young men were in Delhi to meet Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and his of
May 2026 OP-ED
M.R. Narayan Swamy

M.R. Narayan Swamy
D.B.S. Jeyaraj, Fearless Chronicler of Sri Lanka’s War, Dies in Exile

D.B.S. Jeyaraj, Fearless Chronicler of Sri Lanka’s War, Dies in Exile

By M.R. Narayan Swamy The world of Sri Lankan journalism will never see another D.B.S. Jeyaraj. Forced into exile by extremists among Tamil nationalists, Jeyaraj braved death threats and persistent danger to keep the world informed about the twists and turns during the long years a horrific separatist war raged in Sri Lanka. There were many journalists at work during those turbulent years, but few enjoyed the kind of access he had to virtually all the Tamil actors, and fewer still earned the
May 2026 Obituary
M.R. Narayan Swamy

M.R. Narayan Swamy
WESTERN PROVINCE GOVERNOR HANIF YUSOOF ANNOUNCES RESIGNATION

WESTERN PROVINCE GOVERNOR HANIF YUSOOF ANNOUNCES RESIGNATION

COLOMBO — Western Province Governor and business tycoon Hanif Yusoof has announced his resignation, submitting his letter to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, according to senior government sources. Following the submission, the President is said to have requested that he remain in office for approximately one more month to ensure administrative continuity during the transition period, according to credible sources who spoke with Jaffna Monitor. The resignation, if formally accepted, ends one
May 2026 Monitor Memo
Our Reporter

Our Reporter
Sumanthiran Invokes Mullivaikkal to Renew Calls for War Crimes Accountability

Sumanthiran Invokes Mullivaikkal to Renew Calls for War Crimes Accountability

POINT PEDRO, Sri Lanka — M.A. Sumanthiran, acting general secretary of the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi, used a Mullivaikkal remembrance ceremony to renew calls for accountability over the final stages of Sri Lanka’s civil war, telling mourners that the mass killing of Tamil civilians must remain at the center of Tamil political consciousness. “We will never forget, and we will never forgive,” Mr. Sumanthiran said at the gathering in Munai, Point Pedro, the fifth event of ITAK’s annual Mullivai
May 2026 Monitor Memo
Our Reporter

Our Reporter
Rain Fails to Deter Tamil Families Protesting Decades-Long Military Occupation of Valikamam North Lands

Rain Fails to Deter Tamil Families Protesting Decades-Long Military Occupation of Valikamam North Lands

Braving torrential rain, displaced Tamil residents of Valikamam North gathered for the fourth consecutive Friday outside the gates of the Sri Lanka Army’s Commando bungalow in Jaffna, demanding the return of approximately 651 acres of ancestral land from which they were forcibly displaced in June 1990 and to which they have been denied access for 34 years. The demonstration, which began on April 24 as a weekly series, is being carried out by landowners belonging to Grama Sevaka divisions 248, 2
JM Exclusive May 2026
Our Reporter

Our Reporter
Inside Aravinda de Silva’s Home: Testimonies Reveal Kapila Chandrasena’s Final Night

Inside Aravinda de Silva’s Home: Testimonies Reveal Kapila Chandrasena’s Final Night

At around 11:30 on the night of May 7, Kapila Chandrasena telephoned his domestic worker at his Barnes Place home in Colombo. He gave her a list: nightclothes, medicines, and two pairs of spectacles. Then he called again and added a fourth item — a blue cloth belt he kept beneath his sarong and used for exercise. He told her to pack everything into a bag and have it ready. Two men arrived by vehicle and took it away. The following morning, at approximately 7:35 a.m., that same room at the Pedri
JM Exclusive May 2026
Jaffna Monitor

Jaffna Monitor
Reforming Healthcare in Sri Lanka for Equity and Excellence

Reforming Healthcare in Sri Lanka for Equity and Excellence

By: Dr. Gamini Goonetilleke The Ministry of Health is the government institution responsible for governing the entire health system in Sri Lanka, playing a vital role in protecting public health, ensuring that all organizations providing health-related products and services comply with safety regulations, and guaranteeing that individuals and communities receive quality healthcare without financial hardship. Its vision is “a healthier nation that contributes to its economic, social, mental an
Guest Column May 2026
Dr. Gamini Goonetilleke

Dr. Gamini Goonetilleke