Monitor Memo

A military-operated salon in northern Sri Lanka has been ordered to close by local authorities, sparking debate over business competition, union influence, and the affordability of basic services in war-affected communities. The Karaithuraipatru Pradeshiya Sabha issued a directive to shut down “Blue Bells Salon,” which had been run by the Sri Lankan Army on Forest Department land in Kepapulavu, Mullaitivu District. Council Cites Economic Impact Chinnarasa Logeswaran,  chairman of the Karaith

“Just as the weapons fell silent in Mullivaikkal, our art and literature too have lost their voice,” lamented P. Aingaranesan, leader of the Tamil National Green Movement and author of Vermugangal (Rooted Faces). His latest book is a collection of interviews with leading figures in art and literature conducted by Aingaranesan himself. Speaking at the launch of the book in Mulliyawalai recently, Aingaranesan said art and literature once carried the heartbeat of the Tamil national struggle—explai

Acting leader of the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK), C.V.K. Sivagnanam, has voiced frustration over India’s repeated calls for Tamil political unity, insisting that all major Tamil parties — except for the Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF), widely known as the Cycle Party — are already united in their demand for the full implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. Speaking to the media, Sivagnanam questioned the rationale behind New Delhi’s constant reminders. “On the matte

Ishara Sewwandi, the prime suspect in the February 19, 2025, murder of underworld figure Ganemulla Sanjeewa at Colombo Magistrate's Court, has been apprehended in Nepal following a coordinated international operation. The 25-year-old suspect fled Sri Lanka shortly after allegedly assisting the gunman who shot Sanjeewa inside the courthouse. Police revealed that Sewwandi escaped with the help of a Jaffna man, identified as Kennedy Bastian Pillai — also known as J.K. Bai — who facilitated her rem