Monitor Memo

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

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

JAFFNA, Sri Lanka — Prof. Thavam Thambipillai, president of the International College of Surgeons and a leading transplant surgeon, was honoured in Jaffna on Sunday at a ceremony organised by a group of organisations from his native village of Kaithady. The event drew a large public gathering, with residents from Kaithady and other parts of Jaffna attending in significant numbers, reflecting the pride many expressed in his international achievements. Speakers at the event reflected not only on

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

JAFFNA, Sri Lanka — March 21, 2026 — A senior lecturer at the University of Jaffna, who was reported missing earlier this week, has been confirmed killed, with police arresting her daughter and the daughter’s partner in connection with the case. The victim, Dr. (Mrs.) Thayalini Thileepan, a Senior Lecturer (Grade I) attached to the Department of Samooga nala Maruthuvam (Community Health Medicine) at the Faculty of Siddha Medicine, was reported missing from her residence in the early hours of

JAFFNA, Sri Lanka — March 20, 2026 — “They tried to silence this ground once… but tonight, listen carefully — it is still speaking.” With that line, Abethan “Abbi” Kanthasamy brought a hushed sports field to stillness on Friday evening, addressing students, teachers, and alumni gathered at the grounds of Jaffna Hindu College. Nearly four decades after he last stood there as a schoolboy, Abbi Kanthasamy — now a Malaysia-based entrepreneur and managing director of the Cinnamon Group — returned a

JAFFNA, March 19— A march and vehicle procession organised by a group of activists began in Jaffna on Thursday, aiming to draw national attention to the concerns of Sinhalese communities living in Sri Lanka’s Northern Province. The initiative is expected to travel along the A9 highway through several towns before concluding in Colombo, where participants plan to meet President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and submit a memorandum. Organizers said the campaign seeks to highlight grievances related t

COLOMBO — The leadership of the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) has sought to distance the party from a controversial resolution passed by the Pachchilaipalli Pradeshiya Sabha, a local council controlled by ITAK, supporting what it described as United States efforts to “maintain world peace.” In a Facebook status posted on social media on Friday, the party’s acting general secretary, M. A. Sumanthiran, said the resolution adopted by the local council had no connection to the party’s official