Monitor Memo

MULLAITIVU, Sri Lanka —Residents of Mullaitivu District are appealing to the Government of India to replace the temporary bridge on the Paranthan–Karaichchi–Mullaitivu (A035) road with a permanent structure, arguing that while the emergency installation restored vital connectivity after a devastating cyclone, it is no longer sufficient to meet the region’s daily transportation demands. The bridge was installed by India following Cyclone Ditwa, which caused extensive damage to infrastructure acr

The Cambridge Union has cancelled a scheduled speaking event featuring Namal Rajapaksa following sustained pressure from the Tamil diaspora. The decision, announced after what the Union described as “urgent and serious discussions,” was justified on the grounds that it did not believe “a balanced and open discussion on this subject” was possible at present. The invitation had sparked coordinated opposition from Tamil student organisations across the United Kingdom, who accused both the Cambridg

On a humid morning inside the premises of Jaffna Hindu College, a group of middle-aged men stood quietly as a plaque was unveiled on a newly constructed study hall for hostel students. They were not donors in the conventional sense. They were former classmates — members of the school’s 2001 Advanced Level batch — returning more than a quarter century later to honour a friend whose life was cut short when he was killed by the military during the civil war. The facility, completed at a cost of 1

The Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK), long regarded as the principal vehicle of democratic Tamil politics in Sri Lanka, has issued a verbal directive barring members from publicly criticising internal party decisions — a move that has raised serious concerns about the party’s commitment to democratic norms. Jaffna Monitor has learned, through multiple independent sources within the party hierarchy, that senior figures recently communicated through internal channels that disciplinary proceedin

Representatives of Sri Lanka's historically marginalised plantation Tamil community have urged the European Union to ensure that the country's continued access to preferential trade benefits under the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) is tied to measurable progress on land rights, housing equity, and labour protections in estate regions. The appeal came during a meeting in Colombo this week between leaders of the Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) and a visiting delegation from the Eu

Iran's ambassador to Sri Lanka, Dr. Alireza Delkhosh, used the country's National Day reception on Wednesday to make a broad case for expanded bilateral cooperation, while defending Tehran's record on economic resilience, technological progress, and foreign policy independence. The event, held at the ITC Hotel in Colombo to mark the 47th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, drew a cross-section of Sri Lanka's political and diplomatic establishment. Health and Mass Media Minister Dr. Nali

Applications have opened for the 2027 intake of the Australia Awards Scholarships for Sri Lankan citizens, with the programme placing particular emphasis on applicants from conflict-affected and socioeconomically disadvantaged districts, as well as professionals working in the disability sector. The application window began on February 1, 2026, and will close on April 30, 2026. Programme guidelines state that late submissions — including incomplete or delayed supporting documents — will not be

The Swiss Embassy in Colombo is set to convene Tamil political parties on Feb. 19 in an effort to encourage a unified position on Sri Lanka’s long-running constitutional question. But even before the meeting takes place, observers across the island are questioning whether the initiative reflects the country’s political realities. The gathering comes at a time when prospects for sweeping constitutional reform appear distant. The current government has offered no indication that it intends to pur