Monitor Memo

In what critics are calling a masterclass in mixed messaging, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake appealed for full media cooperation in his war against drugs—while simultaneously barring journalists from the very event where he made that appeal. The National Work Plan for Eradicating the Drug Menace was launched with much fanfare at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium, where the President delivered an impassioned address urging Sri Lanka's media to join hands with the government in combating the nar

A member of the Karaichi Pradeshiya Sabha has been granted bail after appearing in court on charges related to displaying portraits during last year’s LTTE Heroes’ Week commemorations. Bharathidasan Ezhilventhan, who represents the Uruthirapuram Division and, according to MP S. Sritharan’s own social media post, also serves as his driver, was summoned to court following legal action filed by the Kilinochchi District Police. In his statement, Sritharan said Mr. Ezhilventhan was accused of displ

The third phase of excavations at the Chemmani mass grave site has been postponed until next year due to the accumulation of rainwater at the location, officials confirmed following a site inspection. A team led by Jaffna Magistrate S. Lenin Kumar, accompanied by Judicial Medical Officer Dr. Selliah Pranavan and lawyers Niranjan and Ranitha, visited the site to assess progress and determine the timeline for the next phase of excavation work. During the inspection, the team discovered that rain

A Sri Lankan Tamil man from Kilinochchi has died after allegedly being tortured and shot while attempting to illegally cross into Europe via the Belarus-Latvia border, highlighting the deadly risks facing migrants using human smuggling routes from Sri Lanka's war-affected Northern Province. Sylvester Diloshan, 34, a government Samurdhi development officer from Uruthirapuram in Kilinochchi district, was found dead near the Belarus-Latvia border after what a surviving companion described as a bru

The United Nations has welcomed a high-level government meeting focused on returning military-occupied private lands in Jaffna to civilian owners, calling it an important step toward reconciliation in Sri Lanka's war-affected Northern Province. UN Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka Marc-André Franche said returning land to rightful owners is about "restoring dignity and trust" and helps families "rebuild lives, grow livelihoods, and tackle poverty." In a social media post, Franche descri

Jaffna Municipal Council Mayor V. Mathivathani has urged the Central Government to release to local councils the tax revenues collected through them, as the government has now instructed local authorities to pay their employees' salaries from their own income in order to ease the national financial crisis. The Mayor pointed out that as the Sri Lankan government continues to face a severe financial crunch, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has recommended that local authorities shoulder part

Sivagnanam Shritharan, Jaffna District MP representing the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) and a sitting member of Sri Lanka’s Constitutional Council (CC), is facing a formal parliamentary privilege inquiry following allegations that he failed to disclose a pending bribery complaint and misused his position on the Council to shield himself from accountability. Raising the matter under privilege, MP Chamara Sampath Dassanayake (New Democratic Front, Badulla) told Parliament that Shritharan h

A cache of weapons, including a T-56 rifle and three hand grenades, was discovered hidden in the roof of the University of Jaffna’s main library. Workers conducting roof repairs first found two magazines and a roll of wire, prompting the university to alert the Kopai Police and STF. A subsequent inspection uncovered the rifle, additional magazines, ammunition, medical supplies, and a blood-stained lungi. Police later recovered three grenades during an extended search and have cordoned off the