Opinion & Analysis - Jaffna Monitor

Sri Lanka’s Judicial Age Fight Is About More Than Age

COLOMBO — There were men in the hall on the morning of 29 July who have spent much of the past decade attacking one another in public. Ali Sabry, justice and then foreign minister under Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Udaya Gammanpila, a minister of the same period who has fought much of Colombo’s political class in court and on air. M.A. Sumanthiran of the Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchi, who spent a career litigating against the governments the other two sat in. And Lal Wijenayake, of the National People’s Po

Opinion & Analysis Exclusive

Jaffna Monitor

Aug 11, 2026 — 5 min read

India Sends a Message to Colombo — and to Tamil Leaders

By M.R. Narayan Swamy The Indian government has publicly raised a demand for early Provincial Council elections in Sri Lanka despite knowing that powerful interest groups in the country are arrayed against devolution of power. During a hectic day-long visit to Colombo on Wednesday, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri urged President Anura Dissanayake to hold the much-delayed balloting to the Provincial Councils “at the earliest”. It is the closest India has come to saying that the elections

Guest Column Opinion & Analysis

M.R. Narayan Swamy

Aug 8, 2026 — 4 min read

They Found Justice for Easter. Why Can’t They Find It for Mullivaikkal?

By Che Ran The Easter Sunday bombings were one of the darkest days in Sri Lankan history. On 21 April 2019, suicide bombers walked into churches filled with families celebrating the resurrection of Christ and into luxury hotels serving breakfast. More than 260 people were killed. Hundreds more were injured. Children died in their mothers’ arms. Entire families disappeared in a matter of seconds. It was an atrocity. The people responsible—whether they built the bombs, funded them, or knowingl

Opinion Opinion & Analysis

Che Ran

Aug 3, 2026 — 3 min read

Did Sri Lanka Really Repay $8 Billion?

A claim that Sri Lanka repaid $8 billion in debt during the first quarter of 2026 has spread widely across pro-government social media and political messaging in recent weeks. Supporters of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake have cited the figure as evidence that the country's economic recovery has accelerated and that the government is restoring financial stability after the crisis that culminated in the sovereign default of 2022. At first glance, the claim appears remarkable. Eight billion do

June 2026 Opinion & Analysis

Jaffna Monitor Economic Desk

Jun 7, 2026 — 4 min read

From Remittances to Investment: Rethinking the Tamil Diaspora’s Role

The Tamil diaspora has long been an integral part of Jaffna’s social, economic, and cultural landscape. Spread across countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and parts of Europe, this global community has maintained strong and enduring ties with Northern Sri Lanka. These connections have been expressed through family relationships, financial support, cultural exchange, and political engagement. During periods of conflict and immediate post-war recovery, diaspora contributions p

Guest Column OP-ED

Colonel Nalin Herath

Apr 6, 2026 — 5 min read

When machines think: Reframing the ethics of Artificial Intelligence in the global south

Mahesh Nirmalan MD, FRCA, PhD, FFICM and Roshan Ragel PhD Professor Mahesh Nirmalan is Associate Vice President for Responsible Research Practice at the University of Manchester, UK and Professor Roshan Ragel is Professor of Computer Engineering at the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka How we choose to conceptualise Artificial Intelligence (AI) is one of the cornerstones of the current debate on the ethics of AI. In this context, do we see AI as a tool that has been developed by humans

April 2026 Guest Column

Prof. Mahesh Nirmalan

Apr 4, 2026 — 8 min read

Sri Lanka Fuel Price Hike Defended by CPC Chief, but Data Raises Questions

COLOMBO, March 10, 2026 The chairman of Sri Lanka’s state-run Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC), D.A. Rajakaruna, appeared before the media on March 10 to defend a sharp retail fuel price increase that took effect the same day. The explanation he offered centred on two claims: that global oil prices had risen “nearly 100 percent between the 1st and the 27th” of February into early March, and that a domestic panic-buying surge had drained reserves far sooner than anticipated. Both claims conta

Economics March 2026

Jaffna Monitor Economic Desk

Mar 11, 2026 — 4 min read

Sri Lanka Raises Fuel Prices Despite Month-Long Stocks, Sparking Transparency Debate

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — March 10, 2026 Sri Lanka’s decision to raise fuel prices this week, despite government assurances that the country holds more than a month’s supply of petroleum products, has sparked renewed debate about how domestic fuel prices are determined and how transparent the system is. The state-run Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) announced the increase effective from midnight on March 9. Under the revised rates, Petrol 92 Octane rose by 24 rupees to 317 rupees per litre, whil

March 2026 Opinion & Analysis

Our Special Correspondent

Mar 10, 2026 — 5 min read