The body of a Tamil man was recovered from a ditch in Vavuniya this weekend.

The man was found in a ditch along the Vavuniya-Mannar road to Sivapuram.

A bicycle was also recovered from the ditch. Sri Lankan police are currently reported to be carrying out investigations.

Sinhala Buddhist monks from leading chapters met with Sri Lanka’s president this week to signal their approval of his governance so far and blamed the previous regime for the economic crisis the island faces.

“Nayaka Theros of all three Chapters said that they approve the conduct of the President and the Government,” said an official presidential press release.

The Sri Lankan government launched a scathing attack at Fitch Ratings, after the agency downgraded the country's Long-Term Foreign- and Local-Currency Issuer Default Ratings (IDR), calling it “illogical and ill-timed”.

Sri Lanka said it “wishes to categorically disagree with the assessment of risks” and slammed Fitch, claiming “their assessment shows rush to judgment and exposes prejudicial nature”.

On Friday, Fitch stated that “the shock to Sri Lanka's economy from the coronavirus pandemic will exacerbate already-rising public and external debt sustainability challenges”.

Local groups in Mannar and Tamil donors in Canada have helped provide relief packages to support families across Mullaitivu, that continue to struggle with the military-enforced curfews. The assistance was given this week in response to the hundreds of families that have not been able to access essential goods, including food, as a result of curfew restrictions. 

<p>Sri Lanka’s tea plantation workers “with a history of exploitation face hazards including a lack of masks and overcrowded accommodation,” despite tough lockdown measures across the island, Yasmin Gunaratnam writes for <em>The Guardian</em>.</p> <p>“A caveat on the country’s lockdown order, issued on 20 March, read: ‘Paddy farming and plantation, including work on tea small holdings and fishing activities, are permitted in any district,’” she wrote.</p>

The body of a member of the Tamil National Peoples’ Front (TNPF) has been discovered washed up on a beach in Jaffna this morning.

<p>Sri Lanka’s authorities should uphold due process rights and ensure that recently detained Muslim figures have proper access to lawyers, Human Rights Watch said in a statement.</p> <p>“Sri Lankan authorities have a responsibility to prosecute those responsible for the horrific Easter Sunday attacks last year, but the arrests should be lawful, and not used to vilify an entire community,” said Meenakshi Ganguly, HRW’s South Asia director.</p> <p>“The recent arrests of well-known Muslims, combined with biased government actions and rising anti-Muslim hate speech, raise concerns for the broader safety of the Muslim community,” she added.</p>

Dr Vishna Rasiah, a consultant neonatologist in the Midlands, has died after contracting coronavirus whilst on the frontlines of the country’s National Health Service.

Dr Rasiah, who has family in Malaysia and in Trinidad, worked at Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust and was the clinical lead in the region for neonatal work.

At least 13 NHS workers have now died in the midlands alone, with more than 100 reported deaths of health and care workers across the country.

<p>30 Navy personnel at Welisara Navy camp have tested positive for Covid-19, Army commander Shavendra Silva said.&nbsp;</p> <p>As a result, 4,000 Navy personnel and their families have been directed to self-isolate, the Newswire <u><a href="http://www.newswire.lk/2020/04/24/4000-navy-personnel-of-the-welisara-n…">reports</a></u>.&nbsp;</p>

 

With healthcare workers across the globe working to tackle the coronavirus pandemic, we look at some of the Tamils on the frontlines of the battle to save lives.

From nurses and doctors to our paramedics and porters, every single contribution is invaluable. And alongside thousands of other workers, the Tamil community has been actively involved in efforts to fight the pandemic.

We will be highlighting stories around the world from those who are working to keep us all safe.