US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, and US Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Alaina B. Teplitz, issued statements commemorating the loss of over 250 people who were killed during the Easter Sunday bombings.

The attacks on the 21 April 2019, targeted Christian churches and tourist hotels on Easter Sunday, killed over 250 people. The attack was claimed by ISIS.

In Mike Pompeo’s statement, he maintained the importance of “respecting civil liberties” in counter-terrorism responses as well as reaffirming accountability for these attacks.

Sri Lankan President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, stated during a memorial for those killed in the Easter Sunday bombing, that he would “not leave any room for any form of extremism or violence” whilst concerns are raised over the clampdown on civil society.

The Easter Sunday attacks on churches and hotels last year were an unprecedented act of violence. Hundreds were killed on one of the holiest days of the Christian calendar, in a horrific series of blasts. On an island that has been mired by ethnic strife for so many decades, the attacks mapped on to existing fissures and were a devastating reminder of how deep-rooted they remain. The year since the blasts has seen the island move no closer towards reconciliation. Instead, Sri Lanka has predictably fallen into old patterns, reverting further towards authoritarianism and securitisation. A war criminal now sits as head of state. And the island remains fertile ground for more violence.

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.

A farmer from the Madukkarai village in Mannar - who harvested around 4000kg of pumpkins - has been unable to sell his pumpkins due to curfew restrictions affecting the business at the Dambulla vegetable market.

The father of three, was able to cultivate a good yield prior to the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. However, he is now struggling to sell his pumpkins due to customers not being able to have access to his product at the Dambulla market, due to the lockdown.

A Tamil family who are fighting deportation to Sri Lanka expressed their “relief” after an Australian federal court ruled they were denied procedural fairness, as their lawyers continued the battle to release them from detention and to their home in Biloela.

Commemorative events took place in Kilinochchi and Vavuniya today to mark 32 years since the death of Annai Poopathy, a Tamil activist who fasted unto death in protest against the atrocities committed by Indian Peace Keeping Forces (IPKF).

Sri Lanka’s defence secretary acknowledged the use of military intelligence operatives and computer software to track people it suspects of having contact with the coronavirus, in an admission that gives a glimpse into the extent of the military’s reach in contact tracing this week.

Kamal Gunaratne, a credibly accused war criminal, admitted that military intelligence was leading Sri Lanka’s COIVD-19 response, stating that with all cases a “full investigation starts from there with the involvement of the intelligence agencies”.

The Sri Lankan army continued to lead the state’s response to the coronavirus outbreak on the island, with troops sent to shops and public places in Mullaitivu this week to carry out ‘disinfection’ regimes.