<p>Tamil diaspora groups have called for an international accountability mechanism on Sri Lanka, following Sri Lanka's announcement to withdraw from the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolutions.</p> <p>The Australian Tamil Congress (ATC), the British Tamils Forum (BTF), the Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC), the Irish Tamils Forum (ITC) and the United States Tamil Action Group (USTAG) "urge action to be taken up by appropriate international jurisdictions such as an ad hoc international criminal tribunal on Sri Lanka," to ensure accountability for violations of international human rights and humanitarian law.</p>

^{(Photo credit: @TnpfOrg - Twitter)}

The Tamil National People's Front (TNPF) have organised an initiative to aid Tamil people in the North-East as the Sri Lanka government continues to enforce strict curfews and lockdown measures nationwide where many locals' lives have been impacted.

The Sri Lankan air force has continued to set up more of the state’s controversial coronavirus “quarantine centres” across the North-East, with at least 1,057 foreigners and locals being detained at these centres, in the wake of the COVID-19 coronavrius outbreak,

Despite protests by locals and politicians who expressed their concern in the setting up these centres in the North-East regions, the military has continued to establish quarantine centres in the area.

There has been an increased militarisation across the North-East with reporters in Vavuniya saying that buses are continuing to be subjected to military checks, and increased security.

See updates from across the North below.

A local from the village of Thavady in the North who tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19), has prompted a village-wide lockdown earlier today at around 8:30 am local time.

Full surveillance measures have been implemented by the Sri Lankan military forces with no one allowed to enter or leave the village.

The wife of a political prisoner, has handed a plea to the Mullaitivu District Secretariat, demanding the Sri Lanka president to release her husband and other political prisoners over concerns of them catching the coronavirus (COVID-19).

Nadesu Kuganathan, from Mullaitivu, undertook a rehabilitation programme before he was rearrested in 2013 and has been detained since, at the New Magazine Prison in Colombo.

Tamil political prisoners being detained at Anuradhapura prison were being threatened into joining a demonstration that ended with Sri Lankan security forces killing at least two inmates, said the leader of the Tamil National Peoples’ Front (TNPF) on Saturday.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked Sri Lanka for its pledge to contribute $5 million towards SAARC (the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) COVID-19 emergency fund.

“Sincerely thank President of Sri Lanka [Gotabaya Rajapaksa] for contributing $ 5 million to the SAARC COVID-19 Emergency Fund,” tweeted Modi this morning. “Our cooperation will go a long way in fighting this disease effectively.”

Sri Lankan security forces confirmed that they have arrested more than 1,700 people for alleged curfew violations, as part of attempts to tackle a coronavirus outbreak on the island.

Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Defence declared a total of 1,754 individuals arrested and 447 vehicles seized as part of an island wide clampdown.

An island-wide curfew has been extended in the North until 6am on Tuesday the 24^th of March, when it will be lifted and then re-imposed at 2pm that day.

A patient in Jaffna has tested positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus, after he reportedly spent time with a pastor who delivered a service at a church in the district. 

Sri Lanka’s president Gotabaya Rajapaksa announced that the island wide curfew he put in place this weekend, would be extended across the Northern Province, as security forces arrested hundreds of people for breaking strict curfew conditions.