Large numbers of Sri Lankan army and police officers were deployed across Jaffna, as stores were forced to close following a sharp increase in the district’s COVID-19 cases.
All stores in the central market were ordered military-enforced disinfection and quarantine emergency meeting held by the Jaffna COVID-19 Prevention Task Force on Thursday.
Military-enforced lockdowns masked severe intimidation and harassment on Tamils and Muslims in the North-East under the guise of coronavirus procedures. The lockdowns have also took a severe toll on the local economy of fish markets, timber shops and other businesses.
We need your support
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.
