In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), governments around the world have been rushed into action. Emergency plans have been drawn up, embargoes imposed, and healthcare workers have been mobilized to the frontline. In Sri Lanka though, a familiar spectre has led the charge. Armed Sri Lankan soldiers have been deployed as the government’s first responders. From screening for symptoms in foreigners upon arrival to the construction and running of quarantine centers, Colombo’s coronavirus counter-strategy has been a highly militarized and politicized one. Whilst having the armed forces respond to a global pandemic may at first glance seem to result in a more efficient response, in Sri Lanka there is a more insidious and deeper lasting impact. By calling on a military accused of egregious rights abuses to lead a public health operation, the government risks exacerbating existing ethnic divides, endangering human rights and civil liberties even further, and furthering the violent militarization of the island.