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The Sri Lankan military held Buddhist ceremonies across the North-East last month, to call for blessings to be invoked on soldiers.
A ceremony was held in Kilinochchi and another in Mullaitivu, as Sri Lankan troops marked “Poya Day” on 31 July.
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Troops and commanding officers dressed in white and gave offerings to Buddhist monks, whilst praying at the viharas.
A military website reported the events “invoked blessings on serving Army personnel and transferred merits on fallen War Heroes”.
The Sri Lankan army has been engaged extensively in constructing Buddhist temples across the Tamil dominated North-East of the island, since the end of the armed conflict in May 2009.
Recently Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe stated he would ensure Sri Lanka became a "centre of Theravada Buddhism to propagate and preserve Theravada Buddhism in the region and the globe as a whole".
Also see:
Sri Lankan army opens Buddhist temple in North-East (07 Aug 2015)
Sri Lankan army opens newly constructed hall at Buddhist temple in North-East (23 Jun 2015)
Buddhist temple being constructed in Mullaitivu despite ban says NPC councillor (21 Jun2015)
Sri Lankan military continues to build Buddhist temples in North-East (10 Jun 2015)
Construction of illegal Buddhist temple halted (13 Jun 2015)
Arrests at protest against army-built Vihara (05 June 2015)
Silent war against Tamils through Sri Lanka's military occupation finds US think-tank (28 May 2015)
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