An Indian navy aircraft participated in a training exercise with Sri Lankan soldiers last week, despite concerns of rights abuses committed by the Sri Lankan military against Tamils on the island.
An official Sri Lankan navy website reported that a Dornier Aircraft of the Indian Navy arrived on the island last week, with twelve officers taking part in a “rare training exercise which paved the way to improve professionalism and bilateral ties among friendly forces in the region”.
In recent years the Sri Lankan military has grown its ties with other governments, in particular the USA, UK and India, despite criticism over these training programs. Multiple UN reports and non-governmental organisations have documented how Sri Lankan troops systematically shelled civilians, bombed hospitals and executed Tamils in 2009, which left tens of thousands of Tamils massacred. Continuing rights abuses by security forces have also been documented, with concerns over torture and military occupation of civilian land.
Despite these the Sri Lankan military has continued to grow its relations with several nations, hosting several different training programs.
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