.jpg)
A Sri Lankan army dog and handler won the Washington-based Marshall Legacy Institute’s (MLI) ‘Team of the Year - 2019’ award this week, as the island continues to have military relations around the globe despite concerns of rights abuses committed by troops.
.jpg)
The Sri Lanka Army’s Mine Detection Dog (MDD), ‘Sammy’ and her handler, Lance Corporal P. G Nishantha Bandara of 5 Field Engineer Regiment were at an award ceremony at Washington’s Fairmont Hotel last week to receive the award, with other senior American government officials present.
.jpg)
Major General Tissa Nanayakkara of the Sri Lankan army was invited to address the ceremony, which also saw Sri Lanka’s ambassador the USA in attendance.
.jpg)
After the ceremony, the Sri Lankan military dog and handler were also taken to local schools in the area, to showcase their skills.
The award comes despite senior US officials stating last week that they may have to curb military relations with Sri Lanka, following the appointment of accused war criminal Shavendra Silva to the head of the army. Sri Lankan soldiers are accused of committing egregious rights abuses and violating international law, yet none have been held accountable thus far.
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.
