Sri Lankan troops who took part in  the US-led Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) navy exercise for the first time, have returned to the island.

Sri Lanka was invited to join the exercise, alongside twenty-five other states, despite concerns regarding Sri Lankan troops having committed human rights abuses. During the final phase of the armed conflict tens of thousands of Tamil were massacred by a Sri Lankan military offensive, which saw widespread shelling of civilian buildings, including hospitals. To date, there has been no accountability mechanism to deal with the reports of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

During the exercise, Sri Lankan soldiers they were given hands on weapon training by US troops.

“Participating nations and forces exercised a wide range of capabilities and demonstrated the inherent flexibility of maritime forces,” said an official US military website.

“These capabilities ranged from disaster relief and maritime security operations to sea control and complex warfighting. The relevant, realistic training program included amphibious operations, gunnery, missile, anti-submarine and air defense exercises, as well as counter-piracy operations, mine clearance operations, explosive ordnance disposal, and diving and salvage operations.”

Sri Lanka’s participation in the exercise comes as military engagement with the United States continues to expand in recent years. 

Earlier this year the outgoing US Ambassador told the Tamil National Alliance that the UN Human Rights Council resolution on accountability and transitional justice would remain a basis for the relationship between Sri Lanka and the USA, as military ties between the two governments continue to grow.