Sri Lanka’s military took a delegation of foreign military student officers and their families on a tour of the North-East last month, as it continued to foster its military relations around the world.
The delegation, consisted of officers from Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia and Sudan. Another delegation of 46 Officer Cadets from the Sri Lanka Military Academy (SLMA) also toured the region, which continues to be occupied by the military.
Foreign troops were reportedly briefed on how Sri Lankan soldiers led “the war for peace before May 2009” and “how the troops are engaged in nation-building roles”.
When Sri Lankan cadets toured Jaffna, they were taken to "Jaffna Fort, library, Araly point monument, Nallur temple and other places of interest,” said a Sri Lankan military website.
They were also taken to what the military termed “last battles were fought” in Mullivaikkal. The region, gained infamy as Sri Lanka’s killing fields, as tens of thousands of Tamil civilians were massacred there by the military in 2009.
The tours come as the Sri Lankan state continues to expand the role of the military, with many senior officers who oversaw atrocities being promoted to senior government roles.
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