A joint military exercise between Sri Lankan and India in Trincomalee concluded this week, as the Sri Lankan government continues to build military relations despite human rights concerns.
The exercise, SLINEX 2018, saw over 1,000 personnel participate. Naval ships and aircraft from the Indian military travelled to Trincomalee to take part in the exercise, which saw “ship manoeuvring exercises, transfer of persons and goods between ships by means of helicopters, Visit Board Search and Seizure (VBSS) operations and communication drills”.
The Sri Lankan navy also declared that Sri Lankan troops also landed an Indian helicopter on to a Sri Lankan ship, marking the first time this had occurred.
The exercise comes despite continued concerns over Sri Lanka’s human rights record, with no accountability for mass atrocities committed during a massive military offensive in 2009, which saw tens of thousands of Tamils killed.