A team of Sri Lankan tri-forces personnel, consisting of medical personnel, left for Myanmar on a special flight on Saturday to provide relief help to earthquake victims, the Defence Ministry said.Tri-Forces medical and disaster relief teams, together with humanitarian aid gathered under the guidance of the Chief Prelates of the 3 Buddhist Chapters left the island for Myanmar a brief while earlier, the Ministry of Defence announced.Sri Lanka will release 3 military teams making up rescue, relief and medical assistance in earthquake-hit Myanmar in addition to USD one million in donations.Accordingly, the first string left on Saturday in a special airplane filled with relief materials to quake victims in Myanmar, the ministry said.The 3 military groups making up rescue, relief and medical help would be released in addition to the states contribution of one million dollars, the ministry said.Additionally, the three Buddhist sect leaders have arranged relief help in view of the close religious ties between the 2 countries.
Close cultural and religious ties in between Myanmar and Sri Lanka underlie this concerted humanitarian effort.The Sri Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Tooth Relic) said it was collecting 15 million rupees independently to be donated to Myanmar as earthquake relief.
Myanmar and Sri Lanka are traditionally linked in the practice of Theravada Buddhism.The earthquake, occurring on March 28, has actually left over 3,100 dead, almost 5,000 hurt, and more than 370 individuals still missing.