1,500 SLA deserters sent to jail

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 November 2008, 11:38 GMT]
6,749 Sri Lanka Army (SLA) deserters were arrested and 1,500 of them had been sent to prison after court martial. Inquiry is being conducted against the remaining, according to Sri Lankan military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara, who held a media briefing on Thursday. 15,000 soldiers have deserted ranks till January this year, according to recent media reports. A period of two-weeks amnesty for deserted soldiers of the SLA to return for duty in battle front expires on Saturday.

Meanwhile, new recruitment drive to the SLA, commenced on October 1, would conclude on 31 December 2008.

The recruitment is being made in all camps of the SLA in the South.

About five thousand Sinhala youths have been recruited afresh and the recruits were being provided with basic training, according to Udaya Nanayakkara.

Those who fail to return to their ranks within the stipulated period would be arrested and prisoned after court martial, warned the Sri Lankan mililtary spokesman.

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