SLA recruitment campaign in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 May 2002, 20:39 GMT]
The Sri Lanka army called on Muslim and Tamil youth in the eastern district of Batticaloa to join up from Thursday. The SLA campaigned for recruits in the villages of Eravur, Chenkalady, Vantharumoolai, Sithaandy, Mavadivembu and Kaluwankerny in vans fixed with loud hailers Wednesday urging youth to enrol in the military.

Strapped for manpower due to desertions and deaths, the SLA began a recruitment drive to enlist 5000 youth last month.

The Sri Lankan military is also planning to form two corps from the division deployed in the northern and eastern parts of the island with a view to enhancing command and control.

The SLA recruitment campaigners asked able bodied youth between 18-27 to report to the Black Bridge camp, 16 kilometres north of Batticaloa town with their national identity cards and birth certificates for walk in interviews from Thursday.