President appeals for deserters to return

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Sri Lankan President issued an official communiqué this evening for the first time since she assumed office calling on those who had deserted the Sri Lankan security forces including the Police to return to their respective units immediately.

She called on the deserters to rejoin the Sri Lankan security forces as the threat of the Liberation Tigers is great after the ban on them.

The communiqué was issued in Sinhalese only.

She said that none of the deserters will be subject to routine procedures which they have to undergo when they report back for service.