Another Opportunity For Army Deserters to Receive Legal Discharge

Another Opportunity For Army Deserters to Receive Legal Discharge

The Defence Ministry had offered two General Amnesty periods last year (2016) for tri forces deserters to seek legal discharge. During the last General Amnesty period which ended on midnight 31st December (2016), 8877 tri forces deserters including 34 officers and 8843 other rank personnel had reported to their respective services seeking legal discharge. As from January (2017) authorities stepped up operations to arrest deserters.
In a  media briefing held at the Ministry of Defence – Media Centre in Colombo on Thursday (19), it was announced that a general amnesty is to be offered to army deserters enabling them to receive legal discharge from the Sri Lanka Army (SLA). The General Amnesty will be effective from October 23 to November 15, 2017.
This announcement was  made coinciding with the 68th Army anniversary. This will enable deserters  to report to their respective Regimental Headquarters and receive legal discharge. However, absentees in the Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps would not receive discharge under this amnesty, it said.