Army clarifies its position on alleged removal of Military Camps in the North

In a statement issued on Sunday (15), the Sri Lanka Army said that it is prepared round the clock to respond to all security requirements in the country.

The statement noted that during the war, the Army adopted its own structural reforms and succeed in winning the war at that time.

In similar vein, the Army while performing a gigantic role in development, has thrown its full weight behind the Government’s ongoing nation-building projects as the prime mover.

“However, some opportunistic politicians and mass media organizations, envious of the Army’s commitment to the country’s future are in the practice of spreading malicious and false propaganda in order to inculcate the public with untruth and distortion regarding the ongoing rightsizing process of the Army,” the Army said.

The Army noted that the rightsizing process has always been happening in the Army and had even taken place during the war and also in the post-war period.

“Through that, the troops mainly deployed for administrative duties are relieved and mobilized for field duties to gain better productivity, thereby doubling their efficiency. This process does not allow any Army camp to be closed, but it instead enables the majority of troops in those camps be deployed for emergency disaster needs and nation-building tasks in an effective manner,” the statement said.

The Army says there is no disbanding of battalions, but only a restructuring with the intention of distributing human and material resources equally among other battalions.

“The Sri Lanka Army under any circumstances will not resort to any decisions that would pose a threat to national security, and it always prioritizes national security concerns. It is therefore emphasized that the Sri Lanka Army as a responsible one will not close down any Army camp as alleged in those misleading reports,” the statement added.

The statement urged the public not to be misled by unfounded and false media reports, but continue to repose the full confidence in the Army, considering its past services as well as the roles and tasks, now being performed across the country.