One-Month Long General Amnesty Granted for Tri-Service Deserters

Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Tuesday (29) granted a one-month (December 1 -31) long general amnesty period to tri-service deserters on Absent Without Official Leave (AWOL) to receive their legal discharge and clearance from respective Regiments.

During a Press Conference, held at the MoD Media Centre, Eng Karunasena Hettiarachchi, Secretary Defence said that those deserters who report back during the proposed amnesty period would not be placed under arrest or detention.

He reminded that since deserters are on arrest warrants they would not be able to either leave the country or return from foreign lands and the general amnesty is mainly meant to clear tri-service documentation and discharge them legally from respective services.

It is illegal to employ those deserters and they would be compelled to produce original certificates of professional qualifications, if they were to apply for new employment opportunities. “Since their original certificates continue to be with respective services, it would be impossible and difficult for them to receive proper and legal employment openings,” he said.

A total of about 174 officers and 42,506 other rankers in the Army are currently Absent Without Official Leave (AWOL), pending their formal discharge from the Army.

Contributing to the Media briefing, Major General A.S De Z Wickramaratne, Adjutant General of the Army urged all AWOL personnel to report to their respective Regimental Headquarters within this period and obtain their legal clearance without any hindrance.

MoD requests those wishing to receive legal discharge and clearance during this period to report to the respective Regiment, along with their service identity card, National Identity Card and a photocopy of the passbook, related to the bank account.

Opportunities for re-employment in respective services again, if they so desire, could also be considered depending on opportunities available in respective services.

Major General Janaka Walgama, Military Secretary, Rear Admiral Sisira Jayakody, Director General Personnel and Chief Hydrographer of the Navy and Air Vice Marshal Chandana Welikala, Director Administration of Air Force were also present at the Media Conference.