The government is likely to explore the possibility of discharging hundreds of security forces deserters held at Welikada and also granting a general amnesty to deserters on the run.


Justice and Law Reforms Minister Milinda Moragoda after a recent visit to Welikada where he had received a briefing about the deserters, has discussed the possibility of discharging them with Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.


Well informed sources said that Moragoda’s proposal would be taken up with President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Sources said that this move wouldn’t bring any relief to those who had been arrested on various other charges, including armed robbery and murder.


Over 2,000 deserters are serving varying sentences for leaving their units at the height of the war. As part of the effort to discourage desertions, the army over the past few years tried a number of officers and men by court martial but failed to tackle the problem.


The Justice Ministry believes that an effort should be made to help deserters to return to society. Moragoda has asserted that it would be undesirable to hold deserters with other criminals as they too could end up as criminals.


During General Sarath Fonseka’s tenure as the army commander, he recruited over 80,000 personnel who helped the government to crush the LTTE.


The army lost over 5,000 officers and men while 30,000 received war wounds with some permanently disabled.