Lanka to crackdown on Army deserters

COLOMBO, May 11: Sri Lankan police on Monday prepared a crackdown against nearly 10,000 Army deserters who failed to respond to a five-day a...

COLOMBO, May 11: Sri Lankan police on Monday prepared a crackdown against nearly 10,000 Army deserters who failed to respond to a five-day amnesty, military officials said.

Police throughout the country were asked to arrest deserters as the amnesty expired at midnight Sunday, the Army8217;s director of administration, Brigadier K B Egodawela said. quot;About 5,000 have responded to the amnesty and the figures are now being compiled and it seems to be going up,quot; Egodawela said adding that the crackdown was being activated.

The military offered the amnesty to some 15,000 soldiers who deserted or were absent without leave for a prolonged period.

Official sources said there was a trickle of offenders returning to the ranks but not the anticipated rush. The government had promised not to take disciplinary action against those returning during the amnesty.

Army commander Rohan Daluwatte told reporters on Friday the latest military campaign against Tamil tiger guerrillas has been stalled due to desertions by some15,000 government soldiers.

He said the offensive code-named quot;Sure Victoryquot;, which enters its second year on Wednesday, could be completed quot;very soonquot; if at least 6,000 soldiers returned to take advantage of the latest amnesty.

quot;We are a little slow but we are inching forward,quot; Daluwatte said. quot;We have taken vast areas and need more manpower to hold those areas as well as maintain an offensive capability.quot;

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The military drive mainly aims to capture a strategic highway in the north from the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam LTTE and Daluwatte said it was also to draw out and kill as many rebels as possible.

quot;Even by the admission of the terrorists, they have lost about 2,500 cadres,quot; Daluwatte said, while admitting the military had also suffered heavy casualties.

Official sources said the Army had lost about 1,400 soldiers in the quot;Sure Victoryquot; offensive in the past year and troops had captured about two-thirds of the road.

Army field commanders have made it clear the remaining third ofthe 76 km highway linking the northern peninsula of Jaffna with the rest of the country will be the most difficult.