Moragoda calls for compulsory National Service

The Pathfinder Foundation founder and former Minister and MP Milinda Moragoda in a statement has called for the introduction of compulsory national service.

Following is the full text of his statement.  

Sri Lanka’s fractured society and lack of social cohesion make it essential that radical solutions be implemented for what at present appears to be an intractable problem.

Sri Lanka needs to adopt a series of multifaceted strategies to overcome the present crisis. Our leaders need to unite across party lines and agree on a package of radical short-, medium-, and long-term measures that can be implemented on an immediate basis. 

One such initiative should be the introduction of compulsory military service. Many countries have made it mandatory for all men to serve in the military for a specific period of time. More recently, some have made it mandatory for women to serve. In countries that have instituted National Service, avoidance is considered to be a criminal offence. Sri Lanka should aim to set up a compulsory military service model that requires all men, in the first instance, upon reaching the age of 18 years, to serve in active duty as full-time service men in the Army, Navy, Air Force or Police. Following this, they will transition to an operationally-ready reservist state up until the age of 40 for non-officers and 50 for commissioned officers. 

This program should be implemented comprehensively and apply to all Sri Lankans, regardless of social position, ethnic origin, or religious background. Fulfilling National Service requirements should be a prerequisite for recruitment to any public service job. Implementing a National Service policy is expensive for any country, and will require serious attention and planning.