Demobilisation for development

Saturday, 19 January 2013 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Almost four years on since the war officially ended, there is greater need for demobilisation of the Army, both for their benefit and public coffers. Yet this needs an open discourse and the attentive responsibility of all stakeholders to become a reality.

It was reported recently that 33,532 personnel were dismissed from the Sri Lanka Army last year as they have been absent without leave or have failed to report for duties. A total of 71,458 personnel had failed to report for duties under their respective classified categories, which means a significant number still remains at large.

There could be many reasons for this, financial as well as social. Perhaps the people that have preferred not to return to the ranks feel that they can have a better life outside of their previous jobs. On the other hand there is fear that such people, trained to violence, can be used by the underworld creating the need for a transparent dealing of this issue.

Moreover, during the last few years there have been numerous headlines on suicides and murders committed by army personnel. While this is shocking it must also be understood from the dimension of psychosocial problems that they may have faced. Given the 27 years of almost uninterrupted fighting that was endured by the army post traumatic stress disorders would be normal but whether comprehensive counselling and other support is being provided is questionable.

The military has noted that the delisting of the remaining personnel who are still absent from service continues non-stop in accordance with military proceedings. Disciplinary action is to be taken against them as they failed to report to their respective regiments as they failed to take the opportunity to surrender have to be subsequently traced down and arrested by the Military Police.

Those who have deserted the Army for more than one year will be sent to a rehabilitation process and then recruited back to the service. Those who want to leave the service will be released after a “strict rehabilitation” according to the report but there were no details given on what this would entail.

The Government has passed three Budgets during the post-war years and each has had a larger defence Budget than the last. This has been justified as necessary since the Army is now engaged in city beautifying projects among others. Recent moves by the Government to use the military as a corruption control arm has also been reported, with them being given the task of renovating thousands of tanks in the drought-hit North Central Province. Such problems need to be handled by cleaning up the public sector and reducing politicisation rather than using the Army as a stop gap measure.

Despite the large outlay of resources there is still need for people that do not want to remain in the army to be employed in other professions. Without private sector involvement providing sustainable employment alternatives will be almost impossible, which is another reason why personnel will remain within the Army. De-stigmatising the post-Army life of legally discharged people will play an important role in Sri Lanka’s return to normalcy. Demobilisation will also go a long way to bolstering reconciliation in the country.