Rehabilitate ‘heroes’

Tuesday, 20 December 2011 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

FRONT page stories during the past week have been filled with crimes committed by Army deserters, with the latest being the horrific death of four members of the same family in Eppalwala on Saturday night.

It was reported that a 37-year-old soldier surrendered to the Police on Sunday morning with an axe, which he said he had used to kill two of his sisters, a niece and her husband at Track One, Katiyawa, Eppawela on Saturday night, over a longstanding land dispute.

Last week, on 8 December, a Special Task Force (STF) deserter killed the father, mother and elder sister of his 19-year-old girlfriend before shooting himself at the Hambegamuwa area. His girlfriend was reported to have been in critical condition and the chances of a normal life for her have ended with this tragic incident.

This was closely followed by another shocking report only two days later of another deserter and two sisters hanging themselves, also in Eppawala. The mother of the two girls had told Police that the deserter had molested the elder girl and harassed them for months ahead of the deaths. She also alleged that the two girls were hung by the deserter as there was no reason or capacity for them to commit suicide unaided.

In less sensational news, last week a deserter of the Army Intelligence Unit was arrested for stealing gold necklaces. Several other brutal crimes that took place in September and October have also been linked to former Army personnel. This includes three people stabbed to death in Homagama over what is suspected to be a land issue and one person being killed in Kadawatha.

These incidents, coming quick on the heels of each other, show that there is a grave need to rehabilitate and assist mentally traumatised armed personnel and deserters. Letting them carry the social stigma of ‘deserters’ causes irreparable harm to society and a competent and comprehensive programme needs to be implemented to assess their mental stability and ensure that their needs are met.

It has been estimated that over 10% of the Sri Lankan armed forces suffer from some level of post-traumatic stress disorder. This is only natural given the ceaseless three decades of war that they had to endure. But even though they have been blithely hailed as ‘heroes’ by the Government and other stakeholders, little has been done to assist their mental state and ensure that they are reintegrated back into society.

Considering that Budget 2012 increased defence expenditure by seven per cent from Rs. 215 billion in 2011 to Rs. 230 billion for next year, it would appear that there is ample funding for a programme of this nature that would do much good rather than empty words.

Families that have forces members should not have to sacrifice their lives in problems that, frankly, can find better solutions. Ending the bloodshed and finding peace for the soldiers as well as promoting law and order in the country would be served by such a programme.

Everyone must keep in mind that killers are not born but made – in a violent society with the three-decade war where humanity paid the greatest price.