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| Sunday, 5 October 2003 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Army deserters : From soldier to criminal by Ramani Kangaraarachchi Army deserters have become an issue of serious concern, especially in
the wake of escalating crimes, much of which is being attributed Army estimates put the number of deserters at one third its total force. What compels a soldier to desert his regiment and what motivates him to take up a life of crime? A path breaking survey on Army deserters, carried out by the Sociology Department of the Peradeniya University gives some interesting insights into an issue that has become a national problem with wide-socio-economic implications. The study conducted with the objective of identifying the reasons why soldiers desert the service, the problems faced by them after desertion and their links with the increasing crime rate in the country reveals that up to now 49,143 army personnel including 623 officers have been listed as deserters. Significantly the numbers amount to one third of the army's total strength. The total strength of the Army in 1978 was 15,920, including 1103 officers. It was increased to 175,195 in 1998 with the intensification of the war. Though the figure indicates a 10 fold increase, it is still 60 per cent less than the approved cadre, indicating continuous shortage of manpower from 1978 to 1998. But since the debacles of 1995 and thereafter, the Army had been functioning below strength. And the situation had been further compounded by the increasing numbers of deserters. The study points out that the number of soldiers killed in action had also increased from 152 in 1985 to 11,400 in 2001. Over 8,000 soldiers had also been totally disabled. Although Army desertions is not a new phenomenon, the study reveals that the numbers opting out of the Army without due release, had increased rapidly after the Wanni debacle in 1995. Around 1,500 soldiers are said to have decamped immediately after the incident. Previously the number of deserters had been around 10 per year. The research report attributes severe unemployment, poor education standards, higher salary, free food and accommodation provided by the Army, advertising that appeal to the macho image of young men facilities to improve talents in sports and opportunities to serve the country as reasons why young men join the Army. More significantly it identifies Poor Leadership, enlistment of unsuitable officers, poor administration and insufficient training, fear, escalation of the war, lack of strategies to retain people, family and personal problems as the reasons for the mass desertions. And going a step further, it attributes the loss of stable income, difficulty in finding jobs due to legal and social barriers as the main reason why the deserter end up as criminals. Pressure by friends and other elements such as underworld gangs, because they have undergone training and are skilled at handling weapons, have also forced many deserters to take up a life of crime, as have their training in escaping through various means The report points out that the army is facing a severe shortage of manpower due to the high rate of desertion and acknowledges that deserters become a threat to society. It also identifies desertion as one of the reasons for the poor response to recruitment drives. The report while recommending that deserters be absorbed to society urges enhanced punishments and relaxation of certain legal barriers with regard to the compulsory service period in a bid to stop soldiers from deserting the Army. ################ Soldiers' tales Ten deserters had been interviewed by the researchers. Five of them had been interviewed while serving prison terms. The names have been omitted to safeguard their privacy . A soldier who was fed up after 16 years in the Army. "I joined the Army because I liked the smart uniform. I served for 16 years with the Gemunu Regiment, and was in the thick of battle in the North and East as well as, in the South during the JVP uprising. Operation 'Wadamarachchi' under the leadership of the late General Denzil Kobbekaduwa was the best battle I participated in. During this period the soldiers were looked after very well by the officers in the battlefield giving us the courage and high morale to face any challenge. But things went downhill during operation 'Jaya Sikuru' out of the 650 soldiers who participated 448 were killed and only 252 survived. And making matters worse, we were forced to abandon the area we fought for two years and safeguarded. The debacle happened because of the weaknesses of our officers. I was totally fed up after that. I was injured in a claymore mine accident while on duty at Chavakachcheri. My left leg was badly hurt and I spent a long time recuperating. During the initial stages I was looked after well,but later, no one even came to see me and after a while I was treated very unkindly. I was even asked to do guard duties. I was really disappointed and decided to desert the Army. So when I went home on leave I never returned. After desertion I lived in my village in fear of being arrested at any moment. In order to survive I managed to do a small business of my own. In the course of business transaction a cheque bounced due to lack of funds in the account and I was taken to courts and subsequently sentenced to two years in prison. Callous attitude of the top officials forced him to desert. After eight years service in the battlefield I deserted the Army because I was not informed of my father-in-law's funeral. My home people had sent five messages about the death, but I was not informed. I was serving at Elephant Pass at that time. I had to undergo severe financial difficulties after desertion and in desperation I joined some of my friends who were involved in criminal activities. I managed to get away with several robberies. This made me rich, but subsequently I was caught and was sent to jail for ten years. Girl friend forced him to leave the Army. I joined the Army without the consent of my girl friend and she forced me to stay back everytime I came on leave. Finally I just stayed away. I was feeling isolated after desertion. Later I got involved in various illegal activities with my friends and was arrested by the Police, and ended up in jail. Robberies were more lucrative for the Commando Sgt. I was a Commando Sgt. and served in the Army for ten years. I was trained overseas and was mostly deployed in special operations. I earned more than Rs. 18,000 monthly as a Sgt. but was also involved in nefarious activities while serving in the Army. I was smart enough to carry out the dual role, and robberies brought me a lot of money. I used the weapons and ammunitions issued by the Army in my illegal side businesses and earned more than Rs. 2,50,000 in just six months. Then I decided to leave the Army and concentrate on my illegal business which included robberies. However I was caught by the Police as a result of CID investigations, and was sent to jail for 19 years. But today I regret that I did not get caught to the Police at the early stages. It would have prevented me from being sent to jail for a long period as 19 years. |
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to these
men who once took an oath to serve the country. Police investigations into
various crimes have revealed deserters to be involved in thefts, rape,
murder and gang warfare. Many are also said to have links with underworld
gangs often undertaking contract killings.
