SL Army issues general amnesty to absentees

April 18 - The Ministry of Defence has directed the Sri Lanka Army to implement a month-long General Amnesty starting from April 20 to May 20, 2024 enabling all Army absentees to receive an official discharge from their service.

The General Amnesty, applicable to all Officers and Other Ranks who have been Absent Without Leave (AWOL) before April 2, 2024, presents a structured process for legal discharge. Individuals falling under this category are required to report to their respective Regimental Centres during the specified period.

Upon reporting, they must provide essential documents including their Army ID (or a copy of a recent police complaint report if their Army ID is not available), a copy of their national identity card or driving license, a photocopy of the bank account book reflecting salary and allowances, and if available, a photocopy of the last pay slip.

Furthermore, efforts have been made to streamline the administrative procedures, ensuring a swift process that guarantees legal discharge within 72 hours of submission of the necessary documents.

The General Amnesty also extends its benefits to Army personnel who, apart from being AWOL, have not been involved in any illegal activities and are currently residing overseas without legal discharge from the Army. Such individuals are granted the opportunity to initiate their discharge process by contacting their respective Regimental Centres, eliminating the need for physical reporting.