General amnesty declared for Sri Lanka Army absentees

The Sri Lanka Army, on the directions of the Ministry of Defence, has declared a General Amnesty for all Army absentees, enabling them to receive an official discharge from their service. 

General amnesty will be in force for a period of one month starting from 20 April to 20 May 2024, it said.

During the officially declared general amnesty period, Army absentees have been provided with the opportunity to legally discharge from the Army, in coordination with their respective Regimental Centers.

Meanwhile, this general amnesty is applicable to all Officers/ Other Ranks who have been Absent Without Leave (AWOL) prior to 02 April 2024, according to Sri Lanka Army.

All Officers and Other Ranks who have been AWOL must obtain clearance after reporting to their respective Regimental Centres with the following documents, and the basic administrative process will be completed within 72 hours for a legal discharge from the Army:

a. Army ID (or a copy of a recent police complaint report if Army ID is not available).

b. A copy of the national identity card or driving license.

c. A photocopy of the bank account book where the salary and allowances have been credited.

d. A photocopy of the last pay slip (if available).

During this general amnesty period, Army personnel who have not committed any illegal activities apart from AWOL and are currently overseas without legal discharge from the Army, are also eligible for legal discharge from the Army. 

They can initiate this process by contacting their respective Regimental Centres without physically reporting, the Sri Lanka Army said.