Sri Lanka is granting what amounts to amnesty to 60,000 army soldiers who deserted during the island nation's 30-year civil war against Tamil separatists.
The deserters will be "de-listed," army spokesman Brig. Nihal Hapuarachchi said.
"These are soldiers who had deserted their ranks since 1982. Soldiers who had not reported back to service are considered deserters and they will now be de-listed from the army," he said.
However, the military said it will continue to pursue several hundred deserters who are believed to have been or are still involved in criminal activity.
"We are now mainly focusing on this small number only. We want the soldiers who were involved in criminal activity after deserting their ranks to be arrested," Hapuarachchi said.
Among the 60,000 are around 5,000 who, although de-listed, must report to their bases for work because of unpaid financial loans.
UPI
