Prison cells 'bursting' with deserters

Action against deserters underway - Prisons Chief:

Hiran H. Senewiratne

The Government is in the process of taking steps against deserters from all Security Forces numbering about 1,506 who are in open prisons, said Prisons Commissioner Major General V. R. de Silva.

"These prisoners are in open prison camps and action will be taken either to grant them a general amnesty or suspend their sentences or imprison them till the prison term ends before releasing them to the civil society," Major General de Silva told a media conference yesterday. He said the Government recently declared a common amnesty for deserters from the Forces, which had a fairly a good response.

"Several re-joined and they were reinstated with necessary ranks and salaries along with promotions. There are also many deserters who are doing other jobs which will also be taken into consideration," he said.

One thousand five hundred and six deserters now in open prison camps were taken into the custody by the Military Police will be Court Martialled. The high number of Army deserters is a major burden to prisons, he said.

Major General de Silva said a maximum 10,000 prisoners can be housed in all prisons while the total prisoners in all prisons are over 31,653. This had caused a major problem in accommodating new prisoners, he said. Two prison houses are under construction in Pallekele and Wariyapola areas, he said.

The Prisons Commissioner said out of the total number of prisoners, 37.5 percent are drug addicts and drug related offenders and 60 percent are those who have been prosecuted for offences including rape, murder and other criminal activities. It is also reported that 500 prisoners have been sentenced the death penalty. The prisons also house over 15,000 remand prisoners who have been convicted for minor offences, he said.

De Silva said LTTE prisoners will be prosecuted under the law in the country and a new prison is to be built in Jaffna in a 2.5 acre land. Land has been released by the Jaffna Government Agent.