Govt. searching for Tamil-speakers to break language barrier in Police, Armed Forces

The Government is exploring the possibility of encouraging more Tamil-speaking members of the public to join the Police, Armed Forces and Prisons Department in order to cater to the needs of those in the country’s north and east.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday attributed this dearth to the LTTE’s frequent killings of Tamil-speaking members of the Police and Armed Forces, which in turn dissuaded potential new recruits.

“It is an issue to have few Tamil speakers in the Police, Armed Forces and Prisons Department. In fact, the first Army Commander, Major General Anton Muttukumaru, was a Tamil. But a major issue came up after 1978. The Tamils in the police force were the first to investigate LTTE incidents. Unfortunately, they were killed to stop the flow of information through Tamil areas. The LTTE also prevented Tamils from joining the Police and Armed Forces. The 1983 riots added to the problem,” he said.

“On the other hand, there were several other Tamil groups who fought against the LTTE. Certain factors prevented them from joining the Police and the Armed Forces. The situation in the estate areas was different. In the estate region many didn’t have necessary qualifications for enrolment. Those who had these qualifications preferred other options rather than joining the Police and the Armed Forces,” stated Prime Minister Wickremesinghe, who claimed that 151 Tamils speakers from the Northern Province and 57 from the Eastern Province were recently recruited to support a plan to have at least two Tamil-speaking constables in every police station. (AH)