The Association of Disabled and Ex-service Personnel (ADEP) last week attributed the increasing number of crimes involving ex-service personnel to a lack of proper administration and discipline within the forces.

Chairman of the association, Asoka Dayaratne addressing a press conference said that administration and discipline within the forces must be stringent but an obvious lack of it has led to a deterioration within the forces which has affected the entire society. "There is an obvious lapse in the recruiting procedures. For an example where a man who had committed rape was able to avoid court action against him by joining the forces and serving in the North and East. New recruits are not properly screened beforehand," he said.

The association also called upon the cabinet to make changes in the existing legal framework governing the welfare of armed forces personnel. Dayaratne said that changes in the relevant laws were needed so that dependents, especially parents of the servicemen who die in action, or missing in action or are disabled will have some stability in their lives.

ADEP which is self funded operates on a small fee collected annually from its membership of about 8000.

"Although parliamentarians receive a pension after five years of service, service personnel do not receive a pension unless they have twelve years of service," Secretary of the association M. A. Jayasekera said.

He said that some of the problems faced by this group are that service personnel who get married after suffering disability in the war do not receive welfare benefits received by other personnel. Further, personnel who die from other causes in the NE are not compensated.

"Police personnel are especially vulnerable in this situation because although their duty involves protecting civil society, they have been thrust into the north and east due to the war situation there. Welfare facilities for this category is therefore very much less. The police continue to be governed by a circular issued in 1934 despite changes that have occurred since," he pointed out.

Dayaratne, said that the association has received hundreds of letters from parents seeking some redress where they had not been aware of their son’s marriage but were left without any compensation when a person claiming to be his wife received the compensation plus his monthly salary.

He alleged that some such cases were bogus and were carried out with the assistance of sources within the forces.

There are many cases where apart from one legal marriage a person has more than one family. In such situations, even the authorities face a difficulty in providing compensation for the families who have been left behind.

If the law which states that new recruits in the armed forces cannot marry for five years after joining the forces is implemented, this problem could be solved to an extent, he said.