The report published by “Sri Lanka Brief” ( http://www.srilankabrief.org/2014/03/sri-lanka-army-says-video-of-solidiers.html ) is misleading.  The title that they used deliberately to mislead the reader is ”Sri Lanka Army says video of Solidiers beating Tamil female recruits is authentic” 

It is reiterrated here that there were NO TAMIL TRAINEES in the batch of recruits that was trained at Anuradhapura in October 2012.  In fact, the recruitment of Tamil Females into the Army had not taken place by then and no Tamil recruits were trained at Anuradhapura.  The Sri Lanka Army does not tolerate any act by any individual or a group that violates the Army Act and Disciplinary Regulations irrespective of the ethnicity of victims or perpetrators.

Therefore, we refute the title of the report by Sri Lanka Brief that is misleading and does not clearly represent the contents of the initial press release which is appended below.

Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasooriya
Military Spokesman

PRESS RELEASE

Upon finding a Youtube video depicting a group female recruits being harassed by some female as well as male instructors, the Commander of the Army had ordered an investigation on 4 March 2014.

The investigation which is being carried out by the Sri Lanka Army Corps of Military Police has so far revealed that the video in question is an authentic one. The incident depicted in the video had taken place in October 2012 at a camp in Anuradhapura where some female recruits were being trained.

According to a preliminary report the instructors have punished the recruits for an act in violation of military discipline. However, the method adopted is not in accordance with standard procedures prescribed for such corrective punitive actions. It has been found that the individuals who carried out this excessive action had over stepped their mandate and acted in their own volition.

Being disciplined organizations the Armies all over the world have standing procedures when it comes to disciplining the soldiers especially during formative period of initial training. Such actions are designed as corrective measures and have to be authorized by appropriate authorities. In this instance no such authorization had been obtained. Further, the punitive methods employed by the instructors were not in line with prescribed procedures.

Considering these observations the Commander of the Army has ordered the authorities to follow up this case with strict disciplinary actions against all those who have violated military code of conduct. He has further reiterated that there would be zero tolerance for conduct prejudicial to good order and military discipline throughout the Army.