The Sri Lankan military has launched a conspicuous recruitment campaign in the Tamil town of Mullaitivu, targeting local youth as Tamils across the North-East mark 16 years since the genocide at Mullivaikkal.
Prominent banners displayed by both the Sri Lankan Army and Air Force have appeared across the town as part of their 2024/2025 enlistment drive. The banners, printed in Tamil, are clearly aimed at recruiting Tamil youth, both male and female, between the ages of 18 and 26.
The banners bear slogans such as “Join us as proud guardians of the motherland we have triumphantly defended”.
The campaign promotes a range of economic incentives and benefits to attract potential recruits, using highly visual and emotionally charged material to appeal to economically vulnerable communities.
These banners have appeared in Mullaitivu, a region devastated by the final stages of Sri Lanka’s genocide, during the month of May, when Tamil families mourn the tens of thousands killed by the very same military apparatus.
The area remains one of the most heavily militarised in the island, and is frequently subjected to military surveillance, land grabs, and state-backed Buddhist expansionism. Despite repeated calls from Tamil politicians and civil society for demilitarisation, the government has continued to expand its military footprint while now attempting to assimilate Tamil youth into its armed forces.
