Alternative Military Service Under Review
Alternative Military Service Under Review
As non-government groups in Tajikistan campaign for alternative forms of military service, NBCentralAsia experts caution that the army could find it harder that ever to conscript men, and many will be tempted to bribe their way out of the army.
Several meetings have been held in the Soghd region of northern Tajikistan to discuss the possibility of introducing alternative forms of service, the Aziya Plus news agency reported on July 9.
Men in the 18 to 27 age bracket must do two years military service although rare exemptions can be made for family reasons.
The campaign is being led by the Centre for Protection and Cooperation, a group which has drafted its own law on alternative service and is planning on submitting it for parliamentary review.
Previously, a number of minority Christian faith groups outside the Russian Orthodox Church have pressed for alternatives to military service.
Current legislation stipulates that citizens have the right to do alternative service in a civilian role and says that the procedure for doing so “is defined by law”, when in fact it is not.
Abdurahmon Azimov, head of the defence, security and law and order department in the presidential administration, argues that there should be legislation to cover people whose religious convictions preclude serving in armed forces. Other than that, he said, such a law is not really necessary – not least because the army is finding it hard to conscript enough men as things stand.
At the moment the armed forces conscript 12,000 men a year, and Azimov reckons that given the choice, 1,500 would opt out of bearing arms. He argues that most of those who make this choice will come from well-off families, and they should pay for the privilege.
Lawyer Shokirjon Hakimov believes there is no need to adopt new legislation as the existing law on military service could be amended instead. As an alternative to the army, he suggests that young men should work in low-paid jobs in agriculture or industry, where there is a shortage of workers.
Many young men currently pay bribes to buy their way out of the army. Political scientist Parviz Mullojanov says part of the problem is that there are no alternative forms of service.
However, Yunus Murodov, an officer in the defence ministry’s organisational department, warns that introducing choice could promote rather than curb corruption, as it will provide a channel for paying a bribe to be assigned to the softer option.
Mullojanov said that despite the risk that people will abuse the system, choice is a “fundamental characteristic of any democratic society”.
Hopes that such a choice will come into being may still be crushed. According to Murodov, the defence ministry is reviewing the existing clause on alternative service, and may simply strike it out of the law.
(News Briefing Central Asia draws comment and analysis from a broad range of political observers across the region.)
Several meetings have been held in the Soghd region of northern Tajikistan to discuss the possibility of introducing alternative forms of service, the Aziya Plus news agency reported on July 9.
Men in the 18 to 27 age bracket must do two years military service although rare exemptions can be made for family reasons.
The campaign is being led by the Centre for Protection and Cooperation, a group which has drafted its own law on alternative service and is planning on submitting it for parliamentary review.
Previously, a number of minority Christian faith groups outside the Russian Orthodox Church have pressed for alternatives to military service.
Current legislation stipulates that citizens have the right to do alternative service in a civilian role and says that the procedure for doing so “is defined by law”, when in fact it is not.
Abdurahmon Azimov, head of the defence, security and law and order department in the presidential administration, argues that there should be legislation to cover people whose religious convictions preclude serving in armed forces. Other than that, he said, such a law is not really necessary – not least because the army is finding it hard to conscript enough men as things stand.
At the moment the armed forces conscript 12,000 men a year, and Azimov reckons that given the choice, 1,500 would opt out of bearing arms. He argues that most of those who make this choice will come from well-off families, and they should pay for the privilege.
Lawyer Shokirjon Hakimov believes there is no need to adopt new legislation as the existing law on military service could be amended instead. As an alternative to the army, he suggests that young men should work in low-paid jobs in agriculture or industry, where there is a shortage of workers.
Many young men currently pay bribes to buy their way out of the army. Political scientist Parviz Mullojanov says part of the problem is that there are no alternative forms of service.
However, Yunus Murodov, an officer in the defence ministry’s organisational department, warns that introducing choice could promote rather than curb corruption, as it will provide a channel for paying a bribe to be assigned to the softer option.
Mullojanov said that despite the risk that people will abuse the system, choice is a “fundamental characteristic of any democratic society”.
Hopes that such a choice will come into being may still be crushed. According to Murodov, the defence ministry is reviewing the existing clause on alternative service, and may simply strike it out of the law.
(News Briefing Central Asia draws comment and analysis from a broad range of political observers across the region.)
