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| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| Russians demonstrate against end to military service exemptions |
| 2006-06-18 |
| MOSCOW - Scores of Russians demonstrated in the capital Moscow on Saturday against the planned abolition of exemptions from military service, hated for its endemic bullying and brutality. “Yes to the abolition of military service, no to the abolition of the exemption,” read banners carried by about 100 demonstrators who responded to a call from small parties from the liberal opposition, the SPS (Union of Right Forces) party, the Republican Party and the party of Soldiers’ Mothers. The plan is part of a proposed reform of the armed forces, under which the length of mandatory military service would be cut in half from its current two years to one year from January 1, 2008. The bill, backed by President Vladimir Putin and adopted on a third and final reading in the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, is part of a Kremlin campaign to modernize the country’s armed forces, aimed eventually at establishing an all-professional military. The Russian army today numbers around 1.3 million people, but mobilization of conscripts has become increasingly difficult, in large measure because of criminal hazing and other abuses which remain widespread in the armed forces. Under the terms of the bill, the length of military service will be reduced gradually to 18 months starting in January next year and to 12 months from 2008 for men between the ages of 18 and 27. While halving the length of service, it also scraps a 9 of 26 exceptions that most often result in total exemption from military service, notably for rural doctors and teachers, fathers of one child under the age of three and men whose parents are handicapped or retired. |
| Posted by:Steve White |