CO UPDATE

Editorial

Happy New Year from the co-update team. We hope that 2008 will bring more good news for the right to conscientious objection, and that it will be more peaceful than 2007.
As War Resisters' International's annual seminar and Council meeting are planned to take place in India in December 2008, we will this year make a special effort to look at the recruitment practice of the Armed Forces of India (see article on the right). While India does not have conscription, it also does not recognise the right to conscientious objection for professional soldiers.
While we don't know of conscientious objectors in India, we recently received news about a new initiative of conscientious objectors in Turkish Cyprus, which we present here.

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India: Annual recruitment drive highlights "poverty draft"

India boasts the third largest armed forces in the world, with 1,3 million active troops in the Indian Army alone. While recruitment is voluntary, the economical situation in the country - with more than a quarter of the population officially living under the poverty line - guarantees a high number of potential recruits.

According to information provided by the Indian Army, an infantry private (sepoy) receives a starting salary of between Rs. 3050 and Rs. 4650 (80-120 US$).

The main recruitment method are so-called "recruitment rallies", held regularly at different cities - recently in Anantnag, 50 kilometres (30 miles) south of Kashmir's main city of Srinagar. In a state where an armed conflicts threatens those willing to join India's Armed Forces, desperation is an even greater force to make people join. "Unemployment is a big problem. Kashmiris are desperate -- taking up whatever opportunities come their way," said Ghulam Hassan Mir, a senior leader with the pro-India ruling People's Democratic Party, according to a report in The Economic Times.

Twenty-one-year-old Ghulam Ahmed said he had no option but to join the army to support his three sisters and mother after a road accident killed his father. "I've no job and this recruitment rally has given me hope," Ahmed said, struggling to recover his breath after being put through a gruelling physical endurance test by recruiters.

According to the Annual Report of the Indian Ministry of Defence, "there are eleven Zonal Recruiting Offices, two Gorkha Recruiting Depots and One Independent Recruiting Office in addition to 47 Regimental Centres which carry out recruitment through rallies in their respective areas of jurisdiction. Efforts are made so that each district of the country is covered by recruitment rallies at least once in a recruitment year. During the recruiting year 2005-06, the recruiting organisation has enrolled 27911 recruits for the Army."

Similar to other countries, India too maintains a National Cadet Corps, covering 8410 schools and 5251 colleges in almost all districts of the country. In total, 1,3 million Indian youth participate in Cadet Corps.

The Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers reported in 2004 that joining the Indian Armed Forces is possible from 16 years on. Presently, the website of the Indian Army gives 17 1/2 years as minimum age for certain ranks and professions.

However, while there is no shortage of recruits for non-officer rank, the Indian Army faces a shortage of officers. According to official information, there is a shortage of 11,371 officers in the Army which is mainly in the ranks of Lieutenant Colonel and below.

Sources: The Economic Times, 6 January 2008, The Hindu (Tamil Nadu edition), 9 December 2007, The Hindu (Andhra Pradesh edition), 5 January 2008, Indian Ministry of Defence: Annual Report 2006-2007, Official Indian Army website (accessed 7 January 2008), india-defence.com, 21 November 2007

Northern Cyprus: New conscientious objection initiative

Almost 15 years after Salih Askerogul refused to perform military service, a new initiative for the right to conscientious objection has been formed in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The new Initiative for Conscientious Objection in Cyprus (north) "works to support and solve the problems of all persons that see militarism as an obstacle in front of peace, democratization and establishment of a truly civilian administration." The initiative "struggles for abolishing of laws that consider any anti-militarist stance as "alienating the public from military service" and therefore, illegal. There are no conditions that justify the right of conscientious objection -- which is a defense of life -- to be considered a subject of prosecution by the militarist establishment. It is also against the military court system which even the soldiers do not deserve, and works for its abolishing according to the principle of a single rule of law."

The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is internationally not recognised, and thus in a legal limbo as far as international legal standards and treaties are concerned. The only country that recognised the republic is Turkey.

The constitution of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus recognises freedom of conscience in Article 23, but does not explicitly mention the right to conscientious objection. However, Article 74 states: "National service in the armed forces shall be the right and sacred duty of every citizen."

The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus has an indigeneous 5,000-man Turkish Cypriot Security Force (TCSF), which is primarily made up of conscripted Turkish Cypriot males between the ages of 18 and 30. The TCSF is lightly armed and heavily dependent on its mainland Turkish allies, from which it draws much of its officer corps. It is led by a Brigadier General drawn from the Turkish Army. It acts essentially as a gendarmerie with a self-proclaimed mission of protecting the border of the TRNC from Greek Cypriot incursions and maintaining internal security within the TRNC.

In addition, the mainland Turkish Armed Forces maintain a Cyprus Turkish Peace Force (CTPF) consisting of around 30-40,000 troops drawn from the 9th Turkish Army Corps and comprising two divisions, the 28th and 39th. The Turkish Air Force, Turkish Navy and Turkish Coast Guard also have a presence in Northern Cyprus.

Conscription is regulated by the 2000 Military Service Law (59/2000). All men between the ages of 19 and 30 are liable for military service. The length of military service is 15 months. A reduced term of service is possible for those who are considered as Turkish Cypriot citizens and who reside abroad.

The new initiative works to establish the right of conscientious objection in the constitution itself, as it is now considered a "basic human right" by the modern civilization. The compulsory military service in Cyprus should be re-organized according to the European Union norms and United Nations advisory decisions. We demand that the 74th article of the constitution of the administration of the northern part of Cyprus which defines compulsory military service as "a duty to the homeland" of all citizens is changed to include a clause to the effect that allows the right of conscientious objection.

Sources: Refusing to bear arms: Cyprus, Northern or Turkish Cyprus, country report, 1998, and 2005 revision; Initiative for Conscientious Objection in Cyprus (north): General Aims, Principles, and an Open Call, December 2007; Constitution of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, "Cyprus." Jane's Sentinel: Eastern Mediterranean, issue 22, 2007.

Bugaria: conscription ended

On 25 November 2007, 2413 conscript soldiers completed their nine-month service and stepped into history as the last conscript soldiers in Bulgaria.

In 1998, the Bulgarian army had a complement of about 115 000 people, which was highly inefficient given the economic difficulties of the time. The then government, together with the Defence Ministry, adopted what was known as Plan 2004, which provided for decreasing the number of soldiers to 45 000 by the end of 2004 and ending conscription by 2007.

Ending conscription is simple enough, especially when doing so is stipulated in legislation. However, with conscription over, the military is faced with the problem of finding people who want to be professional soldiers. Although the process of hiring soldiers started a few years ago, there has not been a rush to the ranks.

The main problems are in the land forces. "The process of making the land forces completely professional has reached 83 per cent success so far," land forces commander Lieutenant-General Ivan Dobrev told journalists on November 25. "About 400 to 450 soldiers leave the army a year and the process of hiring soldiers will continue in the next few years," he said. To overcome this, the army has put a lot of effort in making the idea of joining the army attractive to the younger generation. Advertising TV spots appear regularly on Bulgarian National Television and a special website, profarmy.bg, has been launched offering, in its words, the chance to become "one of us".

In addition, Bulgaria - which only badly implemented the right to conscientious objection for conscripts - does not recognise the right to conscientious objection for professional soldiers.

Sources: The Sofia Echo, 30 November 2007

Ukraine to abolish conscription in 2009

According to media reports, the Ukrainian army will move to become a fully-professional service in 2009, President Viktor Yushchenko told a defence ministry meeting on Wednesday, 28 November 2007.

"The last conscription is in the fall of 2009. Then a professional army will start," he said, adding, "We must have a modern professional European army."

The Ukrainian defence ministry said the number of military personnel serving under professional contracts had risen by around 2,000 since 2007 to about 51,000.

Only in October did Yushchenko issue a compulsory military service decree. The order stipulates that Ukraine will conduct two conscription campaigns in 2008, in April-May and October-November.

Yushchenko's top aide Viktor Baloha said on 24 October 2007 the decree would help ensure the "continuity and reliability" of Ukraine's defense capabilities. "The head of state has fulfilled his constitutional duty. Conscription is a prerequisite for preserving defense capabilities of the Armed Forces as the country's main instrument to resist threats to its sovereignty and independence," he said.

Baloha said the decree would not impede the army's transition to a professional force. "Ukraine will definitely have effective and professional armed forces. However, the transition to a professional army requires professional approaches and careful preparation," he said and added that this process cannot be rushed."

Sources: RIA Novosti news agency, 28 November 2007, Press office of President Victor Yushchenko, 24 October 2007