Conscientious Objectors to Spend 36 Months as Jailers

The Defense Ministry has reached a tentative decision to make conscientious objectors serve as prison staff for 36 months, it said Wednesday.

The decision comes after the Constitutional Court early this month ruled that conscientious objectors cannot be forced to bear arms and an alternative to mandatory military service must be made available.

At the moment conscientious objectors are simply jailed for the 18 months their military service would take.

The ministry set the period at three years because men with professional skills like doctors and engineers are allowed to work in public health clinics or factories for 34 to 36 months instead of serving in the military.

An Army spokesman said, "Under the Constitutional Court ruling, we need to come up with an alternative to the mandatory military service by the end of 2019. We plan to submit the proposal for National Assembly ratification in February of next year." 

"We will give this a try and may fix any problems that arise," the spokesman added.