DUSHANBE, March 15, 2012, Asia-Plus  -- On Wednesday March 14, President Emomali Rahmon signed a decree on drafting young Tajiks into the country’s armed forces from April through May 2012, the presidential press service reported.

The draft affects able-bodied male citizens in the age bracket of 18 years old to 27 years old, who are not members of the armed forces reserve.  The same decree provides for the retirement from active duty of soldiers and sergeants whose service under conscription is over. 

“Taking into consideration the specific character of service in the border troops, the Ministry of Defense is to select conscripts for serving in the border troops in cooperation with the security and interior bodies immediately,” said the source.  “The Ministry of Health is tasked to provide specialists from medical facilities of Dushanbe to make medical examination of conscripts for the districts subordinate to the center.”

According to the Ministry of Defense, every year, some 15,000-16,000 young Tajik men are drafted into the country’s armed forces.  The two-month-long effort seeking to enlist young men aged 18-27 for the two-year compulsory military service takes place twice a year, in the spring and in the autumn.

Some sources say more than 600,000 young men in Tajikistan are eligible for military service, but some 150,000 of them have received draft deferments or are exempted from the military service and some 100,000 other conscript-age young Tajiks are outside the country in search of a living.

Young Tajiks can avoid or postpone military service if they are ill, studying at university, an only son, or if they have two children.