Parents up in arms over concession to conscientious objectors

By Charlie Charalambous

PARENTS are up in arms over the government’s decision to allow conscientious objectors an opt-out from military service, saying it smacks of double standards.

“Why in time of war should our children fight for those who will not fight for reasons of conscience?” a statement from the Pancyprian Organisation of Large Families (Pop) asked yesterday.

The strongly-worded statement went on to question the government’s decision.

“Why should other children make sacrifices, fight and be killed, while others are saved and appear more clever for not doing their military service?”

Pop is strongly opposed to a Cabinet decision taken earlier this month, which allows genuine conscientious objectors to join the ranks of the civil defence as an alternative to military service.

The non-military alternative does not require the applicants to wear a uniform, and the length of service is the same as that served by conscripts (26 months).

In recent years, the government has come under harsh criticism from Amnesty International for its draconian treatment of conscientious objectors, mainly Jehovah’s Witnesses. The human rights group charged that unarmed alternatives were punitive in length, stretching way beyond 26 months.

The decision may have satisfied Amnesty’s demands and will prevent Jehovah’s Witnesses from serving jail terms for refusing call-up, but Pop’s outbursts have signalled a concerted backlash.

The Cyprus Association of Parents is also preparing an offensive against the government on the issue, and will hold a press conference tomorrow to state its objections.

Pop has made it clear it believes there are no grounds for people to reject national service for moral or religious reasons.

“We recognise and respect the beliefs of others, but we all have obligations and duties which supersede personal and individual rights.”

The organisation points out that one of those all-important duties is serving in the National Guard, especially in a time of occupation.

The statement claims that soldiers feel “bitter” and “frustrated” at the decision because they fear it will open the door draft-dodgers.

Parents say they will continue to confront the government until it reconsiders its stance on conscientious objectors.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.