Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Draft Fines

From Russia Today:
"Draft dodgers could face decades-long 13-per-cent-of-salary fine"

United Russia has come up with a tough initiative against draft dodgers. Anyone who avoids army service without a proper reason would pay 13 per cent of any future salary – until they are 60 years old.  The draft law, due for discussion in the Duma, proposes that any money collected would go toany  the Russian army.  Deputies believe the punishment will help persuade the estimated 200,000 18- to 27-year-olds who currently avoiding army service. In October 2010, Russian deputies drafted a law allowing young men to legally avoid the armed services. A year of freedom from the army would have set back those avoiding the draft legitimately a full million rubles. The draft law, however, was abandoned – lawmakers say the military risks facing a shortage of privates now that conscripts only have to serve one year.

^ I don't think this will make much of a difference to "catching" draft evaders. I remember when I was studying in Yaroslavl and didn't speak of word of Russian. I was stopped at the front door by some police (I don't know if they were Military Police or Regular Police.) I didn't know what was going on and just walked by them. They came running after, screaming in Russian. I made it to my classroom where my teacher explained what was going on to the police and they left. The next day I got an ID Card saying I was a foreign student legally studying in Russia. After that I never had another run-in. I'm curious what would have happened had I been a Russian and didn't have proof of a deferment or military service. Most of my Russian male friends (since women aren't drafted) have not served in the Russian military and all have received "official" exemptions. I never asked any of them how they got the exemptions, but it seems a little odd that all of them got one and never had to do any kind of service. I know only one person who is around my age who served in the Soviet/Russian Military and that was because he was poor and didn't go to the university. With all the hazing and violence within the Russian Military I wouldn't want to serve either. Russia should move to an all-volunteer Military and improve the internal problems and increase the pay and then they wouldn't have any problems with recruitment. ^

http://www.rt.com/news/prime-time/draft-dodgers-salary-fine-077/

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