Young Netizens Against Military Service

SMN No. 5, July 13, 2010

Facebook has become a platform for young Syrians opposed to compulsory military service in their country. Every young Syrian man has to serve for one year and nine months in the army once he reaches the age of 18. University students can defer military service until they finish their education.

Despite the authorities reducing the length of military service in recent year, which used to be two and a half years, many remain opposed to the draft.

One Facebook group, called “No to Compulsory Military Service”, has more than 1500 members since its creation late last year. The group said that young Syrians are leaving the country to live and work abroad so as to avoid being called up.

Syrians who live outside the country for more than five years can pay 6,500 US dollars to be exempt from service.

The group said that Syria should follow the example of its neighbour Lebanon that ended compulsory service in recent years, even though it remains in a state of war with Israel.

The group’s administrators addressed an open letter to the Syrian president and the Syrian defence minister outlining their objections to the draft. It called on the government to establish a professional army.

Another group, also recently launched under the name “No to Military Service in its Present Form”, criticised what it describes as the squandering of the country’s financial and human resources on the Syrian army.

The administrators of the group, which numbers around 340 members, complained that military service “humiliates” the youth and “destroys” their future.

Both groups shed light on alleged corruption in the army and claims that soldiers are ill-treated during army training.

One member commented that young people were not enthusiastic about joining the army not because they did not love their country but because of the “humiliation” they are subjected to in the force. He also deplored favouritism and nepotism in the army.

Others rejected the idea of the military service altogether, saying that it impeded their academic and professional careers. Some suggested a civil service draft to replace the military call-up to allow young people to “serve their country each according to his expertise”.

A third newly created Facebook group calls more specifically on authorities to reduce the duration of  military service to one year and free expatriates from doing it after living abroad for three years.