19/05/1998

1 Conscription

conscription exists

The legal basis of conscription is the Universal Military Service Act. [2]

Military service is performed in the armed forces, the border guards, the internal security troops and the construction troops. [1]

Traditionally all men and women must undergo civil defence training. In 1982 there were 600 civil defence units, but it is not known if and how far civil defence training still goes on. [2]

military service

All men between the ages of 18 and 28 are liable for military service. [1]

The length of military service is one year. [1]

To match the reduction of the armed forces the length of service has been reduced from three years to two years in 1988, to one year in the 90s. [2]

Reserve service is required up till the age of 45. [2]

postponement and exemption

No information available.

recruitment

Military service is performed mainly at the age of 19 or 20.

Legal minimum enlistment age is 18. [3]

2 Conscientious objection

There is no known legal provision for conscientious objection.

3 Draft evasion and desertion

No information available.

5 History

Mongolia's defence policy used to be strongly linked to the Soviet Union's, their armed forces being mainly intended to supplement the Soviet forces in any possible conflict. Since the end of the Cold War the armed forces have been re-structured and considerably reduced from about 45,000 to 11,000 by 1997. [4]

6 Annual statistics

The armed forces comprise 11,000 troops, that is about 0.46 percent of the population. [1]

Every year about 25,000 young men reach conscription age. There are 6,100 conscripts in the armed forces. [1]

Sources

[1] Institute for Strategic Studies 1997. Military Balance 1997/98. ISS, London. [2] US Library of Congress 1989. Mongolia - a country study. Area Handbooks, State Department, Washington DC. [3] United Nations CRC/C3/Add 2. [4] Jane's Defence Weekly, 8 October 1997. Jane's Information Group, Coulsdon, UK.