Conscientious objection

Jung-min Choi

Jung-min Choi

Only early in 2001 the concept of "objection to military service" became known to the Korean public. A current affairs magazine reported on a forum on the military service system, including the right to conscientious objection. It especially reported on the history of Jehovah's Witnesses CO. Since the formation of the Korean army, over 10,000 objectors (mostly Jehovah's Witnesses) have spent time behind bars. The public has treeted them as nonexistent.

Prisoners for Peace Day 2003 focuses on the young movement of conscientious objectors in South Korea. Although conscientious objection in young in terms of a movement, the history of imprisonment of conscientious objectors--of Jehovah's Witnesses--goes back a long while. More than 10,000 Jehovah's Witnesses have been imprisoned in the last 50 years for their conscientious objection, mostly to three years imprisonment, and until recently often several times.

Following-up to discussions during the Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting recommendations by many participants included the following:

(...)

"I do not believe in brutality and use of force. I feel the Military and the Politicians have brought this war upon our heads. I will not enter the territories occupied in 1967. I don't believe in the expansion of Israel.

Also, I believe it is inappropriate to assign us, teacher-soldiers who have barely had 2 our briefings on the matter, to instruct children on how to defend themselves from artillery and gun fire. They should send experts to do that.

(adapted from what I read on September 11th in Nuremberg)

Dear Friends

Report to the United Nations Human Rights Committee for its consideration of the Fifth Periodic Report by the Russian Federation

War Resisters' International:

The Russian Federation: Human Rights and the Armed Forces

Report to the United Nations Human Rights Committee



July-September 2003

1 Executive Summary

2.

All this information is available on the GI Rights website - www.girights.org.

Helping Out: A Guide to Military Discharges and GI Rights

The most comprehensive guide to military discharges in print. Written as a guide for helping people to get out of the military. (only partly available on the website)

Advice for Conscientious Objectors in the Armed Forces

CCPR/CO/78/ISR
21 August 2003

(...)

24. While noting the Supreme Court's judgement of 30 December 2002 in the case of eight IDF reservists (judgement HC 7622/02), the Committee remains concerned about the law and criteria applied and generally adverse determinations in practice by military judicial officers in individual cases of conscientious objection (art. 18).

The State party should review the law, criteria and practice governing the determination of conscientious objection, in order to ensure compliance with article 18 of the Covenant.

(...)

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AT EASE is a free, independent advice service for members of the Armed Forces. It is completely confidential. You do not need to tell us your name. We will not attempt to influence your decision.

The following notes on procedure apply to UK Armed Forces only.

Started 11.30am

Testimony of Colonel Shlomi Simchi, Chairman of Conscience Committee

Glossary:

SS : Shlomi Simchi

MS: Defense Attorney Michael Sfard

Judge: Colonel Avi Levy, Chief Judge, Military Tribunal

YBA: Defendant Yoni Ben-Artzi

ICCPR

MS: Did your committee ever release a conscript from service for reasons of conscience?

SS: To my recollection, no.

MS: Your committee twice rejected YBA's requests.

SS: Yes.

MS: Do you know what happened to YBA after your committee rejected his requests?

SS: I know the det

The right to conscientious objection is derived from Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and seen as a manifestation of the freedom of religion and belief. The then CSCE stressed the right to conscientious objection in paragraph 18 of the Document of the Copenhagen meeting of the Conference on the Human Dimension in June 1990.The UN Commission on Human Rights stressed the right to conscientious objection in several resolution, most recently Resolution 1998/77, 2000/34, 2002/45. The Council of Europe also stresses the right to conscientious objection, especially in resolution 337 (1967) and recommendations 1518 (2001), R (87) 8, and 816 (1977).