"While you were at work" program, July 11, 1995, 7:00 PM

ANTI-MILITARISTS' RADICAL ASSOCIATION ACTS AGAIN. AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE IN MOSCOW ITS REPRESENTATIVES SUPPORTED THE LAW ON ALTERNATIVE CIVILIAN SERVICE. ANDREI KARPLIUK NARRATES.

OF COURSE, OUR ARMY IS FAR NOR PERFECT, AND FEW MEN WANT TO SERVE IN IT. NOW WE HAVE NO LAW ON ALTERNATIVE SERVICE. THAT'S WHY ANTI-MILITARISTS' RADICAL ASSOCIATION DECIDED TO PROMOTE ITS CONSIDERATION AND ADOPTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THE ASSOCIATION GATHERS SIGNATURES FOR SUPPORT OF THE LAW AND PATRONIZES THOSE WHO REFUSED MILITARY SERVICE BY CONVICTIONS OF MORAL. THERE ARE NINETEEN OF THEM IN MOSCOW, WHO, ACCORDING TO THEM, NEVER FIST-FOUGHT AND HURT CATS AND DOGS. THEY DECLARE THAT THEY'LL BETTER GO TO PRISON THAN PUT ON A MILITARY UNIFORM.

///A CONSCIENTIUOS OBJECTORS' ACT///

IN PRINCIPLE, MY SLOGAN FOR SUCH A SITUATION IS: WITH A

FAULTLESS CONSCIENCE -- TO THE JAIL. AND I'LL BE IMPRISONED

WITH A PURE CONSCIENCE, I HAVE NOTHING TO BE ASHAMED OF, I

DIDN'T COMMIT SOMETHING ILLEGAL.

///END CONSCIENTIUOS OBJECTORS' ACT///

CERTAINLY, NO SUCH MAN WHO REFUSED WAS IMPRISONED. THEY FREELY SPEAK AT PRESS CONFERENCES AND TELL US WHY THEY DO NOT WANT TO SERVE IN ARMY.

OF COURSE, POSSIBILITIES OF ANTI-MILITARISTS' RADICAL ASSOCIATION ARE NOT TOO GREAT, HOWEVER, PROBLEMS IT PUTS FORWARD TOUCH HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS GUYS OF DRAFT AGE EVERY YEAR. A LAW ON ALTERNATIVE SERVICE WON'T SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS, THOUGH IT IS OBVIOUSLY NEEDED. BUT THE MAIN PROBLEM IS IN MILITARY FORCES THEMSELVES.

ANDREI KARPLIUK, INFORMATION SERVICE, RADIO JUNOST.

Translated into English by A.Prischenko, July 12, 1995