ABOLISHING OF CONSCRIPTION SLAVERY: DEMONSTRATION OF THE ARA NEAR THE RUSSIAN WHITE HOUSE AGAINST GOVERNMENTAL SABOTAGE OF THE PRESIDENTIAL DECREE No.722

Moscow, May 7, 1998 -- About 50 activists of the Antimilitarist Radical Association (ARA) have participated today at 2 PM near the House of Government in the demonstration of protest against governmental sabotage of the presidential decree No. 722 (May 16, 1996) on the full transition to the professional recruitment of armed forces by the 1st January of 2000.

The reason for the protest manifestation was the official response from the Government to the parliamentarian interpellation by ARA president Valerij Borscev, signed by vice prime minister Boris Nemtsov. The Nemtsov's response witnesses that Government in fact conducts the real sabotage of the presidential Decree No. 722, because governmental military plans provide safeguarding the mixed system of recruitment - both on the draft and contract bases - till at least 2005.

The ARA's demonstration was carried out under slogans: "Abolishing of conscription slavery by the 2000", "Realize presidential decree 722", "Abolishing conscription by the 2000, alternative civilian service now!", "Stop sabotage of the Decree 722", "Army for country, not country for army", "Military conscription is a barbaric anachronism", "Defenders by force are not defenders", "Stop feeding spongers in epaulettes", "No to the conscription, yes to professional army", "Start cuttings of personnel from conscripts", "Military conscription is assassination of freedom", "Russian army today - danger for Russia".

Despite of the timely sent telegraph request to prime minister Sergej Kirienko to receive delegation of demonstrators, nobody of the White House officials appeared on the square in front of the governmental residence.