DUSHANBE, April 1, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- The spring conscription campaign has been launched in Tajikistan today.

According to the Ministry of Defense (MoD), young Tajiks are drafted into the country’s armed forces from April through May 2009.  The draft affects able-bodied male citizens in the age bracket of 18 years old to 27 years old, who are not members of the armed forces reserve.

The source at a MoD noted that some 15,000-16,000 men of call-up age are conscripted per year.

As it had been reported earlier, there are more than 600,000 men of call-up age in Tajikistan but some 150,000 of them have the right to deferment of military service or are exempted from the military service because of health reason.  Another 100,000 young Tajiks are currently outside the country seeking better employment opportunities.