Forced Recruitment of Civilians Continues
News from Colombia |
on: Tuesday, 7 February 2012
Youths being drafted after a 'batido'
From Voz:
In November 2011 the Constitutional Court of Colombia ruled that the ‘batidos’, or searches, that the army used to draft youths into the army constituted a form of forced recruitment and were therefore illegal. The court ruled that those that had not yet been registered for service could not be held indefinitely in military installations, and nor could they be automatically conscripted. Youths can only be searched and registered if necessary. Nor can they be forced to take the medical exams that determine if they are fit to be registered for service.
At the end of 2011 Elkin Mojica, a conscientious objector, was retained in a ‘batida’ by troops of the 50th Jungle Battalion. After more than an hour he was put on a civilian truck along with 9 others. They were then joined by another 15 youths who had all been picked up on the public transport system. The youths were taken to the 3rd Military District, where they were joined by another 2 groups of young men.
The troops then began to register the youths, finding several that were exempt from service. Elkin was also eventually released, after being told that the law on ‘batidos’ did not yet apply, which was false.
According to Elkin, at least another 70 youths remained in the base, having been picked up in the Bogota districts of, Suba, Bosa and Cuidad Kennedy.
Colombia has an armed forces of over 400,000 men. This force has grown significantly in recent years.
CPDH has recently reported troops of the 9th Boyaca Battalion carrying out 'batidos' in the city of Pasto, near the Ecuadorean border.
