One-year military conscription likely to remain / 82年次前役男需當兵? 國防部:未定案　　　　　　　　　　

According to Media reports, the Ministry of Defense is likely to maintain the current conscription system in 2017, and males born before 1994 could still be subject to one year of mandatory service. However, the Defense Ministry said that they have not reached a final decision yet. Legislators are now urging for a clear answer so that these young men can better plan for their career. National Defense Minister Feng Shih-Kuan said that the Defense Ministry would make an official announcement before the end of July regarding whether or not the conscript system will be abolished in 2017. However, no announcement has been made as of mid-August. Media sources pointed out that due to the lack of personnel, the Defense Ministry is likely to maintain the current system and continue to conscript males born before 1994 for the one-year compulsory military service. The Defense Ministry said, however, that they have not yet reached a final decision. ==CHEN CHUNG-CHI, Spokesperson, Defense Ministry == Males born before 1994 are required to complete the one-year compulsory military service. The National Defense Ministry is still at the last stage of the evaluation process and will make a public announcement as soon as we make our decision. Some KMT legislators criticized the Tsai administration for failing to reach a decision due to their lack of understanding for policies. ==TSENG MING-CHUNG, KMT Legislator== The DPP used to criticize the former KMT administration harshly. Now that they are in power, they realized how difficult it is to make a policy decision. I think the Defense Ministry should deliberate the plan carefully before reaching a decision. Some DPP legislators are also calling on the Defense Ministry to give a clear answer so that Taiwanese men who are born before 1994 will not have to face uncertainty in their career planning anymore. ==LO CHIH-CHENG, DPP Legislator== We cannot repeat the evaluation process every year because the people affected will have to face uncertainties in their career planning. The Defense Ministry should make precise and exact evaluations, and make give a definitive answer once and for all. Some people also questioned that if the government continue to draft males before 1994, it would mean that the plan to implement of an all-volunteer force will be postponed again. The Defense Ministry stressed that their policy stance remains unchanged. Males born on or after 1994 will only serve 4 months of civic service for military training. TRANSLATED BY：CHRISTINA LIU 國防部長馮世寬曾表示，會在七月底前宣布，民國82年次以前出生的役男，106年開始是否不再服義務役，全面改服1年替代役，不過到目前八月中，國防部還沒有宣佈結果。倒是有媒體報導，國防部由於員額不足，將可能維持現狀，繼續徵集82年次以前出生的役男服1年義務役，國防部對此表示尚未做出最後決定。 ==國防部發言人 陳中吉== 82年次以前的役男 原本就應該服 一年義務役或替代役 國防部現在還在做 最後階段的評估跟規劃 一有決定或者是確定以後 馬上會向社會大眾來做說明 有國民黨立委質疑這是因為蔡政府剛上路，對政策不熟悉，所以無法做出最後決定。 ==國民黨立委 曾銘宗== 沒有執政的時候 他過去沒有執政的經驗拚命罵 那現在執政了知道 知道執政的困難 所以我覺得這部份 國防部必須做 審慎的評估之後再做決定 也有執政黨立委要求國防部一次說清楚，不要讓這些82年次以前役男，因此無法確定未來的生涯規劃。 ==民進黨立委 羅致政== 不要每年都來檢討一次 讓這些人永遠處在不確定當中 所以我覺得國防部有必要 在未來幾年的(員額)推估 精準算出來之後 把它一次說清楚 另外外界也有人質疑，如果持續徵集82年次以前役男從軍，是否代表募兵制再度跳票，國防部強調83年次以後役男，依兵役制度只服四個月軍事訓練役、或替代役的既有政策沒有改變，所以並沒有所謂募兵制跳票的問題。 記者 張志雄 吳嘉堡 陳立峰 台北報導