Recently, a Taiwanese man of conscription age was sentenced due to evasion of military service, which aroused attention within the island. To avoid military service, a man from Taoyuan City stayed overseas for 16 years, only returning to Taiwan to turn himself in after he was beyond the conscription age. Currently, he was sentenced to six months' imprisonment, suspended for two years, and fined NT$300,000.
Surprisingly, many people in Taiwan expressed that this sentence is a good deal compared to military service; and some even reckoned it as a good military service evasion sample.
Judging from this case, it could be speculated that overall, Taiwanese youth are reluctant to have military service. Unwilling to become the "pawn" for "Taiwan independence," they work diligently to flee from military service: some go through weight loss or weight gain, some feign depression and go to the asylum, and some even cut their own fingers so that they could be unable to use weapons.
Unusual tactics & uncountable attempts to escape military service
According to Taiwan media, some youth take advantage of age limitations to evade military service. The Taiwan military service system stipulates that the conscription age of males ranges from 19 to 36. Men after turning 36 would not have to serve in the army, which is exemplified by the "Taoyuan man" who came back and confessed after passing the conscription age. Similar cases repeated several times in Taiwan in recent years, where the individuals who evaded military service left Taiwan under the pretense of studying, visiting relatives, or sightseeing, but never returned. They only came back after surpassing the age limit for military service.
Besides, some intentionally lose weight or gain weight to fail the physical conditions of military service. According to the enlistment requirements of the Taiwan military, the service members' body mass index (BMI) shall range between 15 to 35, and those who are below or above the range would not have to serve. For example, a man measuring 180 cm is not required to serve if his weight is below 48.4 kg or above 113.6 kg. As a result, many youths of conscription age undertake extreme weight loss or weight gain measures before their physical examination, preferring torturing themselves to serving in the army.
Additionally, a number of people turn to malinger, their pretenses covering a bizarre array of diseases. In 2018, a man, in order to evade military service, asked an AIDS patient to take his physical examination for him. Surprisingly, he succeeded in obtaining a certificate that exempts him from military service. However, he later received a notice for a follow-up examination from the health authorities. Realizing that he could no longer evade it, he had no choice but to confess.
Another person shared on an Internet forum that he used to pretend to have depression for the purpose of evading military service. When facing the doctor, he went all out in immersive acting, even at the expense of staying in an asylum for one month. What's more, someone revealed in an interview that he cut a segment of their right index finger in order to be unable to pull the trigger of a gun and thereby evade military service.
Due to pressure in the army, personal issues, and other reasons, some reluctant youngsters try out multiple strategies to run away even after they have already been enrolled. The case of Taiwanese soldiers escaping from military camps has occurred from time to time in the past few years.
Polls in Taiwan: over 70% of youth are unwilling to serve
Actually, the various tactics to avoid military service are an extension of Taiwanese youth's unwillingness to join the army. As is shown by the result of a poll from Taiwan media, if Taiwan conflicts with mainland China, more than 70% of youngsters refuse to go to the front. The Taiwan Defense Ministry's decision to reduce the number of mandatory male servicemen by over 20% in 2024 is also illustrative of this trend.
Why are young Taiwanese people reluctant to serve in the army? According to Taiwan media, popular reasons include "fear of death and war", "waste of time", "exhaustion in the army" and "preference for career development", etc. Others mention "fear of mutiny", "mobile phone control" and "complicated leave regulations". Also, some young Taiwanese men express that they don't know what and who to fight for. They believe that the training content of Taiwan's military service is extremely meaningless and that serving in the military is simply a waste of life. These young people do not want to be used as "pawns" for certain politicians who advocate "Taiwan Independence".
(Source: Ta Kung Pao)
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