A proposed revision of military physical classifications is still under review, the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) said yesterday, amid criticism that the rules violate human rights by reclassifying transgender people as subject to alternative military service, rather than granting an exemption.
The Ministry of National Defense (MND) in December last year announced that it would change physical classification standards for conscripts, after news broke of several celebrities evading military service by presenting forged medical documents.
The National Human Rights Commission previously raised concerns that these revisions would require transgender people — who have until now been exempt — to undergo alternate military service.
Photo: Taipei Times
These changes could undermine human rights, as examinations, physical classification processes, basic training and assignments lack gender-friendly protections, the commission said.
Transgender people at Chenggong Ling (成功嶺) military training camp face communal living arrangements, a male-centered management model and are forced to expose their bodies, Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Liu Shu-bin (劉書彬) said.
Over the course of this year, doctors would assess whether individual cases are suitable for alternative service or should be exempt, and transgender-friendly accommodations at Chenggong Ling would be improved, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said yesterday.
The defense and interior ministries are jointly handling revisions to the physical classification standards, with the Ministry of Health and Welfare, medical associations and human rights groups participating to ensure medical expertise, fairness and human rights protections, the MOI said in a news release.
When the physical classification standards were revised in 2006, the exemption rate was 8 percent, but now it is 16 percent, the interior ministry said.
The government has been reviewing the fairness of military conscription and considering other countries’ policies, such as Singapore with an exemption rate of 3 percent and Korea and Israel with exemption rates of 5 percent, the ministry said.
It would continue to consider the views of medical professionals and gender rights groups, and work with the MND to balance human rights with fairness, it said.
Alternative service classifications would be further divided by service type and nature, so that placements better match conscripts’ physical conditions and practical needs, it added.
The government would also strengthen gender-friendly environments and ensure healthcare and medical safety for conscripts during training, MOI said.
Measures include assessing conscripts’ needs before entry, improving facilities and management during basic training, expanding gender equality and human rights training for officers, and refining service arrangements and supporting measures, an MOI official said.
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