Cyprus Mail, Cyprus
March 12 2006
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`Minorities should be made to do the army’
By Jacqueline Theodoulou

MINORITY religious groups of Armenians, Latins and Maronites, should
be made to join the National Guard like everyone else, Ombudswoman
Eliana Nicolaou has ruled.
Nicolaou, who is also head of the Authority against Racism and
Discrimination, acted after a group of Greek Cypriots requested that
she investigate whether the fact that these minority groups were not
made to do military service constituted a form of unfair treatment
and discrimination.

The Ombudswoman’s report ruled in favour of the plaintiffs and was
sent on to the Defence Ministry, with the request that the
appropriate regulations be made and discrimination against Greek
Cypriot youths in favour of the minority groups be lifted.

But Maronite House Antonis Hadjiroussos described Nicolaou’s report
as `superficial and lacking in depth’, and said the matter would be
discussed with representatives from other minority groups.

`We have never refused to join the army. It was the government that
decided that Maronites were not obliged to join the army. I don’t
know why the Ombudswoman is now describing this as discrimination.

`We will discuss the matter with Nicolaou and the other minorities
and will then decide how to react.’

According to Dr Vahakn Atamian, Armenian House Representative, the
groups are planning to meet President Tassos Papadopoulos and discuss
the matter.

`After that, we will see how we will proceed,’ Atamian said
yesterday.

Following a recommendation by the National Guard, almost no members
of the above minorities have served in the National Guard since the
1960s. And due to the small number of their communities’ members,
only a few dozens of Armenian, Maronite and Latin 18-year-olds avoid
the call-up every year.

The Defence Ministry is examining Nicolaou’s report and will be
giving an official response soon.