CABAR.asia
What is Hazing and How to Fight It
Despite official statements and military reforms, hazing and non-statutory relations still exist in the armies of the Central Asian countries.
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  • What is hazing?
    Hazing – is a system of non-statutory relations in the army, which is expressed in the insulting and oppressive treatment from the old soldiers towards the young soldiers, especially the newcomers (in Russian this phenomenon is called dedovshchina, originating from the word "grandfather" that refers to the senior corps of soldiers who are in the final year of conscription).
  • How does it occur?
    The most common manifestations of hazing are bullying, exploitation, physical abuse, or even sexual abuse.
  • Where does it originate from?
    The armies of the Central Asian region inherited hazing from the Soviet army.

    There are several versions of how hazing started in the Soviet army, including the negative influence of the practice where conscript soldiers with a criminal record would be recruited, which took place in the mid-1960s. This is how the army adopted prison routines, jargon, and humiliation. However, there are memoirs that mention bullying of new recruits even in the elite military-educational institutions of the Russian Empire back in the 19th century.

    According to CABAR.asia experts, the leadership of military units often tries to use this non-statutory relations system to increase their influence.

Army of Uzbekistan
Experts say that despite assurances from the Ministry of Defence that hazing has been eliminated, it is still happening in the Uzbek army.
Army of Tajikistan
Human rights defenders in Tajikistan say the Tajik army needs radical reforms or the mistreatment and deaths of soldiers will continue.
Army of Kazakhstan
Almost every year in Kazakhstan's army, conscript soldiers "die by suicide".
Army of Kyrgyzstan
How many people serve in the army of Kyrgyzstan, how is the conscription arranged and is it possible to legally dodge the draft?
Physical and psychological violence, as well as intimidation of the "young ones" have become a part of the violent culture that has existed in the Central Asian army for decades.
Hazing in the Central Asian armies is a legacy of the Soviet Union and it continues to pose a serious problem for conscript soldiers. Experts recommend more careful selection and training of officers to ensure they are able to effectively control soldiers' behavior and stop any manifestations of violence and hazing.

Some changes have already been introduced in the military, but work needs to continue to get rid of hazing and create a safer and more respectful environment for those who serve in the military.

Improving the training and education of soldiers will help change the situation in the armed forces of the countries in the region. This will be the only instance where it'd be possible to talk about successful reforms contributing to a professional and modern army.
The team worked on the longread:
Authors:
Abror Kurbonmuratov (Uzbekistan),
Daniyar Sadvakasov (Kazakhstan),
Alexandra Vasilkova (Kyrgyzstan),
CABAR.asia editorial staff
Longread editors:
Marat Mamadshoev,
Natalya Lee,
Tatiana Trubacheva,
Lola Olimova,
Gulafshon Sokieva
Layout:
Navruz Karimov
Author of the idea:
CABAR.asia
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