The men going to military jail for their faith

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A member of the Jehovah's Witnesses church, Yeo Zheng Ye grew up in Singapore knowing he would have to go to jail. His beliefs prevent him from bearing weapons and from joining any organisations intended for war.

Yeo Zheng Ye grew up in Singapore knowing he would have to go to jail.

Since 1970, an average of six Jehovah Witnesses have been sent to military prison every year, though none receive permanent criminal records. "Jehovah's Witnesses are not asked to participate in the exercises and sandbag drills that inmates have to do every day," said a former military police officer who declined to be named."I cried so many times, over many days. I cried before going into jail, realising I won't be able to leave and see my family and friends for the next two and a half years," he said.

"It was challenging because I couldn't tell exactly how long I was going to be in detention for. I told my employers they were not obligated to keep me," Mr Chia told the BBC.Questions surrounding the need to send conscientious objectors to prison have been raised in Singapore's Parliament on a number of occasions.

In a radical departure last October, Seoul stopped sending Jehovah's Witnesses to jail and introduced a new scheme allowing those who object to military conscription based on faith or personal reasons to serve three years as prison administrators instead.

 

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