Maoists declare discharge of disqualified PLA fighters
Signing marks another significant step in the peace process as it fulfills an obligation contained in the CPA signed by the government and the Maoists in 2006
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KATHMANDU, MAR 23 -
The UCPN (Maoist) on Tuesday signed a declaration announcing that it has formally freed 1614 disqualified Maoist combatants from the party's chain of command. Maoist leader Janardan Sharma signed the declaration of the formal discharge of the disqualified combatants who did not attend the discharge process conducted from Jan. 6 to Feb. 8 in Maoist cantonments across the country.
The signing of the declaration was witnessed by United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Robert Piper, Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Nepal, Karin Landgren, OHCHR-Nepal Representative Richard Bennett, UNICEF Child Protection Specialist Djanabou Mahonde and Under Secretary of the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction Niranjan Uprety, according to a press statement issued by United Nations Children's Fund.
Addressing the ceremony, UNMIN Chief Landgren said the signing marks another significant step in the peace process as it fulfills an obligation contained in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed by the government and the Maoists in 2006. “It also means the severing of all ties between the Maoist army and those disqualified – as minors – who can now freely undertake the transition from military to civilian life,” added Landgren.
With the Tuesday's signing, the Maoists have declared the discharge of all 4,008 individuals including 2,908 minors registered by UNMIN during the verification process that completed in Dec. 2007. The United Nations has said all those discharged are eligible for rehabilitation options that include vocational training, micro/small enterprise development, educational support and health service training.
The UN has established a toll-free number where dischargees can call for more information about the packages: 1660-01-77888, which is a free call from anywhere in Nepal. According to Marty Logan, the media focal point of the discharge process, as of 17 March, 665 calls had been received; 265 participants had been referred to service providers across the county, and 162 had started education or training.
The UCPN (Maoist) has been listed as party to conflict recruiting and possessing child soldiers in the five annual reports of the Secretary General on Children and Armed Conflict including that of 2009. The Maoist would only be removed from the black list if they don't employ the disqualified combatants in violence activities and its paramilitary structures for a year Representative of Secretary General (SRSG) for Children and Armed Conflict Radhika Coomaraswamy had said during her visit to Nepal in December.
Posted on: 2010-03-23 06:49
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