Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03KATHMANDU50
2003-01-09 07:29:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kathmandu
Cable title:  

NEPAL: MAOISTS KIDNAP CHILDREN FOR MILITARY

Tags:  PTER PHUM PGOV NP 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KATHMANDU 000050 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR SA/INS AND PA
STATE ALSO PLEASE PASS USAID/DCHA/OFDA
USAID FOR ANE/AA GORDON WEST AND JIM BEVER
LONDON FOR POL/REIDEL
TREASURY FOR GENERAL COUNSEL/DAUFHAUSER AND DAS JZARATE
TREASURY ALSO FOR OFAC/RNEWCOMB AND TASK FORCE ON TERRORIST
FINANCING
JUSTICE FOR OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL/DLAUFMAN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/08/2013
TAGS: PTER PHUM PGOV NP
SUBJECT: NEPAL: MAOISTS KIDNAP CHILDREN FOR MILITARY
TRAINING

REF: 02 KATHMANDU 2307

Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Robert K. Boggs, for reasons b,d
.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KATHMANDU 000050

SIPDIS

STATE FOR SA/INS AND PA
STATE ALSO PLEASE PASS USAID/DCHA/OFDA
USAID FOR ANE/AA GORDON WEST AND JIM BEVER
LONDON FOR POL/REIDEL
TREASURY FOR GENERAL COUNSEL/DAUFHAUSER AND DAS JZARATE
TREASURY ALSO FOR OFAC/RNEWCOMB AND TASK FORCE ON TERRORIST
FINANCING
JUSTICE FOR OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL/DLAUFMAN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/08/2013
TAGS: PTER PHUM PGOV NP
SUBJECT: NEPAL: MAOISTS KIDNAP CHILDREN FOR MILITARY
TRAINING

REF: 02 KATHMANDU 2307

Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Robert K. Boggs, for reasons b,d
.


1. (SBU) Summary and Action Request: Several GON sources
confirmed to the Embassy on January 8 that more than 200
students from four districts in Nepal's far-western region
have been abducted from their schools by Maoist insurgents
over the past two weeks. Some of the children have been
returned to their homes on the condition that they be readily
available to join the Maoists if needed, and security sources
speculate that some of the children may have been given
military training by their captors before being released.
Suggested press guidance on this issue follows in para 6.
Action request for USUN is in para 7. End summary.


2. (C) The National Intelligence Directorate (NID) confirmed
to the Embassy on January 8 that 162 students were abducted
from various schools in western Bajura and Kailali districts
over the past two weeks. The Royal Nepal Army (RNA) reported
an additional 50 students kidnapped in neighboring Doti
district, and an ex-MP from Gulmi district related reports of
seventeen students abducted in his former constituency over
the same timeframe. The NID stated that all of the kidnapped
students were in grades 8, 9 and 10, and according to RNA
sources, the students either were abducted directly from
their classes or picked up while on their way to school.


3. (C) According to news reports about the incidents,
confirmed by the NID, many of the kidnapped students have
been returned to their families after brief periods of
captivity. Security sources speculate that the children may
have been given some military instruction by their captors in
preparation for active duty with the insurgents, a suspicion
supported by GON intelligence reports stating that the
children were released on the condition that they be readily

available to re-join the Maoists if needed. Students and
local residents who spoke to the media on condition of
anonymity stated that the children were exposed to a
"political training program" before being released, and were
threatened with physical violence and torture if they
revealed the location of the Maoist camp or the purpose of
the "meeting."


4. (SBU) Officials at the District Headquarters of Doti and
Kailali could not confirm or deny the reports, responding to
Embassy queries by saying that they had "no official
information" about the kidnappings. However, when pressed to
answer "unofficially," officers in both districts stated that
they were aware that a number of children had been kidnapped,
but could not confirm how many were still in Maoist custody.
Citing numbers considerably higher than official reports, the
acting Chief District Officer in Doti suggested that the
number of children abducted in his district could be as high
as 250.


5. (SBU) Comment: Post agrees with speculation by the
security forces that the current abductions are for the
purpose of indoctrination and training, and the incidents,
combined with prior reports that Maoists have forced families
to pay a bounty or give up one child to their forces (ref),
are further evidence of the moral hypocrisy and bankruptcy of
Nepal's so-called "people's war." Maoists in Nepal's western
districts have forced a number of schools to close until the
militants can provide revolutionary teaching materials. In
the continuing absence of revised curricula, the Maoists
appear to be resorting to forced indoctrination. The
kidnapping may be a response also to the reported
difficulties the Maoists are encountering in recruitment, as
increasing numbers of young people flee Maoist-infested
areas.


6. (U) FIRST ACTION REQUEST: Post suggests that PA consider
releasing a statement condemning the abduction and forced
conscription of minors by the Maoists. Suggested press
guidance follows:

(Begin text)
Recent reports indicate that Maoist insurgents have abducted
more than 150 children from their schools in western Nepal
over the past two weeks, apparently in an effort to conscript
the students into their ranks. The United States condemns in
the strongest possible terms the abduction and forced
conscription of children for use in an armed conflict, and
calls on the Maoists to cease this inhumane activity.

(End text)


7. (U) SECOND ACTION REQUEST: The use of child soldiers by
Nepal's insurgents has been cited in the Third Report of the
Secretary-General of the United Nations on the Use of

SIPDIS
Children in Armed Conflict as a "situation of concern." Post
urges US representatives to speak out strongly against the
continued forced recruitment of minors by Nepal's Maoists
when the report is reviewed by the Security Council.
MALINOWSKI