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Parties renew their commitment towards CZOP

As rights groups continue to call upon both the state and rebels to deal `Children as Zones of Peace’ (CZOP), major political parties in Nepal have renewed their commitment towards the proposal.

At a function organised by Child Workers in Nepal Concern Centre (CWIN) in the capital Thursday, representatives of seven major parties represented in the dissolved parliament, expressed their commitment in writing saying that children should be declared as zones of peace.

Representatives of Nepali Congress, CPN (UML), Nepali Congress (Democratic), Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Jana Morcha Nepal, Nepal Sadbhavana Party and Nepal Sadbhavana Party (Anandi Devi).

These parties had also expressed similar commitments some two years ago.

“This is a significant positive development but the challenge is to pressurize both the parties in conflict to implement it,” Gauri Pradhan, chairman of CWIN told Nepalnews.

Rights groups have been demanding that the government should not use schools as barracks and that the rebels too should refrain from using children not only as combatants but also in any type of activities related to war such as constructing tunnels, bunkers and using them as messengers or porters.

The commitments made by the parties include not carrying out any political activities in schools by respecting the right to education of the children, helping schools to make them a peace zone, and assisting in educational activities.

The parties have also called on both the government and the Maoists to approve and adopt the UN Convention on Child Rights and its optional protocol.

Nepal has signed on the optional protocol but is yet to ratify it.

According to CWIN, nearly 380 children below 18 years of age have been died during the nine-year-long insurgency. Over 2,000 children have been orphaned and nearly 16,000 children have been displaced along with their parents.

“The number of internally displaced children could be even high,” said Pradhan.

He expressed hope that the renewed commitment by major political parties in the country would exert moral pressure upon both the state and the rebels to honour the rights of the unarmed civilians including women and children.

Nearly 11,000 people have lost their lives since the CPN (Maoist) launched ‘people’s war’ in early 1996. nepalnews.com by Dec 31 04

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