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Maoist continuing recruitment drive across the country

Notwithstanding Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala’s appeal to stop their recruitment drive, Maoists are engaged in recruiting students for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), various news reports said.

According to The Himalayan Times daily, they have taken dozens of students of Janapriya Higher Secondary School at Masuriya of Kailali to the Maoist 7th Division headquarters at Taalband for drafting them in the PLA.

A number of students, including a ninth-grader of Janapriya School, Liladhar Giri, eighth-grader Arjun Acharya and Khagendra Deuba, a fourth-grader of Singhasan Primary School at Masuriya have gone to the Maoist camp at Taalband.

The Maoists also took over 15 Dalit youths from Parasan VDC of Kanchanpur on Thursday and Friday to recruit them in the PLA, the paper quoted a local, Dhan Bahadur BK, as saying.

Similarly, the Kathmandu Post daily reported that in Udaypur, Maoists forcibly took over 100 students from several schools in the district to recruit them in the PLA.

The rebels took them toward Sindhuli and Khotang districts, according to eyewitnesses.

Maoists "abducted" students from Beltar-9, Nepaltar, Asari of Tribeni, Katari, Tamlichha and other areas, according to locals.

In Rautahat, after condemnation from different sections of society, Maoists Saturday returned two dozen students they had earlier taken from schools as 'recruits' for the PLA.

In Dailekh, setting up recruitment centers at Thantikandh and Lakuri areas, Maoists have recruited around 400 youth in the PLA.

In Dhading, Maoists "abducted" over 50 students during recent weeks.

In Sankhuwasabha, the rebels forcibly took 13 students from Maheshwori secondary school of Yafu VDC.

Similarly, a report from Arghakhanchi said, Maoists forcibly took hundreds of children to recruit them in the PLA. "Those who refused were blindfolded and taken toward the camp in Devinagar of Palpa district in the back of a truck," the paper quoted locals as saying.

A local quoted Kushal, Maoist in-charge of the district, as saying they were forced to recruit more youth as they did not have enough PLA personnel as the number required, the paper reports.

He also threatened taking strong action against any journalist 'daring to write news on the matter', according to the same source. nepalnews.com pb Nov 19 06

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