NATIONAL 5 (Spotlight Weekly)]

Demeaning Practice

At a time when insurgency in Nepal is gaining stronghold, an international conference asks to stop the use of child soldiers

By A CORRESPONDENT

Children in demonstration : Uncertain future

As the Maoists group are said to be recruiting more and more children as soldiers in their insurgency, the government may have a reason to heave a sigh of relief when a group of international community called for stopping such practices.

Maoists are not alone to use the children under 18. Other insurgent groups in South Asia like LTTE, Karen along with the government of these countries are found to recruit them.

Asia's first-ever conference on the use of child soldiers ended last week issuing the Kathmandu Declaration with an urgent appeal to armed groups and government forces in the Asia-pacific region to stop using children as weapons of war.

According to an estimate, there are more than 300,000 children under 18 years of age currently participating as soldiers in armed conflict worldwide.

The four day conference, attended by delegates from Australia, Cambodia, China, India, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal and about a dozen of organizations from different countries of the region, was organized by the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child soldiers and hosted by the Nepal government with support from UNICEF.

Participated by government representatives and NGOs from nearly 20 countries, the seminar also called for states within and beyond the region to deny arms, military equipment, training personnel to states and armed groups that allow children under the age of 18 to take part in hostilities.

Condemning the use of children as soldiers by armed groups, the Kathmandu Declaration urges insurgent groups to end the recruitment of children and release into safety children who are already being used as soldiers.

Without recourse to the sensationalism of violence and to bear in mind the need to protect individual children from stigmatization and to preserve their dignity, safety and respect, the declaration ask local, regional and international media to be cautious in reporting the armed conflict.

"The conference strongly recommended to take appropriate steps to stop the use of child soldiers in different parts of the region," said Joe Becker, chair of the steering committee of the coalition, replying to the queries at the press conference. "The plight of the child soldiers in Asia has failed to receive the attention it deserves, from governments, NGOs and the media in the region, even though tens of thousands of children, some as young as 10 are being used as cannon-fodder by armies, militia and armed groups."

Delegates also decided to visit Myanmar - one of the countries which employees the largest number of soldiers under the age of 18.