Hope in Nepal

A liberation of at least 3,000 child soldiers in Nepal was held between January and February of this year. These children fought during the "People's War" for the Maoist party (or Unified Communist Party of Nepal) in 1996 as they tried to overthrow the current Nepalese government and the Prime Minister Ser Bahadur Deuba. Bloody conflicts between the two parties continued throughout the decade and into the 21st century as the Maoists relied on a large amount of minors in battle. It's estimated that 12,000 of the soldiers of the party were under the age of 18. The UN along with the Nepalese government was in charge of the release of the children. Speaking for the UN was Karin Landgren, chief of the UN Mission in Nepal,

“You who are now leaving the cantonments are no longer in the Maoist army chain of command. The period of your life dedicated to armed struggle is now in the past. You have a role in helping make Nepal a country that is just, equitable, democratic and peaceful.”

With their discharge they are given a small amount of money and rehabilitation assistance including formal schooling, vocational training, education as heath workers, and help with starting small businesses.

The Himalayan Times, a newspaper stationed in Nepal, covers this story with a great amount of stress on the future of these children with very little to no glances back to the history of these tragedy. It is mainly focused on what is being done to help these children and what's planned to be done to help these children, yet nothing is mentioned (in any amount of detail) about what has been done to these children within the borders of their country.

Al Jazeera, a newspaper stationed in the Middle East, relays the story with a great amount of symbolism with a 'fairy tale ending' feel about it. "Around 250 young men and women are to swap their blue People's Liberation Army uniforms for civilian clothes on Thursday to begin their jouney home..." writes the journalist(s) at Al Jazeera. I thought it was interesting and very relevant that they included quotes from the People's Liberation Army spokesman, Chandra Prasad Khanal:

"For us this is a sad moment because we are sending away our fellow fighters in the decade-long people's war. But we are taking this step in order to bring the peace process to a logical conclusion."

In contrast to it's opening paragraphs, Al Jazeera did mention a shadowed part of the situation, a part that neither of the other news sources included. It was the fact that some of these child soldiers expressed regret when leaving the camp. Creating a sense that it might not be a "happily ever after" after all.

Also reporting on the release of the Maoist child soldiers was, of course, the UN News Centre. They started the article right off with the history of the children in the war and continued with the focus on the lives of the children. Quoting Gillian Mellsop, Country Representative for the UN Children's Fund,

“The release of these young people today is not only symbolic for the country but a milestone for these young men and women who spent their formative years inside a military structure losing out on critical skills vital for adulthood.”

It was clear that the UN had a specific agenda, and wanted to shed light on their good deed, not that they shouldn't. Yet, it was pure of all setbacks.

There are many different ways to tell the same story. Shifting the point of view and focus can change the entire tone of the report, creating a whole new feel when reading it. These are examples of this manipulation.


Sources:

Bhattarai, Kamal D. "Signature seal to release Maoist child soldiers." The Himalayan Times. 16 Dec. 2009. Web. 28 Feb. 2010.

"Maoism." Wikipedia. Web. 1 Mar. 2010.

"Nepal child soldiers leave UN camps." English.aljazeera.net. Web. 28 Feb. 2010.

"Nepal: UN hails release of all child soldiers by Maoists." UN News Centre. UN News Service, 8 Feb. 2010. Web. 28 Feb. 2010.

Introduction

There are children as young as 7 fighting in either the bloody front lines or in "combat support" providing spy information, food or ammunition for non-government armies and rebel causes. These children are coerced and exploited as soldiers, being robbed of any hope of a childhood. Although, mostly far away from us in Africa and Asia, this human rights abomination effects us in ways that are much too clear for us to turn a blind eye. I will be blogging about the current and historical effects of the exploitation of children and what's being done to change the fate of these young ones.

It is estimated that there are 300,000 child soldiers around the world currently participating in combat. And over 50 countries recruit soldiers under the age of 18. There are many different ways that children get involved. Their parents may have offered them up for service, they may be searching for a reliable source of food and clothing, trying to protect themselves and their family, and too often they are manipulated by force or through guilt trips or other mind games into being a violent tool of war. Girls are targeted as well, in case studies it was found that girls made up a third of the child soldiers in El Salvador, Ethiopia, and Uganda.

These children are exposed to countless atrocities including rape and other physical abuse. As well as witnessing and participating in all of the horrors of war including mass executions, bombings, torture, and destruction of houses, properties and lives. The physical effects on these children are astronomic, deaths and injuries are caused every day in battle. Not to mention the intense psychological damage that is wrought during every battle and with every gunshot or slash of a machete. These children are scarred forever by these horrors and will never part with the twisted and paranoid mindset that comes with stepping into battle.

Promising yet slow, efforts are being put forth to turn the futures of the children around, and to
finally give them a chance at freedom. The effects of this could be gargantuan, touching even us on the other side
of the world. To shape the next generation, which, in turn, will shape the whole of the people of the
world: for better -if something is done- or for worse.

Sources:

"Child Soldiers" Child Soldiers: Vital Statistics. UN.org. Pages 1-8. Viewed 2-22-10. <www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/briefing/soldiers/soldiers.pdf>

"Unified Communist Party of Nepal" Wikipedia. Viewed 2-22-10. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Nepal_(Maoist)>

Sarah Crowe and Marty Logan. "Last Group of Maoist child soldiers discharged in Nepal" Unite For Children. Viewed 2-22-10. <http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/nepal_52791.html>

"Nepal Child Soldiers Leave UN Camps" Aljazeera.net. Updated 1-7-10. Viewed 2-22-10. <http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2010/01/20101762112676535.html>