Article Source: Timesonline.co.uk

Nearly 3,000 child soldiers who fought as Maoist guerrillas in Nepal are finally to be released from the camps where they have been confined for the past three years, and offered help to re-enter civilian society.

The move — the result of a rare agreement between Maoist leaders and Nepal’s fragile Government — has raised hopes that a stalled peace process begun in 2007 after a ten-year civil war may regain momentum.

Starting on December 27, they will be asked to give up their army fatigues, daily weapons drills and class-war rhetoric. Instead, they will be offered stipends to pursue school studies, grants to become entrepreneurs and training courses to become mechanics and chefs. They will also be encouraged to return to their parents, although UN officials say they will concentrate on ensuring that the children break from the Maoists.

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