USE OF CHILD SOLDIERS IN NEPAL

Nepal has experienced more than a decade of armed conflict between the Nepal government and the non-state entity, the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-M), since 1996. During the conflict, children were used as child soldiers by both conflicting parties, and even after the peace deal, many child soldiers are not formally reintegrated. This study finds that child soldiers are recruited through abduction or indoctrination, and some children join because they influenced by the cultural and political programs, peer pressure, forceful conscription, or because of lack of security. Many children are motivated to join the CPN-M because of the attraction of being involved in cultural programs (performing song, dance, and theater). Most of the child soldiers entered as cultural program performers, or supporters in political activities, and their duties increased from supporter to combatant. Hence, the causes of recruitment of child soldiers are multidimensional and not only based on socio-economic factor/influences.