Sanjaya Aryal

Use of Child Soldiers in Nepal: a Causal Analysis Sanjaya Aryal

Nepal has experienced more than a decade of armedconflict between the Nepal government and thenon-state entity, the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist(CPN-M), since 1996. During the conflict, childrenwere used as child soldiers by both conflictingparties, and even after the peace deal, many childsoldiers are not formally reintegrated. This studyfinds that child soldiers are recruited throughabduction or indoctrination, and some children joinbecause they influenced by the cultural and politicalprograms, peer pressure, forceful conscription, orbecause of lack of security. Many children aremotivated to join the CPN-M because of the attractionof being involved in cultural programs (performingsong, dance, and theater). Most of the child soldiersentered as cultural program performers, or supportersin political activities, and their duties increasedfrom supporter to combatant. Hence, the causes ofrecruitment of child soldiers are multidimensionaland not only based on socio-economic factor/influences.