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At the 2005 World Forum, Kishore Shrestha from Nepal reported on how children in his nation are at risk in the ongoing conflict between Maoist rebels and security forces. Now Amnesty International (http://www.amnesty.org) has reported that thousands of children across Nepal are facing serious violence and abuse in this nine-year-old internal conflict.

In a report entitled, "Nepal: Children Caught in the Conflict", the organization said that Nepalese children are being killed, illegally detained, tortured, raped, abducted, and recruited for military activities and accused both sides to the conflict of violating the most fundamental rights of children. Some findings…

* Both sides to the conflict have been responsible for killing children. The security forces have killed children they suspect of involvement with the Maoists, while the Maoists have abducted and killed the children of security forces personnel, as well as caused the deaths of many children by deliberately bombing civilian infrastructure and leaving improvised explosive devices in civilian areas.

* Over the last few years the Maoists have abducted tens of thousands of school children for "political education" sessions, held in remote locations. While most of these children return home after a few days, some do not and it appears that the rebels are recruiting children for military activities and forced labor, despite the fact that the use of children under 15 in armed conflict is a war crime.

* Education services have come under particular attack. Both sides have used school premises for military purposes and the Maoists have bombed a number of schools, injuring children. These attacks, combined with Maoist abductions of school children and crippling strikes, mean that many of Nepal's children are missing out on vital years of education.

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