Maoists recruitment of children worries UN

The United Nations has expressed concern over the recruitment and use of children by Maoist armed groups, particularly in Chhattisgarh and some districts in adjoining states.

In the annual report on children and armed conflict, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, citing the Ministry of State for Women and Child Development, said Maoist armed groups were recruiting and indoctrinating children, and had constituted children's squads and associations as part of mass mobilization.

"This is supported by a 2010 National Commission for Protection of Child Rights report, which indicated that children were being recruited by Maoist armed groups through, inter alia, intimidation and abduction, and were used in support roles, including as lookouts, messengers, porters and cooks," the report said.

The report, submitted to the Security Council, gives an overview of the situation of girls and boys in conflict zones and measures taken for their protection.

It includes a list of parties who recruit and use children, kill and maim, commit sexual violence or attack schools and hospitals, among others.

On India, the report observed that in 2011 incidents of attacks on schools by Maoist armed groups continued to be reported.

Citing the Home Ministry statistics, the report said between 2006 and November 2011, Maoist armed groups destroyed 258 school buildings, mostly in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar states.

"The Government of India has strongly condemned the acts of Naxalites. Based on recommendations from relevant stakeholders, the Government has undertaken a multifaceted approach to address the protection of children in areas of civil unrest, involving focused development efforts, capacity-building and improvement in local governance," the UN Secretary General stated in the report.

The Maoists reportedly organise children in the age group of 6 to 12 for their various uses.

In a 2008 report "Being Neutral is Our Biggest Crime", the Human Rights Watch said children were even recruited and trained in the use of rifles, landmines, and improvised explosive devices.

"The Maoists are operating in areas that are very remote. These are the areas where a large number of tribal communities live. The Maoists themselves do not deny that they recruit children," Meenakshi Ganguly, the South Asia Director of Human Rights Watch, told ANI in an interview.

"We do not agree. We believe that children should not be used in armed combat at all. And all armed groups should stop doing it immediately," said Ganguly.