Nepal fears over student abductions

The rebels are fighting for a communist republic

By Sushil Sharma BBC reporter in Kathmandu

The authorities in Nepal are trying to establish how many students are being held by Maoist insurgents after a spate of abductions in recent week.

Dozens of students were believed to have been abducted by the rebels in recent weeks in the west of the country.

There has been no independent confirmation of the number still missing nor are there any immediate comments from the rebels.

The rebels have been known for some time to abduct school students across the country, especially from remote villages.

Reports say the students are forced to take part in the cultural programmes and mass meetings of the rebels' student wing.

The state-run news agency, Rastriya Samachar Samiti, said that the rebels had freed 140 students in the western district, Doti, last Monday.

'Recruitment' fears

But the report said there was no information about the unspecified number of students still in captivity.

Although most of the students are freed after a few days, some are reportedly recruited into the rebel ranks.

The rebels deny that the children are recruited in their ranks.

Reports say the fear of abduction has caused many students to flee their villages resulting in schools closing down.

There have been persistent concerns over the security situation in remote villages due to the long-running Maoist insurgency.

Seven-thousand people have died since the rebels launched an insurrection seven years ago to establish a communist state in Nepal.