After the signing of a comprehensive peace accord (in 2006) between the Maoists and Nepal government, Maoist combatants and weapons were brought into the UN-supervised camps (in 2007) where 4008 combatants were classified as being minors and or new recruits.
But the Maoist leadership delayed their release for 3 years so they could bargain for bigger rehabilitation packages.
As a result, child soldiers were released (in 2010) only when they had grown into young adults. By then, their rehabilitation had become much more complicated.
They were not given proper rehabilitation packages or integrated into society.
10 years after the conflict ended, the Nepal government and the party they were ready to die for have forgotten them.
The former Maoist child soldiers are now in their 20s fighting for survival and against social stigma.
Gopal Shivakoti is a documentary filmmaker from Nepal.
He has been working in films and digital media since 2004. Primarily he is a visual editor who also does 2D animation, motion-graphics and filming. He is a key resource person at “Young-Cuts! the filmmaking workshop” (in Kathmandu) for the past five years. His hobbies include Ethnology and documentary filming.
He has shot and edited “In Search of the Searchman” – a short documentary about the 8 million (plus) graffiti “Khoja/Search” that has been written and inscribed all over Nepal,
“When Shall I See My Daddy” – a short documentary about 14 years old boy whose father has gone to the USA and hasn’t returned to his home and family for ages.
“Save Gangamaya” a documentary film about Satyagrahi Gangamaya Adhikari – who is on fast-unto-death for the attainment of justice for the 2004 murder of her innocent teenager son is his first feature-length documentary, It received an overwhelming response in the international film festival circuit. “War Crime”, “Pinky Gurung” and “We are with Dr. KC” are his recent documentaries.