KATHMANDU, April 12 -- Lenin Bista, a former child soldier during the decade long Maoist insurgency has sought "fair treatment of former child-combatants who lost their youth to conflict." He added that the decision of the government and UNMIN had "deprived (them) of (their) right to live with respect and dignity."

United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) said that there were 2,973 child combatants declared unfit to be considered for integration into the Nepal Army during the integration.

In his letter to Virginia Gamba, special representative for children and armed conflict of the UN Secretary-General, Bista highlighted how the issues of child soldiers were never raised by the negotiating parties during and after the peace process. "(Ch...