The Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) has accused the Maoist rebels of using children for various activities in violation of their rights and international laws.

Addressing a press meet organised in the eastern town of Itahari by the Eastern Divisional Headquarters (EDH) of the RNA on Thursday, Colonel Tara Bahadur Karki said that over 15 percent of the Maoist guerillas in the region are children under 15 years of age.

The security forces in the east have arrested seven such children, including three in Taplejung, one in Tehrathum and one in Rangeli, recruited by the Maoists as spies and handed them over to CWIN, he said.

The division claimed that the arrested children said the Maoists use them to carry their arms and ammunition and send them to security barracks to oversee the movement of security personnel.

On the occasion, RNA screened a video footage of a 12 years old child guerilla, Bhuvan Dahal, who was arrested while spying against the security forces at the security base camp at Rangeli. The child said that he has been working as a spy for the rebels since May 25 last year.

The child is a resident of Beltar-6, Udaypur. According to him, there were around 35-40 children deployed by the rebels at different places for spying against the security forces, specially against the RNA.

Lt Col of EDH Tek Bahadur Chand stated that the Maoists have been using a large number of children as spies in the region. He said the Army has taken necessary precautionary measures to check Maoists from using children.

Many national and international organisations including the UN have asked the rebels and the security forces not to use children as spies or for whatever purpose. They have said that the rebels have recruited children as guerillas but the rebels have refuted it saying they do not use children as spies or recruit them in the militia.