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| Nepal Maoists 'recruit thousands' | Nepal Maoists 'recruit thousands' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The Maoist former rebel group in Nepal, the People's Liberation Army (PLA), says it has begun recruiting thousands of young people. | The Maoist former rebel group in Nepal, the People's Liberation Army (PLA), says it has begun recruiting thousands of young people. |
| The announcement comes just days after the army said it had filled 3,000 vacancies, a move that has been condemned by the former rebels. | The announcement comes just days after the army said it had filled 3,000 vacancies, a move that has been condemned by the former rebels. |
| They said it was a violation of the peace deal that ended their insurgency. | They said it was a violation of the peace deal that ended their insurgency. |
| The Maoists came to power last year after a landslide poll win but the role of the army is an unresolved issue. | The Maoists came to power last year after a landslide poll win but the role of the army is an unresolved issue. |
| The BBC's Charles Haviland in Kathmandu says this game of tit-for-tat on recruitment has raised tensions but that most observers do not believe the Maoists seriously intend to go back to war. | |
| Rising tensions | Rising tensions |
| The head of the PLA, Nanda Kishore Pun, told the BBC that his organisation would take on more than 11,000 fighters, bringing the size of his army up to more than 31,000. | |
| He said that the recruitment process would continue unless the Maoist-led government intervened. It has yet to comment. | |
| A committee is trying to work out how to combine the former rebel force with the Nepalese army, which opposes any large-scale addition of Maoists to its ranks. | A committee is trying to work out how to combine the former rebel force with the Nepalese army, which opposes any large-scale addition of Maoists to its ranks. |
| Earlier this month Mr Pun, also known as Comrade Pasang, said that the government had no plans to sack the head of the national army, despite the rising tensions between the defence ministry and the army chief. | |
| The army and the Maoists fought each other for 10 years until 2006. | The army and the Maoists fought each other for 10 years until 2006. |
| Gen Katuwal, the head of the army, recently went on a recruitment drive which the Maoists and the United Nations said was a breach of peace accords signed between the two sides. | Gen Katuwal, the head of the army, recently went on a recruitment drive which the Maoists and the United Nations said was a breach of peace accords signed between the two sides. |
| Mr Pun said that the Maoists want to change the army and bring it under civilian control so that it obeys government orders. | Mr Pun said that the Maoists want to change the army and bring it under civilian control so that it obeys government orders. |
| Many of the 19,000 former rebel fighters, currently demobilised in camps, want to join the army. | Many of the 19,000 former rebel fighters, currently demobilised in camps, want to join the army. |
| But Gen Katuwal said that the army would not accept "politically indoctrinated soldiers" into its ranks. | But Gen Katuwal said that the army would not accept "politically indoctrinated soldiers" into its ranks. |
| Our correspondent says as long as the issue remains unresolved, the peace process is incomplete. |