"The Nepal Army will not allow anyone who deserts it to join it again," said Nepal Army Spokesperson Brigadier General Ramindra Chhetri when asked by Republica about the national army´s reaction to the interest shown by army personnel-turned Maoist combatants in being integrated back into the army under the peace deal. [break]
Chhetri said the army will take action for desertion under army law against such personnel if they are found.
The army´s position on accepting army personnel-turned Maoist combatants under the integration process has come to light amidst reports that even former army personnel who defected to the Maoist army have chosen the integration option under the recently completed categorization process.
It is not known how many Nepal Army personnel had defected to the Maoist army during the conflict. But informal estimates put the number at 117. It is also unclear whether these combatants had deserted the national army with their arms. But the army spokesperson said around 500 personnel desert the army every year.
Spokesperson Chhetri said the army had long wanted to try them under army law and had even written to the police to arrest them.
"We had asked the police right at the time they deserted to arrest them and hand them over to the nearest army barracks," said Chhetri when asked why they had not been punished to date.
As per military law, the army will investigate the desertion of army personnel-turned Maoist combatants and constitute a court of inquiry. As per the Military Act 2006, these combatants will face life imprisonment with property confiscation if proved guilty.
As the recent agreements on the peace process are silent on the issue of army personnel-turned rebel combatants, this issue may invite controversy during the integration process as many such combatants have opted for integration, say analysts.
Officials at the secretariat of the Special Committee told Republica that army defectors to the PLA had, during the categorization process, inquired with secretariat members if they would be punished after they leave the cantonments.
"I suggested to them to contact the army and face punishment as per army law," said Balananda Sharma, coordinator of the secretariat for the Special Committee, adding that army and police deserters had approached him during the categorization process to inquire about their future.
Related story
Two–day conference on Integrating Knowledge and technology for...
