Things may well be looking up in Nepal now, which will be wonderful news to all those with Nepalese children, and anyone hoping to adopt from that country in the future.

After more than a decade of civil war, a peace deal was signed last night in Kathmandu between the government and Maoist rebels.

The accord is comprehensive, calling for a temporary cease-fire to become permanent, making it a punishable offense to keep weapons without a license, and the establishment of an interim government to be made up of representatives of the seven-Party Alliance and the Maoists to be in place by the first of December. An interim constitution did not make its deadline, however, so it's likely the process will start out behind schedule.

All this is to lead up to the fulfillment of one of the Maoists' demands for elections where the people will decide whether or not to keep their monarchy.

The Prime Minister is seeing wide implications of the process that brought the country to this historical step:

“This has given a message to the international community and terrorists all over the world that no conflict can be resolved by guns. It can be done by dialogue.”

Let's hope this is so, and that others may be inspired toward resolutions accomplished through discourse.

In an interesting turn of events, at the time this is all going on a group of parents living outside the capitol jointed together to stop a convoy of busses full of Maoist soldiers, demanding the safe return of their children.

According to sources, some eight buses carrying PLA fighters to their new cantonment sites in Nawalparasi were halted by angry parents at Aaryabhanjyang and Banstari of Palpa.

Parents and human rights workers have begun investigating the occupants of the buses including those said to be forcefully abducted by the Maoists, sources said.
Meanwhile, the Maoists have said that they will be investigating the allegations of abduction.

The recent Maoist recruitment drive which comes at a time when the nation is poised on the brink of a major change has garnered widespread criticism from all quarters including the Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, Human Rights organisations and the UN.

The Maoists have been recruiting hundreds of children of school-going age from all over the country to join their rank.

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