Nepal works to disarm militant factions

Nepal's Maoist former rebels have handed control of a cache of more than 3,000 weapons to a multi-party committee overseeing the country's peace process. The rebels ended their armed conflict in 2006, and are now part of the political mainstream. A Maoist leader Baburam Bhattarai was appointed Prime Minister on Sunday.

The government is trying to disarm the various militant groups in the country. Among them is the Nepal Defense Army, a Hindu-nationalist group wishing to bring back the monarchy, which was abolished in 2008.

“We are finding some concern, because this is a group which went after Christians and Muslims,” said Father Pius Perumana, the President of Caritas Nepal.

The NDA was responsible for numerous attacks on religious minorities, including the bombing of a Catholic Church in 2009. The Nepalese government says it will recognize the NDA as a political party if it gives up its arms.

“What worries us is that the government will eventually, after the next round of talks on the 6^th of September…the government will withdrawal [the charges against the NDA], and release those who are in prison,” Father Perumana told Vatican Radio. “After that the group will hand over the weapons to the government. The agreement is silent on what type of weapons they are going to hand over, or how many weapons.”

Listen to full interview by Charles Collins with Father Perumana: