Lenin Bista, a former Maoist child soldier, on June 6 petitioned the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva demanding justice for the thousands of former child soldiers who have been largely left out of the transitional justice process, reports Kathmandu Post. The petition seeks UN support to asking the Nepal Government to prioritise justice for former child soldiers, recalling that a serious crime was committed against the thousands of minors forced to fight on behalf of the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist during the 10-year armed insurgency. Thousands of Maoist fighters like Bista had been disqualified for being minors during the verification process conducted by United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) in 2007. Among the 4,008 disqualified combatants, 2,973 were minors while the remaining 1,035 had joined the Maoist People’s Liberation Army after the first ceasefire of May 26, 2006 — six months before the peace deal was signed. The Government had provided between Rs 500,000 and Rs 800,000 for the combatants who chose voluntary retirement. However, those who were disqualified didn’t receive any substantial support, except for a few thousand rupees from the United Nations.