Sometimes I hang out with Maoists. But like many in this group I am not a Maoist myself (uphold Deng!). This makes it kind of hard to ask them tough questions because I dont want to sound like an idiot or some kind of wrecker that causes trouble among the Maoists but I would like to ask some questions. One tough question is the question of child soldiers.
Moaists in the Philippines and in India have been accused of using child soldiers for quite some time. Maybe im wrong but among communists it seems kind of specific to Maoists. But I have never even one time heard a Maoist bring this up much less try to give rationalization or explanation.
Now I know better than to just trust HRW and take them at face value, so I always figured its at least possible that there is more going on here. Does anyone here have anything to say about communists, especially Maoists, and child soldiers? Have you heard a Maoist respond to this issue? Do you have any insight to the issue of child soldiers?
I dont have a readily available line on child soldiers that is beyond skin deep, but I bring this up because it is not as obvious to me that the child soldiers accusation is false/propaganda in the way the Xinjiang accusations are. Child soldiers are rarely brought up at all. Academics are the only people in my life even bringing it up. Just seems like it should be discussed more than it is, especially among Maoists or anyone fixated on protracted people’s war.