Since fire seasure agreement communist rebels killed 33, kidnapped thousands in Nepal

Nepal's communist rebels have killed four civilians since Sept. 3 when the rebels declared they would lay down arms to give peace a chance and government troops killed 29 insurgents during the same period, a human rights group said on Friday.

The rebels also have kidnapped at least 8,057 people during that period, mainly students and teachers, most of whom have been freed, according to a report by INSEC Nepal, a Katmandu-based rights group. The insurgents, who say they are inspired by Chinese communist revolutionary Mao Zedong, typically kidnap villages for a few days to indoctrinate them in their nine-year armed campaign to replace Nepal's monarchy with communist rule.

Government troops also have arrested 106 rebels suspects, INSEC said. On Sept. 3, the rebels said they would not attack any military or civilian targets for three months in hopes of reviving the peace process, but would continue to defend their positions.

However, the militants have continued to block highways, extort money, and kidnap students and civilians from villages for indoctrination sessions, reports the AP. I.L.