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Al Jazeera English - Witness: The Disillusioned Soldier (Clip)

Al Jazeera English - Witness: The Disillusioned Soldier (Clip)

The Maoist liberation war was meant to change Nepal, but for many former fighters realities do not match their dream. Al Jazeera English Witness tells this story.
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Al Jazeera English - Witness: The Disillusioned Soldier
Category: Documentaries
Regions: Asia

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Nepal's decade long conflict now feels like a distant memory. Up until 2006, every day brought news of the death of civilians, Maoists, policemen and soldiers. Although Kathmandu was hardly affected, the mood there was tense. The endless queues at checkpoints reminded people of the war raging in the countryside.
 
"What do the Maoists look like?" my grandmother used to ask. For those in the city, the rebels could have been space aliens.
 
The Maoist revolution was largely motivated by long-standing and extreme abuse and exploitation of poor rural people by a small, landowning elite. An upper-middle-class friend of mine, whom I used to tease for being a "feudalist," admitted to me that he knew people who had raped Tharu (indigenous) women and thought little of it. But although he empathised with those who joined the revolution, he could not bear the thought that his privileges might come to an end if the revolution was successful... (read more)
  

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About Al Jazeera - Witness

Rageh Omaar and Ghida Fakhry present Witness, a half-hour documentary series which features short, specially commissioned or acquired films gathered from independent filmmakers.
 
Each documentary reveals the unknown lives of ordinary people, following their lives, telling their stories and portraying the challenges that confront them. Our witnesses are people in a situation or those who have observed them first hand.
 
The films cover conflict, belief, the past, and the future and, as well as bringing new stories to light, they showcase the talents of a new breed of multi-skilled, frontline journalist.

 

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Al Jazeera English - Witness: The Disillusioned Soldier
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