Nepal Army chief Chhatraman Singh Gurung has rejected the en-masse integration of the former Maoist guerrillas into the military, saying they were "excessively politically indoctrinated".
Gen Gurung asked the People's Liberation Army (PLA) personnel to disassociate themselves with the Maoist doctrine before joining the national army.
The top commander, however, said the army can consider individual entry of Maoist combatants into the military.
"After a broad political consensus, individual combatants who meet the set standards can be integrated in Nepal Army but they can't be integrated in bulk," Gurung said during a meeting with UN under secretary general for political affairs B Lynn Pascoe yesterday.
Army Headquarters sources quoted the top general as telling the UN official that such individuals "should totally disassociate themselves from political activities".
"We have felt that many Maoist combatants are excessively politically indoctrinated, but Nepal Army is highly disciplined, professional, competitive and apolitical," he said.
"So we can't rule out the possibility that the honesty, impartiality and organisational unity of Nepal Army will be affected by the politically motivated individual," Gen Gurung said.
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