At least a dozen secondary level students from Sungdel VDC of remote Khotang district have fled the village to avoid forceful recruitment in the Maoist militia. Mounting pressure from the Maoists to join their militia drove them away from the district, according to the students. The students are from Surya Secondary School of the VDC and said that the Maoists had been pressurising them for a month to join their militia. Many more students from other parts of the district are also moving to safer places like Dharan, Biratnagar and Kathmandu, following the increasing Maoist activities, according to sources. Maoist rebels who move around unhindered following the truce declaration have been insisting the school students at class nine and ten to join their camp, to fight against the present government, which they have labelled as an autocratic regime, according to Sujata Rai, 14, a student from Sungdeltar, who recently landed at Dharan to escape the Maoist intimidation. Many of her friends like Parbati Rai, Anju Rai and other classmates have moved to Dharan, according to her.