US embassy cable - 03KATHMANDU1841

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KATHMANDU 001841 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SA/INS AND DS/IP/NEA 
STATE ALSO PLEASE PASS USAID/DCHA/OFDA 
STATE ALSO PLEASE PASS PEACE CORPS HQ 
USAID FOR ANE/AA GORDON WEST AND JIM BEVER 
MANILA FOR USAID/DCHA/OFDA 
LONDON FOR POL/GURNEY 
TREASURY FOR GENERAL COUNSEL/DAUFHAUSER AND DAS JZARATE 
TREASURY ALSO FOR OFAC/RNEWCOMB AND TASK FORCE ON TERRORIST 
FINANCING 
JUSTICE FOR OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL/DLAUFMAN 
NSC FOR MILLARD 
SECDEF FOR OSD/ISA LILIENFELD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PINS, PTER, CASC, PGOV, NP, Maoist Insurgency 
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON NEPAL'S MAOIST INSURGENCY, SEPTEMBER 13- 
19 
 
REFERENCE:  (A) KATHMANDU 1648 
 
            (B) KATHMANDU 1795 
            (C) KATHMANDU 0140 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
1. According to local press accounts 68 Maoists, 19 
policemen, and 7 Royal Nepal Army (RNA) soldiers died in 
clashes this week, along with 19 civilians, including a 
child. 40 security personnel suffered injuries.  The 
Maoists' call for a three-day nationwide strike from 
September 18-20 closed down schools, businesses and halted 
all forms of transportation.  Maoists continued to target 
infrastructure, causing almost a million dollars in damages, 
and stepped up their indiscriminate bombing campaign, 
causing extensive damages and injuring civilians.  On 
September 15, the Maoists formally claimed responsibility 
for the recent bombings in and out of the Kathmandu Valley, 
as well as several murders, including the assassination of a 
Royal Nepal Army (RNA) colonel (Ref A). 
 
CASUALTIES HIGH IN LATEST CLASHES 
--------------------------------- 
 
2.  Clashes between security forces and Maoists culminated 
this week with a deadly battle in the western district of 
Rolpa on September 17-18, in which at least 45 rebels, 6 
Royal Nepal Army (RNA) soldiers, and 1 policeman were 
killed.  At least twenty soldiers were also injured in the 
confrontation. Minister of Information and Communication 
Kamal Thapa said the number of Maoist casualties could be 
higher as additional bodies are recovered.  Other clashes 
throughout the country left 23 Maoists, 1 RNA soldier, 18 
policemen, and 19 civilians, including a child, dead. The 
child was killed in crossfire during a confrontation between 
the insurgents and the security forces in Banke District in 
southwestern Nepal. 
 
MAOISTS SHUTDOWN NEPAL 
---------------------- 
 
3.  A three-day nationwide strike or "bandh" called by the 
Maoists for September 18-20 forced the closure of 
businesses, schools and transportation throughout the 
country.  On September 17 authorities imposed a curfew from 
9:00 p.m. - 4:00 a.m. in Kathmandu. 
 
BOMBS CONTINUE 
--------------- 
 
4.  On September 17, an American company based in Hetauda, 
Makwanpur (Ref B) reported to Poloff that there had been 
additional bombings in the area.  One bomb reportedly 
exploded at a police post, located near a major crossroads, 
and another blast occurred at the ward office, with up to 
four bombs detonated, destroying the building.  Police in 
the area reportedly have moved checkpoints to only within 
the city as a precautionary measure. In Nuwakot District, 
north of Kathmandu, a large group of Maoists stormed an 
office building and detonated several bombs inside, 
destroying the building.  On September 14 the insurgents 
also detonated bombs at a local government office in 
Kirtipur, as well as at three office buidingss in the 
southeastern district of Bara.  Damage was estimated in 
excess of USD 13,000.  On September 15, Maoists also bombed 
a Department of Fisheries office in Kathmandu, causing 
severe damage.  Insurgents bombed three spinning mills in 
Bhaktapur, southeast of Kathmandu, causing close to a 
million dollars in damages. 
 
CIVILIANS FACE DEADLY VIOLENCE 
------------------------------ 
 
5.  On September 17, rebels shot and killed a Rastriya 
Prajatantra Party (RPP) activist in Rupendhai, and a 
government employee in Kathmandu on his way to the airport. 
On September 15, a bank security guard was reportedly killed 
by a group of Maoists attempting to steal money.  A clash 
with security forces ensued, injuring dozens of civilians 
and killing one.  The body of a woman abducted by Maoists a 
week ago in Kanchanpur was found on September 14.  She had 
been stabbed to death.  Maoists killed a man on September 13 
in Dang.  On September 16 two women were killed in Dhanusha 
District after a bomb planted by the insurgents exploded 
near the wall of a police post.  On September 17 the 
insurgents killed a farmer on September 17 in the far 
northern district of Taplejung, a 70-year-old man in 
Udaypur, a former Village Development Committee (VDC) member 
in Rupendehi, in the Terai bordering India, and killed two 
others in Kapilvastu District.  On September 18 a Maoist 
bomb detonated at a farmer's house in the southern district 
of Parsa killed three civilians and injured ten others.  On 
that same day insurgents killed a Nepali Congress Party 
activist in Dhanusha District. 
 
 
6.  On September 17 a Nepali Congress (NC) activist was 
abducted in Lumbini, and a former police constable from 
Sindhupalchowk was also abducted by rebels.  Maoists 
reportedly have threatened to kill an entire family in the 
western district of Banke, accusing them of being informants 
for security forces.  The family, which had previously paid 
a ransom demand of USD 2000 to the rebels, was told on 
September 13 to leave the village or be killed.  A 
neighboring family also has been told to leave the village. 
 
MAOISTS ADMIT TO MURDERS 
------------------------ 
 
7.  On September 15 the Maoists formally claimed 
responsibility for the high-profile murder of Royal Nepal 
Army (RNA) Colonel Kiran Basnet and the attempted murder of 
another RNA colonel in two separate incidents on August 28 
(Ref A).  The statement, issued by the Peoples' Liberation 
Army, also claimed responsibility for the attempted murder 
of former Minister of State for Home Affairs Devendra Raj 
Kandel, and the recent bombings in and outside the Kathmandu 
Valley. 
 
8.  On September 16, authorities filed criminal cases 
against 21 Maoists, including Maoist leaders Prachanda and 
Baburam Bhattarai, with the Patan Appellate Court.  The 
filing accuses the insurgents of masterminding the January 
26th assassination of Krishna Mohan Shrestha, Chief of the 
Armed Police Force (Ref C). 
 
9.  A report released on September 17 by the Informal Sector 
Service Center (INSEC), a local human rights organization, 
claims that over 200 people have been killed since the 
ceasefire ended on August 27.  INSEC condemned the Maoists 
for their ambushed, bombings, abductions, and murder of 
innocent civilians.  INSEC urged both the Maoists and 
security personnel to stop "the irrational human rights 
violations." 
MAOISTS EXTORT MONEY FROM TOURISTS 
---------------------------------- 
10.  The local press reported on September 16 that Maoists 
are extorting money from tourists in the popular trekking 
area of the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP). 
According to local sources, the rebels have increased 
extortion demands over the past several days, under their so- 
called "Peoples' War Assistance Campaign."  The insurgents 
demand USD 13 for which they provide a receipt. 
 
INFRASTRUCTURE TARGETED BY MAOISTS 
---------------------------------- 
 
11.  On September 16, a group of rebels bombed a solar power 
center in a remote district of Humla, leaving the entire 
area without electricity.  The center had been installed 
with the help of the French Government.  On September 15 
rebels bombed a communications tower in Chitwan District 
causing telephone lines to be disrupted in over 400 homes. 
On September 17 the insurgents attacked a telephone tower in 
Limbini, causing an estimated USD 65,000 in damage. 
 
MALINOWSKI