US embassy cable - 03KATHMANDU1900

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KATHMANDU 001900 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR CA/OCS/ACS/NESA JOHN PETERS AND SA/INS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CASC, ASEC, PTER, NP, Maoist Insurgency 
SUBJECT:  American Threatened by Maoists on Trail in 
Dolpo District 
 
REF:  Kathmandu 1890 
 
1.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  A resident American woman visiting 
families she aids in Dolpo District, together with two 
non-American friends, were recently accosted by a group 
of twelve Maoists while hiking in the Upper Dolpo region. 
The leader of the Maoist group demanded to have their 
passports, repeatedly questioned them about their 
nationality and became visibly upset that neither of the 
two foreigners were carrying passports.  The AmCit 
pretended to be an Australian tourist.  The cadre leader, 
who identified himself as a Maoist, also demanded 100 USD 
from each and threatened that he would "arrest" both, 
stating that "I am the new government of Dolpo District. 
After a 45-minute interrogation, he released the women 
declaring that they should tell everyone that any 
foreigners entering Dolpo must have their passports and 
must pay 100 USD each.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (SBU) An American women who works with a school that 
assists children in Dolpo, Mustang and Jumla Districts 
told ConsChief on October 1 that she had been detained 
and threatened with "arrest" by Maoists while hiking near 
the village of Dho Tarap in Dolpo District.  [NOTE: AmCit 
did not contact the Embassy with this information. 
ConsChief called her after hearing a second-hand report 
of her incident from an American expedition leader who 
was inquiring about bringing a group of American students 
for a trek in the Kanchenjunga area.  END NOTE.] 
 
3.  (SBU) AmCit was returning from Shey Gompa and Saldang 
villages, visiting families her sponsored children 
together with other women, an Australian and a Tibetan. 
Accompanying them were a Nepali man and young boy who 
were tending their pack animals.  At the small hamlet of 
Dho, in a very tight valley (three days north of the 
district headquarters town of Dunai), they encountered 90 
fully armed Maoists occupying the rooftops of the 
village.  At first, they were allowed to pass and 
continued down toward Dho Tarap.  They were worried the 
Maoists would forcibly "recruit" their horseman and 
horseboy, so told them to run ahead down to Dunai before 
making camp in an open area that evening. 
 
4.  (SBU) While hurriedly packing to "get out fast" the 
next morning, they were encircled by 12 Maoists who 
immediately demanded, "Give us your passports."  AmCit 
told the cadre leader (truthfully) that neither she nor 
her Australian friend were carrying their passports. 
According to the AmCit, the cadre leader became visibly 
agitated upon hearing they did not have passports, 
yelling at them and his cadre and demanding "Where are 
you from?"  AmCit pretended to be a tourist and did not 
let them know that she speaks Nepali fluently and 
understood what they were saying to each other.  She 
answered in English that they were both Australian. 
 
5.  (SBU) The Maoist leader interrogated them for 45 
minutes, repeatedly demanding to see their passports, 
questioning their nationality and demanding that each of 
the two foreigners pay USD 100 (in U.S. currency).  AmCit 
stated that she was "very, very afraid" because "I truly 
felt that if they had found out I was American I would 
have been at great risk."  Her Nepali drivers license and 
trail permits for Dolpo and Annapurna, both listing her 
as an American, were hidden in her bag but never found. 
 
6.  (SBU) The three women had only a small amount of 
Nepali Rupees among them (worth less than 30 USD), a fact 
that also incensed the Maoist group leader.  He 
reportedly stated:  "You are thief.  You don't pay tax 
and you don't have passport, so you are thief.  I am the 
leader of Dolpo District.  I am the new government.  I am 
going to arrest you." 
 
7.  (SBU) After they gave him the small amount of money 
they had, the leader demanded whether any of them had 
sleeping bags, cameras or binoculars.  When told that 
each had only one sleeping bag, the leader let them go, 
warning them to "tell every foreigner you meet" that they 
have to pay 100 USD each and have their passports if they 
want to come to Dolpo." 
 
8.   (SBU) Comment:  Based on this report, and two other 
recently reported instances in Kanchenjunga and lower 
Solu Khumbu of Maoists demanding to know trekkers' 
nationalities and/or indicating possible threats to 
American and other trekkers, we are increasingly 
concerned about risks on some trails from rogue Maoist 
groups. 
 
Malinowski