US embassy cable - 03KATHMANDU1989

UNCLAS KATHMANDU 001989 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR SA/INS, LONDON FOR POL/GURNEY, NSC FOR MILLARD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER, PGOV, PREL, CASC, NP, Maoist Insurgency 
SUBJECT: NEPAL: MAOIST PUBLIC STATEMENT DECLARES NEPAL 
SAFE FOR TOURISTS 
 
REF: (A) KATHMANDU 1784 
     (B) KATHMANDU 1900 
 
1. (SBU) THE MAOIST INFORMATION BULLETIN, POSTED ON THE 
INTERNET SITE (WWW.CPNM.ORG) OF NEPAL'S MAOIST INSURGENTS 
ON SEPTEMBER 28, COMPLAINED OF THE "ACTIVITIES OF THE 
AMBASSADORS OF SOME POWERFUL COUNTRIES," BUT ADDED THAT 
THE MAOISTS POSE "NO DANGER TO THE LIFE OF ANY FOREIGNER, 
INCLUDING U.S. NATIONALS, IN NEPAL."  EXCERPTS FROM THE 
PUBLIC NOTICE ARE PROVIDED BELOW. 
 
BEGIN TEXT: 
 
BECAUSE OF THE KNOWN NATIONAL CAPITULATIONIST CHARACTER OF 
THE 'NEW' FEUDAL-COMPRADOR MONARCHY, THE COUNTRY IS FAST 
TURNING INTO A HOTBED OF INTERNATIONAL INTRIGUE AND 
CONSPIRACY.  THE RECENT HECTIC ACTIVITIES OF THE 
AMBASSADORS OF SOME POWERFUL COUNTRIES AND THEIR OPEN 
INTERFERENCE IN THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF NEPAL HAS PROVED 
THIS BEYOND DOUBT. 
 
THE NAKED INTERFERENCE OF US IMPERIALISM HAS BEEN THE MOST 
CONSPICUOUS IN THIS RESPECT.  THE US AMBASSADOR, MICHAEL 
E. MALINOWSKI, HAS NOT ONLY BEEN MEETING VARIOUS LEADERS 
OF THE PARLIAMENTARY PARTIES AND DICTATING THEM TO 
'COOPERATE WITH THE KING TO ISOLATE THE MAOISTS,' BUT HE 
HAS BEEN OPENLY LAUNCHING MALICIOUS TIRADE AGAINST THE 
REVOLUTIONARY FORCES THROUGH PUBLIC SPEECHES AND 
INTERVIEWS TO THE MEDIA. ... 
 
THE US PRESIDENT, GEORGE W. BUSH, IS UNDERSTOOD TO HAVE 
SPECIALLY PATTED HIS STOOGE FROM NEPAL, BHEK B. THAPA, 
AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE, DURING A RECENT GATHERING IN NEW YORK 
IN HONOR OF THE VISITING HEADS OF DELEGATIONS TO THE UN 
GENERAL ASSEMBLY.  ON THE OCCASION, CHRISTINA ROCCA, 
ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE FOR SOUTH ASIA, IS REPORTED 
TO HAVE PLEDGED ALL ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT TO THE ROYALIST 
REGIME 'TO FIGHT THE MAOIST TERRORISTS.' 
 
SCARED OF ITS OWN SHADOW OF CRIMINAL MISDEEDS AND 
CONSPIRACIES, THE US GOVERNMENT, ON SEPTEMBER 24, HAS 
WARNED ITS CITIZENS EITHER NOT TO VISIT NEPAL AT ALL OR 
EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION ONCE THERE.  THE CPN (MAOIST), 
HOWEVER, HAS CLARIFIED TIME AND AGAIN THAT THERE IS NO 
DANGER TO THE LIFE OF ANY FOREIGNER, INCLUDING THE US 
NATIONALS, IN NEPAL AND THE TOURISTS FROM ANY COUNTRY ARE 
MOST WELCOME TO VISIT AND TRAVEL.  CONTRARY TO THE 
WIDESPREAD FALSE PROPAGANDA BY THE REACTIONARY RULING 
CLASSES THAT FOREIGN TOURISTS ARE SUBJECTED TO EXTORTIONS 
BY THE MAOISTS, A HOST OF TOURISTS FROM DIFFERENT 
COUNTRIES HAVE REFUTED THE BASELESS CHARGES IN RECENT 
WEEKS. 
 
END TEXT. 
 
2. (SBU) COMMENT.  THE STATEMENT THAT MAOISTS ARE NOT 
EXTORTING FROM FOREIGN TOURISTS IS A BLATANT LIE. 
PERSUASIVE ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE OF MAOIST EXTORTION OF 
TOURISTS HAS BEEN REPORTED REF B AND HAS BEEN POSTED IN 
THE CONSULAR INFORMATION SHEET ON THE EMBASSY WEBSITE. 
POST ALSO RECOMMENDED LANGUAGE REGARDING MAOIST EXTORTION 
FOR REF A PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT.  ALTHOUGH THE VIEWS OF 
LOCAL MAOIST COMMANDERS MAY DIFFER, THE ABOVE STATEMENT 
SUGGESTS THAT THE MAOIST LEADERSHIP HAS TAKEN SERIOUSLY 
U.S. GOVERNMENT TRAVEL ADVISORIES FOR TOURISTS AND IS 
SEEKING TO DEFLECT JUSTIFIED BLAME FOR THE SERIOUS 
DETERIORATION OF NEPAL'S TOURISM INDUSTRY.  END COMMENT. 
 
MALINOWSKI