US embassy cable - 03KATHMANDU2300

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KATHMANDU 002300 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR CA/OCS JOHN PETERS, SA/INS GREG BAYER, 
DS/IP/SA, AND DS/ITA 
LONDON FOR POL/GURNEY 
NSC FOR MILLARD 
DOJ FOR OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL/DLAUFMAN 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CASC, ASEC, PINS, PTER, NP, Maoist Insurgency 
SUBJECT: NEPAL: AMCIT HELD AND RELEASED BY MAOISTS 
 
 
1. (SBU) SUMMARY: AMCIT Zachary Hessler, a regular 
traveler to Nepal, was detained for four days in the 
Ganesh Himal region of Nepal.  While not physically held, 
Hessler was not permitted to leave the area until Maoist 
cadre consulted with their leadership, while they held 
his passport and threatened to kill innocent Nepali 
villagers who had provided him accommodation.  The 
Maoists were reportedly responding to a circular from the 
senior party leadership, apparently issued shortly after 
the recent announcement of terrorist listing sanctions, 
that American citizens were not permitted to leave the 
Kathmandu Valley.  Ultimately, Hessler was released 
unharmed with his passport and told Americans are welcome 
to travel in Nepal.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2. (U) AMCIT Zachary Hessler appeared at the Embassy on 
24 November and reported his experience of being detained 
and subsequently released by the Maoists.  According to 
Hessler, he was hiking with a group of six trekkers plus 
porters in the Ganesh Himal Region, located in Dhading 
District, northwest of Kathmandu.  He and his French 
friend separated from the group, taking a separate route, 
and arrived in the village of Tipling two days after the 
rest of the party (which included a British national, his 
Nepali wife and cousins, and a Dutch national).  Arriving 
in Tipling on 15 November, Hessler discovered that there 
were about eight Maoists in the village awaiting their 
arrival. 
 
3.  (U) On the first evening, there was little 
interaction with the Maoists.  Hessler reported the 
Maoists as generally friendly, with one of the group 
offering to explain their particular brand of Maoism to 
him.  That night, Hessler and his party stayed with the 
family of the Nepali wife of the British citizen. 
 
4. (SBU) The next day, the Maoists asked the party for a 
"trekking tax" of 2,000 Nepali Rupees each.  Hessler 
explained that he had paid a similar fee of 1,300 Rupees 
earlier in the year in Manaslu Region (Gorkha District) 
and showed his receipt. After huddling with the receipt 
and establishing his nationality, the Maoists returned to 
the group and demanded 2,000 Rupees from each of the 
foreign trekkers, except Hessler, who they said they 
would have to take into their custody to see their senior 
commander. 
 
5. (SBU) The group, Maoists and villagers spent several 
hours discussing this idea.  According to Hessler, he 
pulled one of the Maoists aside and explained how quickly 
this small problem could become a large one.  The Maoist 
explained that after the "Armitage statement" (likely 
meaning the statement that accompanied the recent USG 
announcement of terrorist sanctions against the CPN- 
Maoist party), the Maoist leadership had distributed a 
circular that Americans were not allowed to travel 
outside the Kathmandu Valley.  Since the circular did not 
indicate what cadres should do if they encountered 
Americans outside the Valley, they needed to seek higher 
advice. 
 
6. (SBU) Although the local cadre leader was insistent, 
ultimately he agreed to take only Hessler's passport.  He 
also demanded that the group not leave the area, and that 
the trekkers meet the Maoists in Singpunphedi (phonetic) 
after four-days.  The trekkers were told not to continue 
their trek in the area (they had planned to trek north 
into the Ganesh Himal high country), but to travel only 
on the trail between Tipling and Singpunphedi.  The 
Maoists then departed with his passport, but not before 
threatening to kill the British national's wife's family, 
who live in Tipling, if the trekkers broke their 
agreement. 
 
7. (U) After two more days in Tipling, Hessler and party 
trekked two days to Singpunphedi.  The morning after 
their arrival, the group was approached by two of the 
Maoists they had encountered in Tipling.  Hessler's 
passport was returned, and he was required to pay the 
2,000 rupee "donation."  The Maoists stated that, 
according to their commander, they had no interest in 
taking hostages and that all tourists were welcome in 
Nepal. 
 
8. (SBU) COMMENT. This is the first time to our knowledge 
that an American citizen has been detained by the 
Maoists.  It is also the first time we have heard any 
reference to any Maoist instruction to prevent Americans 
from leaving the Kathmandu Valley.  Although the incident 
is a cause for additional concern about the safety of 
American trekkers, Hessler's experience suggests that the 
Maoist leadership still has not made the fateful decision 
to take violent action against American citizens. 
 
9. (U) We are relieved that the incident ended peacefully 
and with a reaffirmation that American citizens are 
welcome as trekkers -- provided that they pay the usual 
Maoist fees.  We would note that Mr. Hessler is a very 
experienced trekker in Nepal, and was traveling with 
Nepali companions.  However, we also note that both areas 
where he has encountered Maoists, Manaslu and Dhading 
(south of Ganesh Himal), are areas that the Embassy 
strongly urges Americans seeking advice to avoid.  END 
COMMENT. 
 
MALINOWSKI