US embassy cable - 04KATHMANDU580

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 KATHMANDU 000580 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC, PGOV, PREL, KMDR, NP 
SUBJECT: WEEKLY NEPAL MEDIA REPORT FROM 16 TO 22 MARCH 
2004 
 
STATE FOR NP, AC, PM 
STATE FOR IN/R/MR 
STATE FOR SA/INS, PM/CBM, PM/PRO 
STATE FOR SA/PPD 
 
WEEKLY MEDIA REPORT (March 16 to 22, 2004) 
 
1. MAOIST INSURGENCY 
 
-- Massive attack in Myagdi district headquarters: 
Maoist rebels launched a huge attack in Beni, Myagdi 
district headquarters on Saturday night.  The Maoists 
took the District Police Office (DPO), Chief District 
Officer and 39 security personnel.  The Maoists 
completely destroyed all administrative buildings 
including the District Administration Office (DAO), 
District Development Committee (DDC), District Jail and 
District Court". The Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) said it 
believes about 500 Maoists were killed and over 200 
others injured in the exchange of fire.  The army 
spokesperson said that various weapons and 
explosives including AK 47 rifle, were recovered from 
the clash site". The Maoists, however, said they killed 
about 150 security personnel in the clash. (Major 
reports, 3/22) 
 
-- Maoist radio station destroyed: Security forces have 
ruined the Seti Mahakali Peoples FM Radio that was 
brought into operation by the Maoists a month ago. 
(Centrist "Nepal Samacharpatra, E/D, 3/21) 
 
-- Scheme to kick-start in 3 Maoist-hit districts: The 
government has selected three Maoist-hit Dang, Kailali 
and Bardiya districts to implement its ambitious land 
redistribution program and has initiated preparatory 
work. (Centrist "The Kathmandu Post," E/D, 3/20) 
 
-- Harassed journalists take refuge in Kathmandu: In a 
disturbing fallout of Nepal's insurgency, at least 25 
journalists have been displaced from their places of 
work and residence over the past six months by both the 
Maoists and the security forces, reported OneWorld. 
(Pro-India "The Himalayan Times," E/D, 3/21) 
 
-- Record number of disappearances in Nepal: Amnesty: 
Since the breakdown of ceasefire in August, a record 
number of persons have been "disappeared" by the 
Maoists as well as the security forces, according to 
Charan Kumar Prasai, former president of Amnesty 
International - Nepal. (Centrist "Kantipur," V/D, 3/21) 
 
-- Maoists ready for UN mediation: Maoist chairman 
Prachanda has said his party is ready to hold talks 
with the government under United Nations mediation. 
"We can hold dialogue with the government with UN 
mediation, even in the middle of the ongoing "People's 
War," to respect the appeals made by various human 
rights and civil society organizations,: Prachanda said 
in an appeal released last night. (Media reports, 3/18) 
-- Aid bodies threaten to pull out: The United Nations 
(UN) and other foreign aid agencies have threatened to 
pull out of the troubled country because their ongoing 
development programs will be at risk as Maoists are 
trying to extort money from their staff.  "Our project 
offices have been receiving letters from the 
underground rebels demanding monetary assistance and 
that's the reason why the UN is forced to issue a 
public statement today, a UN official said.  Besides 
UN, the other aid agencies including the Department for 
International Development (DFID), Technical Cooperation 
of the Federal Republic of Germany (GTZ) and Swiss 
Agency for Development Cooperation (SDC) published a 
separate joint statement in newspapers Wednesday 
stating that their development programs and staff are 
increasingly being put under pressure by the Maoists to 
provide forced donations. " However, the agencies have 
resisted paying the rebels because it is against their 
policy.  (Media reports, 3/18) 
 
-- Five for 
eign wings in Maoist: Security Expert Tul 
Prasad Sherchan has claimed that the five chief leaders 
of the CPN-Maoist are under the control of five foreign 
spy agencies.  He said that Prachanda is operating 
under the European Union and the Indian RAW controls 
Dr. Baburam Bhattarai.  He also said that Matrika Yadav 
is controlled by South Block in India, Russia controls 
Ram Bahadur Thapa alias Badal and Nanda Kishor Pun 
alias Pasang is handled by China. (Pro-palace 
"Rastravani," V/W, 3/17) 
-- PM rules out foreign mediation: Prime Minister Surya 
Bahadur Thapa Sunday iterated the government was ready 
to talk to Maoists but ruled out foreign mediation. 
Thapa categorically nixed the involvement of any 
foreign country or even the United Nations in solving 
Maoist insurgency, said activist Sudip Pathak of the 
Human Rights Organization of Nepal (HURON) who led a 
delegation of representatives of various civil society 
organizations to the Prime Minister. (The Himalayan 
Times, Nepal Samacharpatra, 3/16) 
2.  ELECTION TALK 
 
-- Poll push a ploy, says Prachanda: "Prachanda has 
blamed the government for seeking American support for 
ensuring the political parties' participation in the 
elections to be announced soon.  "U.S. representatives, 
from ministers to the ambassador, are knocking at the 
doors of leaders of political parties to make sure the 
parties participate in the so-called elections,' 
Prachanda claimed". He also held the U.S. ambassador 
responsible for neglecting Nepal's sovereignty by 
visiting the Royal Nepalese Army barracks.  "The U.S. 
ambassador is visiting the army barracks, thus 
humiliating Nepal's nationality and sovereignty,' 
Prachanda said."(The Himalayan Times, 3/21) 
 
-- Security authorities instructed for election 
preparation: The government, through letters, has 
instructed the security authorities in the districts to 
prepare for the general elections immediately after the 
Vijaya Dashami [Nepal's greatest festival in October]. 
(Centrist "Rajdhani," V/D, 3/20) 
 
-- EC ready for polls: The Election Commission (EC) is 
ready to organize elections at any time.  Chief 
Election Commissioner Keshav Raj Rajbhandari, taking to 
media persons here Thursday, said the EC office-bearers 
during their recent meeting with the prime minister 
found that the government was in the mentality of 
holding elections. (Major reports, 3/19) 
 
3.  GOVERNMENT 
 
-- Selective ban on protests in Valley from Sunday: The 
District Administration, Kathmandu has clamped a ban, 
effective from March 21, on protest programs such as 
processions, sit-ins and fasts at public roads and 
areas, to maintain law and order. (Major newspapers, 
3/20) 
 
-- Foreign minister defends Nepal's human rights 
record: Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr. Bhekh Bahadur 
Thapa, Thursday defended Nepal's human rights records 
in the 60th session of the UN Human Rights Commission 
in Geneva.  "If the situation in Nepal has been complex 
and challenging, it is not because of the lack of 
initiatives and commitments from the government, 
rather, it is largely because of the threats and 
violence created by Maoists."  He also claimed that the 
government has taken resolute steps through targeted 
programs and institutional mechanism to protect and 
promote the rights of vulnerable and marginalized 
groups. (The Kathmandu Post and others, 3/19) 
 
4.  REFUGEE PROBLEM 
 
-- EU seeks Indian help in refugee issue: A top 
European Union (EU) official has urged India to lend a 
whelping hand to resolve the issue of Bhutanese 
refugees of Nepali origin that has strained ties 
between the two nations.  Paul Nielson, European 
Commissioner for Development Cooperation and 
Humanitarian Aid, emphasized the need for an early 
resolution of the issue and warned that, otherwise, the 
refugees could become a breeding ground for terrorists. 
(The Himalayan Times, 3/21) 
 
-- European pressure on Bhutan: The European Commission 
has pressurized Bhutan to resolve t 
he impasse of 
Bhutanese refugees at the soonest.  A delegation of the 
European Commission during its visit to Bhutan has 
raised the issue.  Although the delegation had gone 
there to take stock of their programs being run in 
Bhutan, they also raised the issue of refugees.  More 
than 100,000 Bhutanese refugees have been languishing 
in seven camps in eastern Nepal for the last 13 years. 
(Leading dailies, 3/17) 
 
6. NEPAL - U.S. 
 
-- Rights protection rests more on government, U.S. 
envoy: The United States Ambassador to Nepal, Michael 
E. Malinowski, even while questioning the Maoists' 
credibility to call for international assessment on 
human rights, stressed that the government had bigger 
responsibility in protecting the human rights of the 
citizens.  "The state cannot say since the Maoists are 
violating human rights, why can't we, since the 
government is not on the same plane as the Maoists," 
said the U.S. ambassador speaking to few journalists 
Thursday after releasing an anthology of papers on good 
governance in the capital.  (The Kathmandu Post, 3/19) 
 
-- Envoy to U.S. dies at 67: Royal Nepalese Ambassador 
to the United States, Jai Pratap Rana passed away in 
Washington Tuesday". U. S. Ambassador Michael E. 
Malinowski expressed his heartfelt condolences on the 
demise of Mr. Rana.  "I personally, and on behalf of 
the U.S. mission in Nepal, mourn the loss of this 
valued friend and colleague and extend my sincere 
sympathy to his bereaved family and His Majesty's 
Government," a statement said.  Seven while in 
Washington he maintained cordial relations with the 
U.S. Mission in Kathmandu, helping us better understand 
Nepal's foreign policy interests and their domestic 
context. (Major dailies, 3/18-19) 
 
-- PM, U.S. official discuss bilateral ties: Deputy 
assistant secretary, Bureau of South Asian Affairs, 
U.S. Department of State, Torkel L. Patterson, paid a 
courtesy call on Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa at 
the latter's office in Singha Durbar on Tuesday-. 
Patterson said that the democratic forces in Nepal 
should come together to help the government fight the 
Maoists.  During his meeting with the PM, he advised 
that the king and democratic forces should align and 
compel the Maoists to come for talks and lay down arms. 
He also said that only talks could resolve the problem 
and every other problem in the country could be settled 
through democratic exercise. (Spactime, 3/17) 
 
-- Powell's message to Dr. Thapa: The U.S. Foreign 
Secretary Colin Powell has sent a message to newly 
 
SIPDIS 
appointed Foreign Minister Dr. Bhekh Bahadur Thapa 
wishing him a fruitful tenure in Nepal amid internal 
conflict and terrorism.  Powell has said that the U.S. 
would extend cooperation in works in favor of human 
rights, democracy and rule of law.  America is ready 
to provide assistance that would help control terrorism 
and resolve conflict. (Kantipur, 3/16) 
 
7.  OTHERS 
 
-- Abortion rights comes into practice: The Indra Rajya 
Laxmi Maternity Hospital, Thapathali has started 
counseling services on safe abortion.  Soon, the 
government will expand the service to other hospitals 
around the country.  The service complies with the 
legal framework on abortion provisioned in the 
legislation endorsed by the parliament two years ago. 
(The Kathmandu Post, 3/20) 
 
-- India for Janakpur-Jainagar railway service 
expansion: Indian Ambassador to Nepal Shyam Sharan 
Wednesday said that India is ready to help expand the 
one and only Janakpur-Jainagar railway services in 
Nepal.  The 51 Kilometers long railway that links 
Bijalpur of Mahottari district and Jainagar of India 
has shortened its service to 27 kilometers from 
Janakpur to Jainagar two years ago. (The Kathmandu 
Post, 3/18) 
 
-- Enact laws to check piracy: American professor 
James P Chandler said that Intellectual Property Rights 
(IPR) is also a human right as any other right which 
needs to be protected by the state.  According to him, 
intellectual 
property is the creation of an individual 
and it is the property of the creator, which is why the 
government should protect it by formulating necessary 
legislation. "Since the IPR is a creation of an 
individual, one cannot run his or her business without 
protecting it.  He was speaking at a workshop on 
Intellectual Property Rights jointly organized by the 
American Center and Kathmandu School of Law (KSL) at 
Bhaktapur today. (The Himalayan Times, 3/17) 
 
MALINOWSKI