US embassy cable - 04KATHMANDU1545

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KATHMANDU 001545 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SA/INS AND DS/IP/NEA 
STATE ALSO PLEASE PASS USAID/DCHA/OFDA 
STATE ALSO PLEASE PASS PEACE CORPS HQ 
STATE ALSO PLEASE PASS EU COLLECTIVE 
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 DORMANDY 
SECDEF FOR OSD/ISA ALVERSON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PINS, PTER, CASC, PGOV, NP, PHUM, Maoist Insurgency 
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON NEPAL'S MAOIST INSURGENCY, JULY 31-AUGUST 
6, 2004 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
1.   Government of Nepal (GON) officials will not announce a 
unilateral ceasefire, arguing such a move would come only 
after "meaningful" and "result-oriented" peace talks. 
Special Envoy to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, Tamrat 
Samuel, arrived in Nepal for meetings with government and 
political party officials.  Amnesty International (AI) urged 
Maoist Chairman Prachanda to order party cadres to 
immediately stop abducting civilians.  The local press 
reported that over 5,000 locals in the far-western district 
of Accham had been forced to participate in Maoist "people's 
training" so they would be ready to fight "the last war for 
themselves."  Security forces reportedly killed eighteen 
Maoists this week.  Maoist attacks left twelve security 
personnel and nine civilians dead.  Maoists in the western 
district of Dailekh ordered journalists to leave or face the 
"death penalty."  End Summary. 
 
GON WANTS "MEANINGFUL" DIALOGUE 
FIRST; CEASEFIRE AFTER 
------------------------------- 
 
2.  On August 2, Minister for Local Development Yubaraj 
Gyanwali said that talks between the Government of Nepal 
(GON) and the Maoists must be "meaningful" and "result- 
oriented."  Gyanwali warned that the Maoist insurgency that 
has been plaguing the country for nine years "cannot be 
solved overnight," and reiterated that the Maoists have to 
clarify their positions before sitting for dialogue.  The 
previous day, Minister of Culture, Tourism, and Civil 
Aviation, Deep Kumar Upadhyay, said that it was "essential 
to ensure peaceful talks" before announcing a ceasefire. 
Responding to criticism hurled against the GON for not 
announcing a unilateral ceasefire, Upadhyay suggested that 
people "consider the recklessness demonstrated by the 
Maoists," and noted the Maoists have become "more and more 
violent." 
 
UN ENVOY IN NEPAL 
----------------- 
 
3.  Tamrat Samuel, Special Envoy to UN Secretary General 
Kofi Annan and Assistant to the Under-Secretary General for 
Political Affairs, arrived in Nepal on August 4.  UN 
officials publicly denied that the visit is aimed at 
convincing GON officials to allow UN mediation in talks with 
the Maoists.  Following a meeting with Nepal's Minister of 
Foreign Affairs, Prakash Sharan Mahat, Samuel offered no 
comment.  Meetings with other government officials and 
political leaders are scheduled (Note: Mr. Samuel met with 
the Ambassador on August 6. End Note).  The GON has 
repeatedly said there is no need for UN mediation, and 
Samuel reportedly said the UN would like to see "all the 
political forces to come together" to put an end to the 
Maoist problem "politically."  UN Assistant Secretary 
General Kul Chandra Gautam (a Nepali national) is due to 
arrive later this month. 
 
AI APPEALS TO PRACHANDA 
----------------------- 
 
4.  Amnesty International (AI) urged Maoist Chairman 
Prachanda to order an immediate halt to the abductions of 
civilians.  In a statement issued on August 4, AI called on 
Prachanda to abide by the Geneva Convention, and "allow 
human rights defenders to operate without fear."  The 
organization also appealed for the immediate release of all 
civilians under Maoist captivity. 
 
FAR-WEST LOCALS FORCED INTO TRAINING 
------------------------------------ 
 
5.  On August 2, the local press reported that over 5,000 
locals in the far-western district of Accham had been forced 
to participate in  "people's training."  A Maoist leader in 
the district said the villagers had been forced to take part 
in military training.  Each participant reportedly received 
combat dress, knives and guns.  Women, students and peasants 
from 55 of the 72 Village Development Committees (VDC) took 
part in the program. 
 
6.  On July 31, the local press reported that Maoists had 
set up its "Unified Command" in Accham District, and 
intended to arm locals so they would be ready to fight "the 
last war for themselves."  According to the Maoist Politburo 
member in the region, Prabhakar, villagers have already 
received two of three planned phases of training.  Weapons 
would be distributed from an arsenal in neighboring Kalikot. 
Officials from the RNA's western division headquarters 
dismissed the rebel's claims as "rumors," and declared the 
RNA was in full control of Kalikot. 
 
7.  Over 500 villagers reportedly were abducted by Maoists 
on August 3 and 4 in Panchthar District.  Maoists reportedly 
abducted six teachers and a dozen CPN-UML activists on Aug 2 
in Rukum. The teachers were taken for failing to follow the 
Maoist calendar (as opposed to the Nepali calendar with 
Hindu holidays) and hoisting party flags.  Locals in the 
eastern district of Taplejung also have been ordered by 
Maoists to place party flags on their houses.  Despite 
voicing concern that they would be arrested by security 
forces for having the flags on their property, the rebels 
threatened them with "dire consequences" if the villagers 
remove the flags.  On July 31, VDC secretaries resigned en 
masse due to Maoist threats. Of the 76 VDCs, 71 secretaries 
have resigned. 
 
 
INSURGENCY'S STEADY DEATH TOLL 
------------------------------ 
 
8.  Twelve security personnel reportedly died in Maoist- 
related violence: 
 
--two security personnel were killed on August 5 in Lamjung. 
--A police officer and a soldier were killed on August 4 in 
the central district of Gorkha after their vehicle hit a 
Maoist-planted landmine. 
--Rebels shot and killed a police officer in Jhapa District 
after abducting him several days earlier. His body was found 
on August 4 full of bullet holes. 
--A Maoist-laid ambush killed an Armed Police Force (APF) 
Inspector and injured three other APF personnel in Chitwan 
on August 30.  The site of the ambush was only 700 meters 
from a new APF camp. 
--On August 1, three Royal Nepal Army (RNA) soldiers died 
when their vehicle struck a Maoist-laid landmine in Palpa 
District. 
--Another soldier was killed on August 1 in Kapilbastu 
District. 
9.  Security forces reportedly killed eighteen Maoists this 
week: 
 
--two in Baglung District on August 5. 
--four in the districts of Lamjung, Sunsari, Arghakhachi 
and Sindhuli on August 5. 
--one in Dhankuta on August 2. 
--one each in Udayapur, Ilam, Morang, Rautahat, Ramechhap, 
and one in Bara on August 1. 
--one in Rautahat on August 1. 
--two in Morang, one in Sunsari, and one in Kapilbastu on 
July 31. 
 
10.  According to local press reports, Maoist brutality 
claimed the lives of nine civilians this week: 
 
--On August 3, Maoists abducted a former mayor of Bardia 
District from a funeral procession and hacked off his limbs 
and head.  The rebels later threw his body on the burning 
pyre of his dead relative. 
--On that same day, a farmer was hacked to death in the 
central district of Gorkha and rebels shot and killed a 
Nepali Congress (NC) activist in Sarlahi District. 
--Three civilians were killed on July 30, including an 
elderly man and his son in Saptari District. 
--A farmer was killed on July 31 in Mahottari District by 
rebels who accused him of spying. 
--Also on July 31, a Nepal Sadbhavana Party activist in 
Nawalparasi was killed. 
--On July 31, Maoists abducted and killed an unarmed RNA 
soldier home on leave in Kaski District.  Rebels entered his 
home while he was visiting family and dragged him away, 
telling family members he'd return "in a couple hours."  His 
body was found the next day. He had been beaten severely 
with iron rods and shot in the head. 
--On August 1, a teacher in Dailekh was beaten to death by 
rebels. 
--On August 5, a woman was killed and her six-month-old baby 
was injured by crossfire from a clash between Maoists and 
security personnel in Sarlahi District. 
 
MAOISTS THREATEN JOURNALISTS 
---------------------------- 
 
11.  On August 4, the Kathmandu Post reported that Maoists 
in the western district of Dailekh ordered two journalists 
to leave or face the "death penalty."  The rebels had 
previously warned the reporters to stop writing articles on 
local businesses which had met Maoist extortion demands. 
The journalists left the district after being told they 
would end up with their hands and legs chopped off.  Amnesty 
International (AI), the National Human Rights Commission 
(NHRC) and the Federation of Nepalese Journalists have 
condemned the Maoists' threats to journalists as unlawful. 
 
MORIARTY