US embassy cable - 04KATHMANDU1592

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KATHMANDU 001592 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC, PGOV, PREL, KMDR, NP 
SUBJECT: WEEKLY NEPAL MEDIA REPORT FROM AUGUST 3 TO 9, 
2004 
 
STATE FOR NP, AC, PM 
STATE FOR IN/R/MR 
STATE FOR SA/INS, PM/CBM, PM/PRO 
STATE FOR SA/PPD 
 
1.  POLITICAL AFFAIRS 
 
-- PM to head peace secretariat; experts to back it: 
The government is setting up a Peace Secretariat, which 
will have chiefs of the four coalition partners and a 
nominee of the king as political advisors and a retired 
government administrator or a retired UN administrator 
as liaison officer or member secretary.    Prime 
Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, representing the Nepali 
Congress (Democratic) president, will head the 
secretariat's advisory committee". The government has 
 
SIPDIS 
also earmarked Rs 20 million for the secretariat and 
the United States Embassy has also promised "a certain 
amount of moneys to it. (Pro-India "The Himalayan 
Times," E/D, 8/9) 
 
-- Nepali Congress ready for constituent assembly: The 
Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting of the Nepali 
Congress (NC) has formally declared that it is open for 
the option of holding constituent assembly elections to 
resolve the existing problems.  The party decided to 
adopt three options - going for constituent assembly 
based on the current constitution; going for referendum 
to clarify the people's mandate; and going for 
progressive amendment of the current constitution.  The 
decision marks a major policy departure of the NC, 
which had till now rejected the very notion of 
constituent assembly. (Major reports, 8/6) 
 
-- UN renews help offer; Deuba undecided: The United 
Nations Thursday again offered its good office to the 
government for resolving the Maoist problem, but PM 
Sher Bahadur Deuba couldn't clearly specify what the 
government wants.  Deuba had a meeting with Samuel 
Tamrat, the special envoy to the UN Secretary General 
Kofi Annan.  "The government is creating confusion as 
it couldn't decide this time as well," sources said. 
Deuba again told Tamrat that the government would 
"certainly" tell the UN about its need whenever it was 
felt necessary. (The Himalayan Times, 8/6) 
 
-- Polls not possible in current scenario, parties tell 
CEC: Major political parties in the dissolved House of 
Representatives today said parliamentary elections were 
not possible unless the Maoist problem was addressed 
and the security situation had improved in the country. 
Representatives of eight political parties expressed 
this view during an interaction with the Chief Election 
Commissioner (CEC) at his office. (Media reports, 8/6) 
 
-- Local bodies goes to civil servants: The Ministry of 
Local Development Thursday handed over the local bodies 
to government staffers as per the first amendment to 
the Local Self-governance Ordinance, 2004.  "The job of 
the elected political representatives will be done by 
the office heads of the local bodies from today till 
the elected representatives come to power either 
through elections or through some other means," 
Minister for Local Development Yubraj Gyawali said. 
(The Himalayan Times, 8/6) 
 
2.  MAOIST INSURGENCY 
 
-- 4,000 youths, students forced into training: "Maoist 
rebels are forcing over 4,000 youths, including school 
students, into militia training in an undisclosed 
location." (Centrist "The Kathmandu Post," E/D, 8/7) 
 
-- Maoists loot diplomatic vehicle: Maoists looted a 
blue-plate motorcycle belonging to the United Nations 
(UN) and abducted a UN staff riding the bike.  The 
rebels released the staff on Tuesday but have not 
returned the UN motorcycle. (The Kathmandu Post, 8/7) 
 
-- Valley, Maoists' next target: The Maoists are 
planning to launch a massive attack in the capital or 
its surroundings, a strategy they are taking up to show 
that the government is not serious for talks.  The 
party is said to have done all its homework for talks 
and is now concentrating on attacks.  "All the party 
sister organizations have been called for assistance," 
a Maoist source said. (Pro-Nepali Congress "Bimarsha," 
V/W, 8/6) 
-- Maoists threaten to shut down many companies: The 
Maoists have threatened to close down many 
multinational companies in different districts, 
including Kathmandu, from August 17 saying the 
government is not serious about meeting a charter of 
11-points forwarded by them.  They issued this threat 
in a press statement issued today by the Maoist-aligned 
trade union. (The Himalayan Times, 8/5) 
 
-- AI urges Prachanda to stop abductions: The Amnesty 
International (AI) has asked Maoist leader Prachanda to 
order an immediate halt to abductions of civilians and 
their unconditional release.  In a statement issued 
Wednesday, the AI has expressed serious concern over 
recent rights violations of civilians including human 
rights defenders and journalists by the Maoists. (Media 
reports, 8/5) 
 
-- Maoists forcibly abduct 5000 for training: Maoist 
rebels have forced more than five thousand people to 
participate in their training campaigns in Achham 
district since the second week of July.  "More than 
five thousand people have been forced to take part in 
the 'unified command' in the first phase, though they 
don't want to be involved in the military training," 
said Gangaram, a Maoist leader.  According to people 
who escaped the training camps, the rebels have 
provided combat dresses, Khukuris [Nepali curved 
knives], guns and other weapons to the people. 
(Centrist "Kantipur," V/D, 8/3) 
 
3.  NEPAL-U.S. 
 
-- Immediate ceasefire not possible: "...American 
ambassador James Francis Moriarty's learning of Nepali 
language within two months of being appointed 
ambassador shows how sensitive he is towards Nepal's 
affairs.  It seems that he wants to learn about the 
Nepali people by reaching the ground level and not be 
hypocrite by forming opinions through the meetings with 
elites only". As soon as he came he held a huge press 
conference and gave interviews in an attempt to clarify 
the American stance". The former ambassador Malinowski 
neither tried to understand the mind of ordinary people 
nor did he hold any press conference.  Unlike 
Malinowski, who used to give interviews to the papers 
he chose, Moriarty's attempt to meet journalists from 
all sides and give interviews has been widely 
appreciated..." (Op-ed in Pro-Nepali Congress Democratic 
"Tarun," V/W, 8/9) 
 
-- American efficiency and our understanding: "... I 
think we have immensely misunderstood America.  There 
is poverty and unemployment...  The papers are filled 
with crime stories.  The media gives a lot of attention 
to local issues.  We might have more knowledge about 
international affairs than them but they are careful 
not to let the country get disrepute.  They are 
supportive of the government, no matter which party 
forms it". What hurt me was that our country is known 
throughout the world for just two things - Sagarmatha 
and Lumbini.  It is sad that many people do not know 
about the bravery of Gurkhas, our geographical and 
cultural diversity.  If we can spend some money and get 
people around the world to see our country, that would 
not only enhance the tourism industry but also give 
Gautam in Bimarsha, V/W.  He recently came back from a 
USG-sponsored 45-day long program at Multinational 
Institute of American Studies, New York University, 
8/6) 
 
-- America to take care of its supporters: "As a part 
of its increased interests on Nepal's affairs, America 
is now going to financially nurture its supporters.  It 
is understood that the former Fulbrighters, Humphreys 
and IVPS are being identified for this purpose.  Out of 
those fellows, the "America devot"ees would be found 
out and they would be given responsibility of some 
profitable work.  According to reports, in return they 
will have to provide right information to the American 
Embassy". America thinks that the results of the new 
program, brought immediately after the new ambassador 
James F. Moriarty took office, would be very 
benefiting..." (New publication "Yugpatra," V/W, 8/5) 
 
-- American team's jail tour: "You must be aware of the 
activities of Indian and American intelligence 
agencies, RAW and CIA respectively but you might be 
surprised to hear that the American Federal Bureau of 
Investigation (FBI) is also active in Nepal.  The fact 
was revealed after a FBI team met and interrogated 
Maoist rebel Krishna Hari Sainju at the Nakkhu jail.  A 
team of two American members had questioned Sainju two 
times over a period of two months..." Americans had said 
that they wanted to meet Sainju to study the reasons 
behind expansion of the Maoists in South Asia.  But the 
meeting was not very productive, as Sainju did not 
reveal much.  Sainju was asked his political 
background, economic status and why the party selected 
him to kill the Inspector General of Armed Police 
Force, Krishna Mohan Shrestha." (Leftist "Jana-aastha," 
V/W, 8/4) 
 
-- Maoist-study center at U.S. Embassy: "A Maoist-study 
cell has been formed at the U.S. Embassy, Kathmandu 
under the U.S. Government's instruction to find what 
Maoism is, whether the Maoists are pro-Nepal or pro- 
India, how the problem could be solved, who Maoist 
leaders are, whether Prachanda is still alive or not 
and so on.  Ambassador Moriarty's revelation that a new 
mechanism had been adopted to collect information on 
the present situation of the country also proves this. 
Nepal is a destination for terrorists..." (Pro-Royal 
Palace "Gorkha Express," V/W, 8/3) 
 
4.  OTHERS 
 
-- Indian embassy writes letter demanding probe into 
Spacetime: The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu has written 
a letter to the Foreign Ministry asking the Nepal 
government to investigate the Spacetime Network, which 
it alleges to be funded by Dawood Ibrahim [A former 
Mumbai underworld don charged of carrying out serial 
bomb blasts in Mumbai in the past.]  The letter handed 
over to the Ministry on July 16 urges the government to 
take note of resolution passed by the United Nations 
Security Council, which calls for international 
cooperation in exchanging information over terrorists. 
The Foreign Ministry has already forwarded the letter 
to the Home as well as the Information and 
Communication Ministries.  (Pro-Nepali Congress 
"Deshantar," V/W, 8/7) 
 
-- Al Qaeda plans to attack Tribhuvan International 
Airport: Al Qaeda has plans to attack even the 
Kathmandu airport, pointed out the CNN on Thursday, 
saying that the information was received from the 
recently arrested Qaeda supporters in Pakistan.  Nepali 
officials did not want to comment on this.  However, 
they said that enough security measures were arranged 
to protect the airport. (Centrist "Nepal 
Samacharpatra," V/D, 8/7) 
 
-- Nepalese going secretly to Iraq: "At a time when 
India and other countries are withdrawing their 
citizens working in war-torn Iraq fearing threats from 
insurgents, contractors and agents are busy supplying 
Nepali workers to Iraq.  Experts claim that about 
17,000 Nepali job seekers have been illegally supplied 
to Iraq and about 35,000 aspirants are awaiting their 
luck. Another report says that thousands of Nepalese, 
set to go to Iraq seeking employment opportunity, have 
been stranded in different guesthouses in Mumbai since 
last two months..." (The Kathmandu Post, and The 
Himalayan Times, 8/4) 
 
MORIARTY