US embassy cable - 05NEWDELHI2379

C O N F I D E N T I A L NEW DELHI 002379 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/29/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, IN, NP, EU, UK, SZ, India-Nepal 
SUBJECT: INDIA UNDECIDED ON CHR NEPAL RESOLUTION 
 
REF: STATE 54530 
 
Classified By: A/Polcouns Matt Boyse, for Reasons 1.4 (B, D) 
 
1.  (C) We shared reftel demarche with MEA J/S (North) Ranjit 
Rae on March 28 regarding the need to improve GON human 
rights record or face an Item 9 resolution at the CHR.  After 
repeated attempts to elicit a response from the J/S proved 
unsuccessful, A/Polcouns managed to reach him in the early 
evening of March 30. 
 
2.  (C) Rae appreciated our position, commenting that it was 
"very strong" and hoping that it would have an impact.  The 
MEA had not yet taken a position because it had not yet 
reconciled conflicting views on the issue of Item 9 vs. Item 
19 resolutions.  On the one hand there was New Delhi's 
historic opposition to country specific cases, while on the 
other the GOI remained extremely concerned about developments 
in Nepal.  He had heard little positive news of late from 
Kathmandu, where authorities had even recently detained three 
prominent academics from leaving the country (a reference to 
former Nepalese Ambassador to India Lokraj Baral's failed 
attempt on March 25 to fly to Goa to attend a conference). 
The GOI was still grappling with this dilemma, he concluded. 
MULFORD