US embassy cable - 02KATHMANDU1831

C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 001831 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SA/INS AND INR/B 
LONDON FOR POL/REIDEL 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/18/2012 
TAGS: PINR, MCAP, PGOV, NP 
SUBJECT: NEPAL'S NEW CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF, GENERAL PYAR JUNG 
THAPA 
 
Classified By: AMBASSADOR MICHAEL MALINOWSKI. REASON 1.5D. 
 
1. (U) General Pyar Jung Thapa (DPOB 15 September 1946; 
Siphal, Kathmandu, Nepal) was appointed Chief of Army Staff 
(COAS) by King Gyanendra on September 9, 2002.  His previous 
position, held since 2001, was Chief of General Staff (CGS). 
 
2. (U) Thapa has received extensive training from both the UK 
and US militaries, beginning with basic training at the Royal 
Military Academy at Sandhurst in 1966. He attended a platoon 
commander course and weapons-training course at the School of 
Infantry at Warminster, UK in 1967, followed by several 
courses in tactics and administration, and army staff 
training at Camberley, UK in 1977.  He graduated from US Army 
Ranger training early in his career, and from the US Army War 
College in 1996. 
 
3. (U) COAS Thapa is a veteran of several campaigns in South 
Asia and abroad, including two UN Peacekeeping missions.  In 
1974, following his promotion to Major, he helped lead RNA 
action against the Tibetan Khampas taking shelter in the 
Mustang district after being displaced from Tibet.  In 1983, 
as a Lieutenant Colonel, he was given command of the Shree 
Singha Nath battalion and in 1986 he was appointed commander 
of NEP BATT XIII in the United Nations Interim Forces in 
Lebanon (UNFIL).  In 1992, he served as deputy sector 
commander of United Nations Protection Forces in the 
(UNPROFOR) in the former Yugoslavia. 
 
4. (U) Thapa has also been active in training RNA troops, 
starting with a two-year assignment as an instructor at the 
Royal Nepal Army School at Nagarkot from 1975 to 1977.  In 
1988, as a Colonel, he was appointed as Commandant of the 
Royal Nepalese Military Academy at Kharipati.  Promoted to 
Major General and appointed Assistant Chief of Staff in 1998, 
he was also appointed the chief coordinator for the 
multinational platoon training exercise organized at the 
Royal Nepalese Army Peacekeeping Training Center in 1999. 
The exercise included troops from the US, Bangladesh, Sri 
Lanka and Nepal. 
 
5. (C) Thapa is described by Embassy MilOff as more pragmatic 
and "more of a thinker" than his predecessor, with more of a 
focus on operations.  As CGS he was directly involved in the 
day-to-day operation of the RNA against Nepal's Maoist 
insurgents, equipping him for a more active role than his 
predecessor General Prajwalla Rana.  He is expected to make 
significant changes to the RNA command structure. 
 
6. (U) Thapa has served as Director of Military Operations, 
Director of Military Training,  Director of Military 
Intelligence, Director of Research and Development, Assistant 
Chief of Staff, Quarter Master General and head of the Office 
of the Inspector General.  He has a reputation for leading by 
consensus rather than fiat, and believes the military should 
stay out of politics. 
 
7. (U) General Thapa has been awarded the Prasidha Prabal 
Gorkha-Dakshin-Bahu and Bikhat Trishakti Patta decorations. 
He received his high school education from St. Xavier's 
Academy, a well-known English-language school in the capital, 
and graduated with a B.A. from Tribhuvan University in 1963. 
His hobbies include golf, soccer and bridge.  He is married 
to Ms. Kamala Thapa and has three daughters.  Thapa has been 
open and friendly with US Embassy officers over the years. 
MALINOWSKI