US embassy cable - 02KATHMANDU2171

C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 002171 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SA/INS, SA/PD AND DS/IP/SA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/14/2012 
TAGS: PTER, ASEC, CASC, NP, Maoist Insurgency 
SUBJECT: NEPAL:  PURPORTED MAOIST PRESS RELEASE CLAIMS 
RESPONSIBILITY FOR KILLINGS OF EMBASSY GUARDS 
 
REF: A. (A) KATHMANDU 2139 
 
     B. (B) KATHMANDU 2165 
 
Classified By: POL PMAHONEY.  REASON:  1.5 (B,D). 
 
1.  (C) On November 15, poloff met with Padma Ratna Tuladhar, 
a long-time leftwing politician known to have contact with 
the Maoists.  (Note:  Tuladhar acted as a facilitator during 
the three rounds of talks held between the Government of 
Nepal and the Maoists from August-November 2001.  End note.) 
Tuladhar asked if the USG were weighing officially 
designating the Maoists as terrorists.  Poloff, under 
previous instructions from the Ambassador, told Tuladhar that 
the Embassy had strong evidence that the December 15, 2001 
slaying of Embassy Surveillance Detection Unit guard Ramesh 
Manandhar and the November 9 execution of Embassy contract 
guard supervisor Deepak Pokhrel (Ref A) had been committed by 
Maoists.  If truue, those killings constitute grievous 
attacks against U.S. interests.  The USG may thus be 
reviewing whether to place the Maoists on any of several 
terrorist lists, she suggested. 
 
2.  (U)  After COB the same day, a police contact gave RSO 
FSN a copy of a press release, dated November 15, purportedly 
from the Maoist Kathmandu Valley Regional Bureau.  Media 
sources contacted believe the release to be authentic. 
(Note:  We do not recall, among the numerous Maoist press 
releases we have seen, one from the "Valley Regional Bureau." 
 End note.)  Among other assertions, the statement claims 
responsibility for the killings of both Manandhar and 
Pokhrel, alleging that the two had been "informing" on 
Maoists.  The release emphasizes "our action is not targeted 
at any tourists from foreign countries, or even at their 
diplomatic missions in Nepal or the employees or staff of 
those missions."  However, "our party has taken action 
recently and killed the security personnel of the American 
Embassy Mr. Deepak Pokhrel.  For a long time, he had been 
saying he was a supporter of the People's War and contacted 
our workers, collected information and took the information 
to the administration. . . .Likewise, last year our party 
also took action against Ramesh Manandhar and killed him.  He 
used to inform and help arrest ordinary people walking on the 
street . . . We would like to appeal to all the diplomatic 
missions, including the American Mission, to stop spying.  We 
have no policy of fighting with them unless they come to 
fight with us."  The Embassy has e-mailed the full text of 
the statement to SAFO and SA/INS. 
 
3.  (C)  Comment:  The Embassy notes the coincidence of the 
November 9 killing of Deepak Pokhrel with a campaign launched 
by western Maoists in the U.S. and Europe in support of their 
Nepali brethren, which is intended to head off U.S. military 
assistance to Nepal.  Part of this campaign has included a 
petition signed by a wide range of people from various 
fields, including some well-respected individuals (Ref B). 
 
4.  (C)  Comment (cont.):  There have been a number of 
indications recently that the Maoists, for whatever reason, 
are particularly sensitive to being branded as terrorists, 
and that they seemed to find some significance in the fact 
that no Western donor has yet made a formal announcement 
naming them as such.  Given the proximity of our talks with 
Tuladhar and the issuance of this statement, we can only 
conclude that Tuladhar has better and more direct contacts 
than many give him credit for.  The allegations of spying are 
an obvious and thin fabrication for what can only be 
interpreted as two blatant--and deadly--direct attacks 
against American interests. 
 
5.  (SBU)  Suggested Press Guidance:  The USG condemns the 
killings of its two unarmed security guards on December 15, 
2001, and November 9, 2002.  The perpetrators must be brought 
to justice.  We note the issuance of a press release, 
purportedly by the Maoist Kathmandu Valley Regional Bureau, 
claiming responsibility for these cruel and senseless 
murders.  If true, these callous killings are only the most 
recent evidence the Maoists' complete disregard for human 
rights and the sanctity of human life.  Our government takes 
these attacks against our personnel in Kathmandu with the 
utmost gravity, and is reviewing various possible steps in 
response to these acts of terror.  End suggested press 
guidance. 
MALINOWSKI