US embassy cable - 05KATHMANDU2452

S E C R E T KATHMANDU 002452 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR SA/INS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/13/2025 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PINS, NP, U.S-Nepali Relations 
SUBJECT: POSSIBLE DEMARCHE FOR GOVERNMENTS HOSTING KING 
GYANENDRA 
 
REF: THIS IS REPLACING KATHMANDU 02449 
 
Classified By: Ambassador James F. Moriarty; Reasons 1.4 (b/d) 
 
1. (U) This is an action request.  See para 4. 
 
2. (C) King Gyanendra is currently traveling outside Nepal 
for three weeks.  In addition to Dhaka (where he attended the 
SAARC summit), we understand the King will visit Tunisia for 
the World Summit on the Information Society, Saudi Arabia, 
Egypt, and South Africa.  There have also been indications 
that he may stop in Burundi (where Nepal has a UNPKO 
contingent) as well as Kenya and/or Tanzania. 
 
3. (S/NF)  Reporting in other channels indicates that the 
King will use meetings with foreign government leaders to 
gauge/enlist international support for his Feb 1 moves and 
his rule since then.  We worry that encouraging responses 
from his hosts would convince him that he has no need to 
begin reconciling with the political parties to move Nepal 
back to democracy. 
 
4. (C) It would therefore be useful for our embassies in the 
capitals hosting Gyanendra to approach the respective 
governments prior to his visit to review our assessment of 
the deteriorating situation in Nepal. 
 
5.  (U) Suggested points for governments hosting King 
Gyanendra: 
 
--  The United States is deeply concerned about the situation 
in Nepal. 
 
--  Nepal is facing a violent Maoist insurgency which seeks 
to establish a totalitarian one-party state. 
 
--  Nepal's political institutions are fragile.  The 
parliament was dissolved over three years ago, and no 
elections have been held since 1999.  The King dismissed a 
multi-party government on February 1 this year, assumed the 
premiership and appointed a government which widely is viewed 
as incompetent and/or corrupt.  The King has taken many other 
regressive steps, seeking to control the press and curb civil 
liberties, citing the need to address the Maoist terrorists. 
Most importantly, the King has failed to reach out to Nepal's 
political leaders to agree on a way forward to address the 
Maoist insurgency and to strengthen Nepal's democratic 
institutions.  Since the King's assumption of power, the 
Maoists have gained strength and the overall situation in 
Nepal deteriorated. 
 
-- While the King has announced municipal and then 
parliamentary elections, the main political parties have said 
they will not participate given the absence of key civil 
liberties. 
 
-- As a result, Nepal's political parties are in dialogue 
with the Maoists, even though the insurgents have not 
demonstrated their willingness to abandon their violent 
methods or ultimate goals. 
 
--  The United States and several of Nepal's other key 
international partners have repeatedly stressed to the King 
the urgency of establishing a dialogue with the political 
parties to reverse the current negative trend. 
 
-- We believe it would be good if you too reinforced this 
point. 
MORIARTY