US embassy cable - 02KATHMANDU2394

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KATHMANDU 002394 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SA/INS AND DS/IP/SA 
LONDON FOR POL - RIEDEL 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/15/2012 
TAGS: PTER, ASEC, CASC, NP, Maoist Insurgency 
SUBJECT: NEPAL:  MAOISTS' TOP IDEOLOGUE BHATTARAI 
BACK-PEDALS ON THREATS TO AMERICANS 
 
REF: KATHMANDU 2171 
 
Classified By: AMB. MICHAEL E. MALINOWSKI.  REASON:  1.5 (B,D). 
 
1.  (C) Summary:  In a December 14 interview with the 
Washington Times, Maoist ideologue Baburam Bhattarai appeared 
to back-pedal from the implicit threat against American 
diplomats conveyed in a November 15 communique issued by a 
regional commander.  While it is always difficult to assess 
the sincerity of Maoist statements--especially those conveyed 
via Western media--Baburam's softer tone may reflect an 
attempt by the insurgents to ward off a possible terrorist 
designation by the USG.  End summary. 
 
2.  (SBU)  On December 14 the Washington Times website 
carried the text of a December 7 e-mail interview by Chitra 
Tiwari, a former Embassy FSN described in the byline as a 
"Washington-based analyst of international affairs," and 
Maoist ideologue Baburam Bhattarai.  (Note:  Tiwari recently 
has acted as an apologist for Nepal's Maoists.  End note.) 
In the interview, Bhattarai asserted that the six-year-old 
insurgency "is now peaking toward a climax . . . and a 
situation of strategic stalemate has developed in the overall 
sense."  While preferring to resolve the conflict 
"internally," Bhattarai stated that the Maoists "would not 
mind facilitation or mediation of some genuinely neutral 
international organizations" under certain conditions. 
 
3.  (U)  Nepal's "friends in the West should realize" that 
true constitutional monarchy is not possible in the country, 
Bhattarai claimed, and support the Maoists' bid to establish 
a "democratic republic"--not a communist republic--via 
elections to a constituent assembly.  Discounting any 
ideological or other ties to the Khmer Rouge, Bhattarai 
alleged that the Maoists have "already resolved to discard 
some of the negative and harmful experiences of the 
international communist movement," claiming that the 
insurgents are engaged in "a united fight with parliamentary 
democratic forces against the feudal, autocratic monarchy . . 
."  When confronted with frequent comparisons of Maoist 
tactics with those of Cambodia's Khmer Rouge, Bhattarai 
denied such comparisons and questioned the validity of the 
many claims of gross human rights violations committed by Pol 
Pot's Khmer Rouge. 
 
4.  (U) Bhattarai denied that Maoists have extorted money 
from foreign tourists in Nepal, asserting "It is just 
impossible that our highly motivated and disciplined cadres 
would commit such heinous crimes. . . .Foreign tourists are 
completely safe in our areas, and will be so in future." 
Nonetheless, he warned tourists not to patronize "big hotels 
and so-called Nature Conservation Areas (which) are mostly 
controlled by the ruling Shah-Rana families," and 
acknowledged "some hazards of getting caught in the crossfire 
in a situation of raging civil war." 
 
5.  (U) "U.S. government employees and American citizens--for 
that matter all foreign employees and citizens--are 
completely safe in Nepal," Bhattarai continued.  He parroted 
the party line, first seen in the November 15 communique from 
the Kathmandu Valley commander claiming responsibility for 
the killings of two Embassy security guards (Reftel), that 
the Maoists "have no policy of harming or attacking any 
foreign national unless they are found working against the 
revolutionary movement."  With respect to the assassinations 
of the two guards, "the party has reviewed the cases and 
resolved that henceforth, if any such charges are leveled 
against any such employee, the concerned embassy would be 
advised before action is taken.  However, we would caution 
the enlightened American people to beware of the xenophobic 
propaganda of the U.S. government to hide its nefarious 
agenda." 
 
6.  (C) Comment:  Since so many of the statements in the 
interview, including the denial that Maoists extort money 
from foreign tourists; the claim that the Maoists do not seek 
a one-party Communist state; and the oblique defense of Pol 
Pot, are patently false, it is difficult to have full 
confidence in Bhattarai's pledge that the Maoists will 
henceforth notify us before executing any of our employees. 
It is clear, however, that the Maoists dislike being tagged 
as terrorists (the Maoist student union has demanded the 
government lift the terrorist label from their organization 
as a condition for ending the current educational strike), 
and are anxious to avoid the sanctions and international 
opprobrium that would come with such a designation by the 
USG.  Bhattarai's statements may reflect an effort, at least 
by the Maoist leadership, to mollify the USG and avert such a 
designation.  If his intent is to signal a lessened threat to 
our Mission personnel and the American community, we welcome 
it. 
MALINOWSKI