US embassy cable - 03KATHMANDU1247

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KATHMANDU 001247 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SA/INS 
LONDON FOR POL - GURNEY 
NSC FOR MILLARD 
SECDEF FOR OSD/ISA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/01/2013 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PTER, EAID, PREF, NP, Political Parties 
SUBJECT: NEPAL'S PRIME MINISTER SEEKS TO LOWER POLITICAL 
TEMPERATURE WITH PROTESTING POLITICAL PARTIES 
 
 
Classified By: DCM ROBERT K. BOGGS.  REASON:  1.5 (B,D). 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1.  (C) In a June 29 meeting with the Ambassador, Prime 
Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa said he wants to "lower the 
political temperature" with the protesting political parties. 
 He hopes to bring representatives of the parties into the 
Government of Nepal (GON) negotiating team.  His efforts so 
far have met with some success in re-establishing good 
relations, especially among the second-tier leadership. 
Thapa reconfirmed that the GON has not changed its policy 
toward Tibetan asylum seekers and appealed for international 
pressure on Bhutan to keep to its commitments to repatriate 
refugees in Nepal.  End summary. 
 
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THAPA TALKING TO PARTIES 
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2.  (C) Accompanied by DCM Robert Boggs and AID Mission 
Director Donald Clark, the Ambassador called on Prime 
Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa on June 29.  The Ambassador 
congratulated Thapa on his June 11 appointment and emphasized 
that the USG was pleased by his pledge to broaden the 
government and hold early elections. 
 
3.  (C)  The Prime Minister said his government faces two 
primary challenges:  advancing the peace process and reaching 
an understanding with the political parties.  He reported 
that he had been holding extensive discussions with party 
leaders, adding that he was meeting Communist Party of Nepal 
- United Marxist Leninist (UML) General Secretary Madhav 
Nepal that same day and Nepali Congress Party President G.P. 
Koirala the following day.  In addition, he is also holding 
discussions with second-tier party leaders, who had offered 
some encouraging reactions. 
 
4.  (C)  The political leaders realize that their street 
agitation against the Government of Nepal (GON) is having no 
effect, Thapa stressed, and may thus be increasingly ready to 
consider compromise.  To encourage a more conducive 
environment, Thapa said his own policy so far has been to 
"lower the political temperature" by withholding criticism of 
the parties in the state-owned press and by urging the police 
to adopt a more restrained approach in dealing with the 
street protests.  Agitation is a democratic right as long as 
the protests remain peaceful, he emphasized.  Thapa said his 
efforts to change the politically charged, embittered 
atmosphere have had some effect at the working levels of the 
parties, adding that some second-rung leaders had confided to 
him that they saw no rationale to the protracted and largely 
unpopular program of street protests.  The Ambassador 
responded that he appreciated the PM's attempts to broaden 
his government, adding that the cooperation of the political 
parties is essential to holding timely elections. 
 
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US ASSISTANCE IMPORTANT 
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5.  (C) Thapa said that he deeply appreciates US development 
cooperation and expressed gratitude for US security 
assistance.  In his view, there are three essential 
components to a successful GON effort to counter the 
insurgency.  First, the security forces need more and better 
training and equipment.  Second, well-coordinated 
international support is crucial.  The third critical element 
is securing support from the political parties.  He 
emphasized that he has kept the GON talk team purposely small 
in order to leave room for the political parties to join. 
The peace talks are only the first step, Thapa indicated. 
Should a political settlement be reached, substantial 
international support will also be needed to fund 
rehabilitation and reintegration of former Maoists.  The 
Ambassador said that he was encouraged to learn of Thapa's 
efforts to form a more representative negotiating team and 
reiterated USG interest in seeing the peace process move 
forward. 
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TIBETAN POLICY REMAINS UNCHANGED 
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6.  (C) The Ambassador stressed USG concern at the May 31 
deportations of 18 Tibetans from Nepal.  He urged the PM to 
commit to restoring the GON's previous policy of allowing 
UNHCR to process transiting Tibetans for onward travel to 
India.  He also raised the problem faced by long-time 
resident Tibetan parents in Nepal who are unable to secure 
proper identification and travel documents for their 
children.  Many such parents who have been accepted for 
immigration to the US remain unable to take their 
undocumented children--most of whom may have been born in 
Nepal--with them.  The PM reconfirmed that GON policy toward 
Tibetan asylum seekers has not changed, and stated that in 
the future transiting Tibetans will be handed over, as 
before, to UNHCR.  He committed to doing "everything I can" 
to reassure the US on this point, noting that he plans to 
send Nepal's UN PermRep to Washington to meet with concerned 
leaders in Congress.  He added that he plans to reply soon to 
a June 19 letter on the subject from nine US Conmgressmen. 
 
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BHUTANESE REFUGEES 
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7.  (C) The Ambassador raised plans for repatriation of the 
first tranche of Bhutanese refugees.  At the last 
ministerial, the Bhutanese had showed "evidence of a good 
approach" toward repatriation, Thapa said.  Constant 
vigilance will be needed, however, including by members of 
the international community, to ensure that Bhutan follows 
through in implementing the agreement.  Thapa acquiesced in 
the Ambassador's observation on the importance of including 
UNHCR in the process, but added that "Bhutan has a fear 
complex" about the organization. 
 
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COMMENT 
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8.  (C) Thapa's patient optimism that he will be able to 
bring the political parties into his government is 
reassuring--especially given the lack of success evident in 
this endeavor thus far.  Several observers within political 
and diplomatic circles, however, have expresed confidence 
that the politically savvy, battle-hardened Thapa will be 
able to pull it off, given enough time.  We agree that the 
parties' sustained protests have failed to garner them much 
public sympathy--and increasingly, even much attention in the 
press.  Whether or not the party leaders prove as savvy as 
Thapa is reputed to be and abandon their futile "joint stir" 
to join his Cabinet remains to be seen. 
MALINOWSKI