US embassy cable - 03KATHMANDU1262

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 KATHMANDU 001262 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR SA/INS, INR 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/01/2013 
TAGS: PTER, PINR, PREL, NP 
SUBJECT: REPORT ON TRAVEL FROM CENTRAL NEPAL 
 
Classified By: DCM ROBERT BOGGS FOR REASONS 1.5 (B, D) 
 
1. (C) Summary.  On June 23-25, PolOff visited Bharatpur, 
headquarters of Chitwan district in Nepal's central lowlands, 
and Dhadingbesi, headquarters of Dhading district in the 
central hills.  Officials in both districts reported that 
Maoist activity, including extortion and training, continues. 
Neither district has experienced clashes between the Maoists 
and security forces since the cease-fire was declared in 
January 2003.  Nine Village Development Committee (VDC) areas 
in Chitwan and thirty VDCs in Dhading are considered 
Maoist-affected, with most government buildings and many 
telephone towers destroyed.  However, since the cease-fire, 
government administration officials and most political party 
leaders have been able to work in even the most remote areas. 
 District officials also reported that active Maoist cadres 
have returned to their home areas to visit their families, 
but stay for only a day or two before returning to their 
post.  There is no indication that Maoist cadre are 
reintegrating with the communities in either district.  End 
Summary. 
 
----------------- 
Chitwan District 
----------------- 
 
2. (U) Predominately flat jungle land in southern Nepal, 
Chitwan is home to the Chitwan National Park, a popular 
tourist destination.  With a population of roughly 400,000 
people, the district is comprised of 36 Village Development 
Committee (VDC) areas, only nine of which are in Nepal's hill 
region, and two municipalities (Bharatpur and Birendranagar). 
 Even the most remote VDC area is not more than one day's 
walk from Bharatpur, the district headquarters.  (Note: 
Before local officials' terms lapsed in July 2002, Village 
Development Committees were led by an elected Chairman and 
Vice Chairman responsible for daily administration and 
development project implementation within their VDC area. 
Now, however, each VDC Area is being administered by the VDC 
Secretary, a civil servant.  On June 30, Prime Minister Thapa 
 
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extended the VDC Secretaries' mandate for an additional year. 
 End Note.) 
 
---  Maoist Activity  ---- 
 
3. (C) Chitwan's acting Chief District Officer (ACDO) Lok 
Bahadur Khatri reported that the Maoists are most active in 
the nine hilly VDC areas, mainly in training and extorting 
money from local villagers and Nepalese involved in local 
development projects.  Maoists also regularly harass 
government vehicles traveling through the hill areas, 
demanding payment for passage.  There were two cases of 
Maoists stealing motorbikes from government workers.  More 
seriously, Chitwan's Superintendent of Police Pratap Singh 
Thapa reported hearing that the Maoists have recruited 
several local villagers, but he was not sure if the people 
were abducted forcefully or if they left voluntarily. 
Superintendent Thapa said he could not file formal cases of 
abduction because of lack of evidence.  Villagers are too 
afraid to provide evidence against the Maoists, he said. 
 
4. (C) In the hill areas where they are most active, the 
Maoists typically stay in local villagers' homes for one 
night, moving on to a different village for the following 
night, ACDO Khatri said.  As a security precaution, he 
reported, the insurgents do not take food from the same house 
in which they stay.  Khatri also claimed that Maoists, whose 
families live in Chitwan, have returned for short visits (1-2 
days) during the cease-fire, but are not reintegrating with 
their home communities.  Superintendent Thapa reported that 
Maoist leaders Prachanda and Badal had returned twice to 
their homes in Chitwan since the cease-fire took hold. 
 
5. (C) Superintendent Thapa also indicated that Maoist 
activists hold regular demonstrations and cycle rallies in 
the streets of Bharatpur and in villages.  But the 
demonstrations last no more than 10 minutes, he said, and are 
typically over by the time the police arrive.  Thapa said 
that Maoists also held a mass meeting outside Bharatpur in 
April to discuss their demands for a constituent assembly, 
but attendance was low.  Through reports from the meeting, 
Thapa heard the Maoists claim that "they will not return to 
the jungle" and that "the current cease-fire must be 
successful."  Thapa suspected that the Maoists and local 
political party leaders have met secretly two or three times 
since the cease-fire and cooperate informally on an ongoing 
basis.  At the student level, the Maoists and the five 
agitating political parties conduct joint protests, Thapa 
said. 
 
6. (C) Thapa indicated that the Maoists in Chitwan appear to 
be taking this cease-fire more seriously by operating more 
openly than they did in the last cease-fire.  On the other 
hand, Thapa later claimed that most of the Maoist cadres 
remain underground, but estimated that perhaps 100 militants 
were operating in the district with many more non-militant 
Maoists also active in the district.  Thapa also said that 
Maoist supporters (not active members) have been much less 
vocal in their support of the Maoist cause during this 
cease-fire compared with the first cease-fire. 
 
---- Security Forces and Local Administration ---- 
 
7. (C) Neither the police nor the Royal Nepal Army (RNA) have 
a permanent presence in the nine hilly VDC areas, said 
Khatri.  Superintendent Thapa reported that there are 400 
police officers at 15 posts in the district with 160 officers 
in the two municipalities and the remaining 240 officers at 
VDC-level posts.  Thapa explained that there is roughly one 
police post for every 4 VDC areas, not including the hill 
areas where there is no presence.  Thapa said, however, that 
the police have conducted patrols in the Maoist-affected 
areas since the cease-fire without incident.  The police have 
conducted only two joint patrols with the RNA in Chitwan 
since the cease-fire.  Two RNA battalions are present in 
Chitwan, one in Bharatpur and one within the Chitwan National 
Park. 
 
8. (C) Despite the lack of security forces, most Nepalese are 
able to travel freely throughout the Maoist-affected areas, 
which is a significant departure from before the cease-fire. 
 On June 11, district administration officials and National 
Police and RNA officers provided social services, such as 
road building and medical treatment, without incident. 
(Note.  The RNA and Police have been carrying out social 
welfare programs throughout the 75 Districts in Nepal. Some 
have resulted in clashes with the Maoists.  End Note.) 
Moreover, according to Khatri, all 36 VDC Secretaries are 
present in the VDCs, although the nine Secretaries in the 
hill areas return to Bharatpur at night.  All VDCs have 
received the federal government's allotment of 250,000 rupees 
for development projects, he said.  ACDO Khatri explained 
that Chitwan's good road network keeps the Maoists confined 
to the more remote, hill areas of the district. 
 
---- Political Parties ---- 
 
9. (C) There are three active political parties in Chitwan: 
Nepali Congress (NC), United-Marxist Leninist (UML) and 
People's Front Nepal (PFN).  In the last elected government, 
UML held 25 and NC held 11 of the 36 VDC Chairmanship 
positions.  However, the four national level constituencies 
were all won by Nepali Congress.  Nepali Congress District 
President Krishna Lal Sapkota claimed that the UML held a 
local-level majority only because of UML ballot rigging at 
the 1997 elections. 
 
10. (C) NC President Sapkota reported that the three 
political parties present in Chitwan are conducting regular 
protests at the district level based on the national 
agitation program.  In addition, the party-affiliated student 
unions are very active in Chitwan district and have been 
participating in the national school lockout program.  He 
said that Chitwan's Nepali Congress chapter has fully 
supported the ongoing student strike.  Sapkota indicated that 
party leaders in Chitwan are not able to travel to the remote 
hill areas of the district due to fear of Maoist reprisals. 
Sapkota cited an armed Maoist gathering held June 23 in one 
of the hilly VDC areas: a dangerous situation for Nepali 
Congress leaders, he said. 
 
11. (C) Sapkota claimed that government administration at the 
district level was not running effectively, in part because 
of political party agitation within the district.  He 
complained of corruption within the current administration at 
the VDC level, particularly in the selling of passports and 
citizenship cards. 
 
12. (C) United Marxist Leninist (UML) District Secretary Hari 
Sapkota claimed the cease-fire was going very well in 
Chitwan.  Contrary to the Nepali Congress report, the UML 
Secretary suggested that UML party members could travel 
 
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freely throughout Chitwan district and had no fear at night 
of Maoist reprisals.  Seemingly more sympathetic to the 
Maoists, UML Secretary Sapkota claimed that the insurgents 
were not extorting money from businesses or villagers in 
Chitwan.  UML's support for the student union protests, he 
said, was not strong in Chitwan, although 50 schools in 
Chitwan have been closed on a trial basis.  He suggested that 
the student unions, except for the Maoist-wing ANNISU-R, were 
not as active in Chitwan as other districts. 
 
------------------ 
Dhading District 
------------------ 
 
13. (C) In Dhadingbesi, district headquarters for Dhading 
District, Poloff met with Chief District Officer Jeevan 
Prasad Woli, Inspector of Police Gopi Man Shrestha and 
leaders of all four active political parties: Nepali 
Congress, RPP, UML and People's Front Nepal.  Dhading has a 
population of 338,513 people within 50 VDC areas, 30 of which 
are Maoist-affected.  All VDC administration and police 
buildings, telephone towers and local phone booths in the 30 
Maoist-affected VDC areas were destroyed prior to the 
cease-fire and have not been rebuilt.  Poloff later drove by 
an Agriculture Development Office in Simile VDC area located 
just off the main highway 30 kilometers outside the Kathmandu 
Valley that the Maoists had destroyed by fire. 
 
---- Maoist Activity ---- 
 
14. (C) The CDO and Inspector of Police both described 
northern Dhading district as a primary training ground for 
newly recruited Maoist cadre.  Other ongoing Maoist activity 
in Dhading includes recruitment and extortion.  The Maoists 
reportedly demand from 500 to 2000 rupees (USD 6.70 to 26.70) 
from villagers and local businesses, forcing them to accept 
receipts and Maoist 'membership cards' in return.  Maoists 
also require all development programs, most of which are 
funded by the central government, to pay a 5-10 percent 
commission of the total cost of the program.  Only a small 
handful of international NGOs operate in Dhading, including 
the Red Cross and the NGO Federation (International Labor 
Organization, Save the Children and the Asia Foundation) 
working mainly on women and children issues, particularly 
trafficking in persons.  Inspector Shrestha had no reports of 
Maoists threatening these organizations. 
 
15. (C) Since the cease-fire took hold, CDO Woli reported, 
Maoists whose homes are in Dhading have returned for short 
visits with their families, but stay for only one or two 
days.  There is no indication that Maoists are reintegrating 
with local communities in Dhading.  Maoists have held two 
large mass meetings in the district, one in Khahare in late 
April and the second in the district headquarters of 
Dhadingbesi in late May.  Approximately 200-300 people 
attended both meetings, but most were forced to attend, 
according to Inspector Shrestha.  The joint local government, 
police and RNA program to provide social services on June 11 
went without incident, CDO Woli said. 
 
---- Security Forces and Local Administration ---- 
 
16. (C) There are 250 Civilian Police officers and 200 RNA 
soldiers in Dhading district.  During the last state of 
emergency, the district's 26 police posts were consolidated 
into only 3 posts in three of the main towns: Dhadingbesi, 
Kanekhola and Ghajuri.  Police and RNA units conduct regular 
and ongoing patrols throughout the district, Inspector 
Shrestha said.  However, no clashes between security forces 
and the Maoists have occurred in Dhading since the 
cease-fire, he reported. 
 
17. (C) The cease-fire has allowed government administration 
officials and political party leaders to travel freely 
throughout the District.  CDO Woli claimed that, since the 
cease-fire, all VDC Secretaries and government officials from 
the Ministry of Agriculture, the Postal Service and others 
have been able to conduct their business with only slight 
harassment by the Maoists.  Political party leaders averred, 
however, that VDC Secretaries and other officials do not 
spend the night in their VDC area due to fear of Maoist 
reprisals.  All political parties in Dhadingbesi claimed they 
could travel throughout Dhading during the day, but would 
return to district headquarters at night. 
18. (C) CDO Woli indicated that all schools in the district 
are staffed, although many have only temporary teachers.  The 
CDO requires all teachers to report to district headquarters 
once every month in order to report on Maoist activity. 
However, many teachers appear to be sympathetic with the 
Maoists or are reluctant to provide the local government with 
information for fear of reprisals, he said. 
 
--------- 
Comment 
--------- 
 
19. (C) Reports of ongoing extortion, recruitment and 
training by the Maoists in Chitwan and Dhading districts 
align with reports received from other districts in Nepal. 
Clearly, government administration officials would like to 
give the impression that they are able to administer 
effectively to the people.  The reality is probably much less 
sanguine.  Post suspects that in the Maoist affected areas, 
particularly in Dhading, the insurgents are much more in 
control -- or more disruptive -- in many areas than local 
administrators claim.  This assessment is consistent with the 
demonstrated absence of government offices at the local level 
and the reluctance of villagers and teachers to cooperate 
with government administrators.  However, at least the 
cease-fire has brought relative stability and peace to 
residents of Dhading and Chitwan as well as some hope for the 
future.  End Comment. 
MALINOWSKI