US embassy cable - 03KATHMANDU1263

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KATHMANDU 001263 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC, PGOV, PREL, KMDR, NP 
SUBJECT: WEEKLY NEPAL MEDIA REPORT: JUNE 24 - 30, 2003 
 
-  STATE FOR NP, AC, PM 
-  STATE FOR IN/R/MR 
-  STATE FOR SA/INS, PM/CBM, PM/PRO 
-  STATE FOR SA/PPD 
 
 1.POLITICAL AFFAIRS 
 
 "PEACE TALKS" 
 
 -- Prachanda urges for talks, blames army: Maoist 
 leader Prachanda has urged the government to implement 
 immediately the agreements of the second peace talks, 
 for further progress in the ongoing dialogue process. 
 He held the Royal Nepal Army responsible for derailment 
 of the ongoing peace process.  "The army has tried to 
 derail the process by carrying out various provocative 
 activities, with an ulterior motive to derail the 
 process", he said. (centrist "Kantipur," V/D and the 
 sister publication "Kathmandu Post," E/D, 6/30) 
-- Prachanda seeks parties' cooperation: Prachanda has 
asked all the political parties for their "co- 
operation" in the peace process between the Maoists and 
the government.  In separate letters dispatched to the 
parties, Prachanda said "there is serious conspiracy 
from within and outside the country to derail the peace 
talks." (Media reports, 6/28) 
 
-- Thapa government to terminate peace talks: The Thapa 
government is set to abort the Maoist-government peace 
talks and is doing homework to announce a referendum to 
ask whether the people liked the pre-October 4 
government system or the king's rule thereafter. (pro- 
Maoist "Jana Dharana," V/W, 6/26) 
 
-- Parties have no confidence: Do the parties have 
confidence to go for a referendum?  They are protesting 
only because the king is popular.  Only five per cent 
people are in support of the parties.  (Rightist 
"Hindu," V/W, 5/26) 
 
"FIVE-PARTY JOINT MOVEMENT" 
 
-- Nepali Congress begins relay hunger strike: Nepali 
Congress commenced (6/29) a 24-hour relay hunger strike 
in 53 districts as part of the fifth round of the five- 
party movement against the October 4 royal move. 
Similar hunger strikes were held at all the three 
districts in the Valley, demanding disclosure of the 
assets of King Gyanendra and the nationalization of 
late King Birendra's personal and family assets. (Media 
reports, 6/30) 
 
-- 5 parties task force meet arrives at consensus: A 
meeting of the Task Force committee, formed by the five 
agitating political parties, to explore a common agenda 
of forward looking approach, has unanimously agreed 
upon some of the major issues like bringing the Royal 
Nepal Army (RNA) under the parliament, making public 
the king's property, keeping the provision of 
referendum in the constitution and others. ("Kantipur," 
6/27) 
"Army-Maoist clashes" 
 
-- Maoist cadre killed in army action: The Army, 
providing security to a helicopter carrying Japanese 
assistance for a school in Bhojpur district, shot dead 
a Maoist who attacked with a socket bomb Wednesday 
morning. (Nepalnews, 6/26) 
 
2.  NEPAL-U.S. 
 
-- USAID-assisted female health volunteers bring down 
child mortality rate: Female Community Health Workers 
(FCHVs) have played an instrumental role in bringing 
down the child mortality rate in Nepal, a review of 
their work by the United States Agency for 
International Development (USAID) has shown.  The 
review paper was presented at a monthly press meet held 
by the American Center.  The USAID, which has supported 
the FCHVs, a program of the Ministry of Health, said 
the voluntary female health workers have brought down 
the child mortality rate by 42 per cent in the last 15 
years, thanks to their success in popularization of 
Vitamin A use. (Major English dailies, 6/28) 
 
-- Assistance money used for visiting U.S. troops: A 
big chunk of 
U.S. assistance money to Nepal to 
eliminate the Maoist war is actually being spent on 
Nepal-visiting U.S. troops.  All the expenses made for 
the five-member team that arrived in Kathmandu [last 
week] under U.S. Pacific Commander Lieutenant General 
Campbell's leadership ".will be deducted from the U.S. 
government's assistance of 14 million dollars. 
Although U.S. troops come to Nepal from time to time in 
the name of training, it has not really helped the 
Royal Nepal Army (RNA).  Instead, their visits have 
increased the army's expenditure.  [Nepali] army 
officials, who are serious over U.S. troops' increasing 
activities/interference, say that some officers of the 
RNA were, in fact, able enough to provide as much of 
the training as offered by U.S. troops.  A military 
official said: "They have learned more from us rather 
than teaching us.  They visit appropriate/inappropriate 
places.  They come here only to enjoy in the name of 
conducting training."  (leftist "Jana Aastha," V/W, 
6/25) 
 
-- Tourism boycott over Tibetans called off: A campaign 
to boycott tourism to Nepal after the deportation of 18 
Tibetans has been suspended, the U.S.-based Ethical 
Traveler organization has said. (Nepalnews.com, 6/25) 
 
-- U.S. expects Nepali troops in Iraq: The Bush 
administration is in talks with Nepal to send troops to 
help U.S. forces police Iraq.  "Nepal is one of the 40 
countries the United States is expecting to send troops 
to Iraq," said a news story in The Washington Post. 
(Kantipuronline, 6/24) 
 
-- No formal request for troops, says Info Minister: 
The Government has not received a formal request from 
the U.S. for Royal Nepal Army troops to be dispatched 
to Iraq, Government Spokesman and Information Minister 
said in his first formal news conference. 
(Nepalnews.com, 6/24) 
 
3.  STUDENT UNREST 
 
-- Nation-wide schools' closure from Monday: Private 
and boarding schools in the nation are closing down 
indefinitely from Monday, after the private school 
organizations failed to hammer out agreement with the 
seven agitating student unions.  School officials have 
said that schools may not resume unless the government 
fulfils minimum demands of the unions.  The closure 
would affect over 8,500 private schools in the country 
and 1.5 million students and 150,000 teachers 
associated with them. (Media reports, 6/30) 
 
-- Government, Maoist students hold negotiations: The 
government has agreed to a number of demands put 
forward by the Maoist students, All Nepal National 
Independent Students' Union (Revolutionary).  It is 
said to have withdrawn its policy on phasing out 10+2 
from Tribhuvan University (TU) and on investing on 
higher secondary education, as demanded by the 
students.  Meanwhile, the group of striking student 
organizations [students affiliated with other political 
parties] locked up principals' offices and schools' 
accounts sections in about half a dozen schools in the 
capital.  (Major newspapers, 6/26) 
 
4.  REFUGEE ISSUES 
 
-- Police arrest Tibetans: Police on Tuesday arrested 
19 Tibetans in Acham, where they had arrived after 
crossing over to Nepal from a border village. (Media 
reports, 6/27)".. The 19 Tibetans have been kept in the 
UNHCR office in Dhangadi." (pro-India "Himalayan 
Times," E/D, 6/28) 
 
-- First refugee repatriation in 13 years: The first- 
ever refugee repatriation in 13 years will be done by 
September 8 this year with the initial departure of 
around 9,000 refugees towards Bhutan, the Foreign 
Ministry told Nepalnews Wednesday. (Nepalnews.com, 
6/25) 
 
5.  OTHERS 
 
-- 56 families rendered homeless in Baglung flood: At 
least 56 families were rendered homeless and property 
worth Rs. 15 million [near 200,000 dollars] was damaged 
after a flash flood washed away more than 15 houses in 
Baglung.  Around 70 households were badly affected by 
the flood and landslide in the area. (Media reports, 
6/26) 
MALINOWSKI