NEPAL: PURPORTED MAOIST PRESS RELEASE CLAIMS

C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 002171 SIPDIS STATE FOR SA/INS, SA/PD AND DS/IP/SA E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/14/2012 TAGS: PTER ASEC CASC NP SUBJECT: NEPAL: PURPORTED MAOIST PRESS RELEASE CLAIMS RESPONSIBILITY FOR KILLINGS OF EMBASSY GUARDS REF: A. (A) KATHMANDU 2139 ¶B. (B) KATHMANDU 2165 Classified By: POL PMAHONEY. REASON: 1.5 (B,D). ¶1. (C) On November 15, poloff met with Padma Ratna Tuladhar, a long-time leftwing politician known to have contact with the Maoists. (Note: Tuladhar acted as a facilitator during the three rounds of talks held between the Government of Nepal and the Maoists from August-November 2001. End note.) Tuladhar asked if the USG were weighing officially designating the Maoists as terrorists. Poloff, under previous instructions from the Ambassador, told Tuladhar that the Embassy had strong evidence that the December 15, 2001 slaying of Embassy Surveillance Detection Unit guard Ramesh Manandhar and the November 9 execution of Embassy contract guard supervisor Deepak Pokhrel (Ref A) had been committed by Maoists. If truue, those killings constitute grievous attacks against U.S. interests. The USG may thus be reviewing whether to place the Maoists on any of several terrorist lists, she suggested. ¶2. (U) After COB the same day, a police contact gave RSO FSN a copy of a press release, dated November 15, purportedly from the Maoist Kathmandu Valley Regional Bureau. Media sources contacted believe the release to be authentic. (Note: We do not recall, among the numerous Maoist press releases we have seen, one from the "Valley Regional Bureau." End note.) Among other assertions, the statement claims responsibility for the killings of both Manandhar and Pokhrel, alleging that the two had been "informing" on Maoists. The release emphasizes "our action is not targeted at any tourists from foreign countries, or even at their diplomatic missions in Nepal or the employees or staff of those missions." However, "our party has taken action recently and killed the security personnel of the American Embassy Mr. Deepak Pokhrel. For a long time, he had been saying he was a supporter of the People's War and contacted our workers, collected information and took the information to the administration. . . .Likewise, last year our party also took action against Ramesh Manandhar and killed him. He used to inform and help arrest ordinary people walking on the street . . . We would like to appeal to all the diplomatic missions, including the American Mission, to stop spying. We have no policy of fighting with them unless they come to fight with us." The Embassy has e-mailed the full text of the statement to SAFO and SA/INS. ¶3. (C) Comment: The Embassy notes the coincidence of the November 9 killing of Deepak Pokhrel with a campaign launched by western Maoists in the U.S. and Europe in support of their Nepali brethren, which is intended to head off U.S. military assistance to Nepal. Part of this campaign has included a petition signed by a wide range of people from various fields, including some well-respected individuals (Ref B). ¶4. (C) Comment (cont.): There have been a number of indications recently that the Maoists, for whatever reason, are particularly sensitive to being branded as terrorists, and that they seemed to find some significance in the fact that no Western donor has yet made a formal announcement naming them as such. Given the proximity of our talks with Tuladhar and the issuance of this statement, we can only conclude that Tuladhar has better and more direct contacts than many give him credit for. The allegations of spying are an obvious and thin fabrication for what can only be interpreted as two blatant--and deadly--direct attacks against American interests. ¶5. (SBU) Suggested Press Guidance: The USG condemns the killings of its two unarmed security guards on December 15, 2001, and November 9, 2002. The perpetrators must be brought to justice. We note the issuance of a press release, purportedly by the Maoist Kathmandu Valley Regional Bureau, claiming responsibility for these cruel and senseless murders. If true, these callous killings are only the most recent evidence the Maoists' complete disregard for human rights and the sanctity of human life. Our government takes these attacks against our personnel in Kathmandu with the utmost gravity, and is reviewing various possible steps in response to these acts of terror. End suggested press guidance. MALINOWSKI