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 NEPAL'>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