Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
02KATHMANDU803
2002-04-24 11:42:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Kathmandu
Cable title:  

New Peril on the Trails - Maoist Banditry

Tags:  CASC PTER ASEC NP 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KATHMANDU 000803 

SIPDIS

CA/OCS/ACS/NESA, DS/OP/NEA AND DS/DSS/ITA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CASC PTER ASEC NP
SUBJECT: New Peril on the Trails - Maoist Banditry
Against Foreigners

Ref: 01 Kathmandu 2323

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KATHMANDU 000803

SIPDIS

CA/OCS/ACS/NESA, DS/OP/NEA AND DS/DSS/ITA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CASC PTER ASEC NEPAL'>NP
SUBJECT: New Peril on the Trails - Maoist Banditry
Against Foreigners

Ref: 01 Kathmandu 2323


1. Summary. Three recent incidents of Maoists demanding
"donations" from American citizens in NEPAL's
backcountry, coupled with an increase in reported
robberies from other Western tourists, create a new area
of concern for the security of American citizens
traveling in NEPAL's remote areas. Questions about
whether previous robberies were perpetrated by local
hoodlums rather than Maoists no longer apply. Clear
evidence indicates that in all three of these attacks
against American citizens (and other Westerners who have
been robbed recently) the perpetrators were Maoists.
End Summary.

Sudden End for Karnali River Raft Trips
-------------- --------------


2. ConOff received a phone call this weekend from an
anxious AmCit requesting Embassy assistance to get out
of NEPAL early after his rafting excursion was held up
by armed Maoists on the Karnali River in Western NEPAL.
The incident occurred two days prior to the end of the
nine-day raft trip, below the confluence of the Seti and
Karnali Rivers in Kailali District when armed Maoists
(first five, then 30 in number) entered the group's
evening camp.


3. The raft company's managing director later confirmed
to ConOff that the Maoists, armed with guns and socket
bombs, spouted Maoist philosophy to his staff while
demanding they give up one of the expedition's rafts "as
help for the country". The Maoists' initial demands
also included 50 USD per "client" -- they settled for
10,000 rupees total (approx. 130 USD) plus several life
jackets. The raft company's director, who also serves
as President of NEPAL's Rafting Association, has told
all other rafting companies to cease running the Karnali
River for the indefinite future. This rafting run is in
a rather remote area within striking distance of the
Maoist heartland. We were frankly surprised to learn
that the Karnali River was still being run by rafting
expeditions.

Maoists Hit Climbing Expeditions to Makalu
-------------- --------------

4. On April 20, a NEPALi daily newspaper reported an
American climber's web-site description of Maoist
robberies hitting three international expeditions during
their approach to climb the world's fifth highest peak,
Makalu. The Himalayan Times story, entitled "Now,

Maoists target tourists", states in pertinent part:

According to the Associated Press, one of the
mountaineers, who wrote about the incident on the
Internet website on Friday, said climbers belonging
to three teams were forced to give Rs 10, 000 ($128)
each to the guerrillas. The teams were robbed on
their way to the base camp, from where they posted
their report on the website. [Note: website is
located at EverestNews.com]

"A group of five Maoists - four wearing special
jackets and carrying grenades along with an armed
Maoist carrying an automatic rifle - came to our
camp on April 5 morning," Raymond Coughron, an
energy management consultant from Berkeley,
California, said. In the beginning, the guerrillas
demanded Rs. 5,000 ($64) plus cameras, binoculars
and altimeters, but after some negotiations, they
settled for Rs 10,000 ($128) per member, Coughron
said.

"It was clear that they were not alone. In the
surrounding forests, hundreds of their comrades
could be seen," he said. "After our expedition
members paid them the amount and received a receipt,
the Maoists went to members of the Swiss expedition
team and repeated the act. The Spanish expedition
was approached the night before," he stated.

Fulbrighter Threatened and Robbed, Reportedly Because of
USG Sponsorship
-------------- --------------
--------------


5. American Fulbright scholar Jeffrey Potter reports that
on February 23, he and his fianc were visited in their
residence "by the local Maoist commander and 23 of his
armed friends". Potter, a University of Wisconsin grad
student who formerly served as a Peace Corps volunteer
here, was conducting ethnographic research in the small
village of Benchan located in remote Sankhuwasaba
District . During the ensuing half-hour lecture, the
commander informed Potter that the Maoists liked him
personally, but that they didn't like the U.S. Government
and, because he was sponsored by the USG it was time for
him to go. The Maoists also relieved Potter of 2,000
rupees (26 USD) and his camera. He left the village
immediately and continues to write up his research within
the confines of the Kathmandu Valley.

Incidents on the Rise -- Maoists or Hoodlums?
-------------- --------------


6. Although robberies of Westerners on the trail have
been reported several times in the past, it was
previously unclear whether some of these incidents were
perpetrated by actual Maoists or simply local gangs of
youths. There are, undoubtedly, thefts by hoodlums.
However, the circumstances of recent incidents strongly
indicate that Maoist cadres are committing many, if not
most, of the rising spate of robberies in NEPAL's
hinterlands. Weapons and uniforms are not the only
indicators of Maoist affiliation. Maoists
characteristically detain their victims for some time -
they don't just take the money and run. The often spend
hours haranguing the Westerners' NEPALi guides and
porters about Maoist philosophy, ridiculing them for not
taking part in the "great work" and attempting to convert
them to the cause. They often provide printed "donation
receipts" embossed with the likenesses of Mao, Lenin,
Stalin, Marx and Engels.


7. Another telling proof of Maoist involvement is the
increase in the number of robberies that have occurred
since the end of November when the Maoists abrogated
their cease-fire with the GON. In the same week as the
first large scale attacks, including the battle in Phaplu
where an AmCit student spent the night hiding under a
stairwell (see Reftel),there were three separate
instances where Dutch trekkers were held up and robbed of
cameras and money by Maoists in nearby Salleri. Within
the past four months more than a dozen Western trekking
parties have been detained and robbed.


8. On March 5, armed Maoists stopped a trekking party on
the previously heavily traveled Milkedanda trail near
Chainpur, Sankhuwasaba District. After confiscating
cameras and money the trekkers were told "Thank you for
your donation, but never come to this area again". In
Mugu District, German trekkers were robbed by a well-
armed group of young attackers (reportedly all aged
between 9 - 20 years and mostly girls). Other German
parties have recently been held up and robbed by armed
groups in Rowailing Valley (Dolakha District) and in
Humla District, where Westerners often embark for the
overland "pilgrimage" route to Mount Kailash in Tibet.
[Note: ConOffs arranged an emergency helicopter
evacuation of Americans from Simikot, Humla two months
ago in the midst of a battle between Maoists and GON
forces. End Note] A British climbing group headed
toward Kanchanjanga Base Camp (in the far eastern
district of Taplejung) was also robbed and most of its
equipment was carried off by alleged Maoists.


9. Because of the number of recent trail robberies and
other security concerns, the French Embassy has issued a
warning advising French travelers to confine their NEPAL
forays solely to the Kathmandu Valley, Pokhara, Chitwan
National Nature Reserve and the Annapurna, Langtang and
Everest treks. [Note: Last Thursday Maoists bombed and
destroyed a major bridge on the only road linking
Kathmandu with the Langtang trek trailhead, effectively
cutting off access for the time being. We expect that
the bridge will be restored fairly soon. End Note.] In
an effort to bolster lagging tourist arrivals, the GON
last Fall opened approximately 100 new mountains as
"trekking peaks" with lowered climbing fees.
Unfortunately, most of these new "trekking peaks" are
located in regions where we cannot presently advise U.S.
citizens that it is safe to travel. Royal Bardia
National Park is virtually closed down, because of Maoist
activities in the area. The adventure experience in
NEPAL is swiftly becoming constricted.


10. [Comment] The sudden rash of international tourists
accosted during expeditions and treks by Maoists for
money and equipment is a major new area of concern for
the security of Americans visiting NEPAL. The Embassy's
current advice for Americans is to avoid all nighttime
road travel outside the Kathmandu Valley, to limit road
travel outside the Valley to the greatest extent possible
and to contact the Embassy before undertaking travel to
outlying areas. If security conditions continue to
worsen, we may be forced to tighten the caution
concerning travel outside the Valley even further.
Malinowski