Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
02KATHMANDU978
2002-05-20 12:18:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Kathmandu
Cable title:  

MAOIST INSURGENCY IN NEPAL (SITREP ONE)

Tags:  OFDP 
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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 000978 

SIPDIS

AID/W FOR DCHA for RWinter, WJGarvelink, DCHA/OFDA
for TH-Sanchez, MMarx, RThayer, DCHA/OTI for
GGottlieb, and NSC for JDworken
ANE/DA/GWEST ANE/SPOTS RCOHN
MANILA FOR TOM BRENNAN AND MARIZA ROGERS

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: OFDP
SUBJECT: MAOIST INSURGENCY IN NEPAL (SITREP ONE)

REFS: (A) STATE 69408, (B) KATHMANDU 515, AND (C) KATHMANDU
00703

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KATHMANDU 000978

SIPDIS

AID/W FOR DCHA for RWinter, WJGarvelink, DCHA/OFDA
for TH-Sanchez, MMarx, RThayer, DCHA/OTI for
GGottlieb, and NSC for JDworken
ANE/DA/GWEST ANE/SPOTS RCOHN
MANILA FOR TOM BRENNAN AND MARIZA ROGERS

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: OFDP
SUBJECT: MAOIST INSURGENCY IN NEPAL (SITREP ONE)

REFS: (A) STATE 69408, (B) KATHMANDU 515, AND (C) KATHMANDU
00703


1. This is a reporting cable only.


2. Summary:
A) This cable reports briefly on: significant
events/trends of the Maoist insurgency; current
status of activities related to the disaster
declaration, and Mission activities in response to
the insurgency.

B) This cable contains no recommendations for
immediate action. These will be forthcoming from
the Mission as further information on the
humanitarian situation is developed.
C) Recent aggression of the Maoists toward the
NEPAL Red Cross underscores the need for USG
humanitarian assistance to be provided in such a
way that the neutrality of NGOs working in Maoist
areas is not compromised, rendering them
ineffective.

D) Mission is fully engaged in addressing the
issues of conflict in NEPAL through its recently
approved SPO and will confer with ANE in regard to
the need for additional resources and expert
advice.


3. Events:
A) Royal NEPAL Army's success in attacking a
Maoist training camp in Lisne VDC in Rolpa where
they claimed to have killed 548 Maoists was
quickly followed on May 7 by losses to the Maoists
in Gam VDC where a combined Army and Police
outpost was overrun. There were 123 security
personnel (53 RNA, 40 regular police, and 30 Armed
Police) at the post. After the attack, 35 burned
and unidentifiable bodies were found. Twelve
wounded RNA, one policeman, and five Armed Police
have bee evacuated to hospitals, and five other
RNA and sex regular police survived the attack.
All others are unaccounted for. No villagers have
been found and whether they were killed, abducted
or fled is unknown.

B) Suspected Maoist insurgents set fire to a
Pepsi-Cola truck making deliveries in Dolakha
District on May 7. According to Rajiv Sant,
Managing Director for the Indian-owned Pepsi
franchise in NEPAL, three gunmen stopped the truck
and ordered the driver, salesman and distributor
to get out. After robbing them, Sant said the
gunmen told the three Pepsi employees that we
don't want American companies here." One of the
gunmen then reportedly blew a whistle, at which
point a number of young men emerged from the
surrounding forest. The group then drove the

truck off, leaving the three Pepsi employees to
walk to the next town. The three gunmen
meanwhile, calmly walked off into the jungle,
according to Sant.

C) Coincident with Prime Minister Deuba's visit to
Washington and London the Maoist proposed a
unilateral one month cease fire. Deuba citing
deceit on earlier occasions, rejected the overture
by the Maoists. Maoist sources quickly claimed
that the cease-fire proposal was a fake and not
penned by the movement. This was widely
interpreted as a face saving gesture by the
Maoists.

D) The previously declared state of emergency, due
to expire on May 24, may be extended despite some
opposition in parliament. The King has called a
special session of Parliament May 23 to debate
extension of the emergency.

E) On May 12 in Rolpa, Maoists abducted district,
Narayan Prasad Subedi, a local teacher and member
of the Red Cross. He was General Secretary of the
Red Cross in Rolpa district and President of the
teachers' association there.

Trends:
F) In addition to government officials and
opposition political cadres who had been the
traditional targets of the Maoists, teachers and
other figures of authority in rural areas are
increa
singly singled out for attack. Other more
recent trends are attacks on infrastructure such
as telecommunications and water schemes, the use
of torture (some of which has been in front of
victims' families),and the use of human shields
in attacks on GON military and police positions.

Comment
G) It is unclear whether the abduction mentioned
in (E) under paragraph (3) was because Mr. Subedi
was a teacher or because of his position in the
Red Cross. However, the event along with the
attack on the Pepsi-Cola truck underscores the
need for ensuring that USG humanitarian aid be
provided in such a way that recipient
organizations do not become targets of the
Maoists.

4) Disaster Declaration:
A) The NEPAL Red Cross is in the process of
replenishing emergency stores used in previous
responses to people affected by the Maoist
insurgency. At the completion of this task the
Mission will reimburse up to $50,000 of this
expense.

B) The assessment being carried out by the Red
Cross and promised to the Mission is being
hampered by Maoist attacks on telecommunications
that have made it all but impossible to
consolidate information from individual districts
into a coherent assessment of the overall
situation. ICRC is currently assisting NEPAL Red
Cross in the development of a functional
communications system but this will take some
time. Meanwhile the Mission has gained approval
from the Ambassador to fund an assessment of IDPs
in NEPAL and is rapidly moving forward to
implement it using the services of an
international expert with ICRC experience.
Mission will keep Washington appraised. In
addition to the $50,000 provided to the Embassy,
an additional $50,000 was provided by OFDA as part
of the disaster declaration for use for an
assessment.

C) Lack of communications, isolation of many
Maoist affected areas, and the press embargo which
is part of the state of emergency, combine to
severely limit the ability of external
organizations to confidently assess the magnitude
of the insurgency's affect on the civilian
population. It is hoped that a better picture can
be developed when ICRC teams currently in the
field return to Kathmandu next week. The UNOCHA
representative who was in NEPAL for the last two
weeks as part of a conflict assessment team,
reported in a de-briefing meeting today that he
had not found it possible to gather anything more
than anecdotal information regarding IDPs and the
humanitarian needs in the country.

5) In regard to the conflict, to date USAID/NEPAL
has taken the following action:

A) Worked to establish a Mission Interagency
Committee to focus on the coordinated deployment
of individual agency resources to best assist the
GON to resolve the conflict and restore political
stability. The Committee has established a common
set of goals and objectives across all agencies,
including the military. Ambassador Malinowski is
actively leading the USG effort.
B) Conducted an assessment on service delivery
and also produced a report, "Democratic Governance
Under Threat", which establishes a common history
and intellectual understanding of events in NEPAL.
Copies are available from the NEPAL Desk Officer.
C) Gained approval for a Special Strategic
Objective (SpO) which directly addresses the
conflict. The SpO has 4 components: 1) Employment
generation and the provision/rehabilitation of
basic infrastructure; 2) Support to victims of
torture, returned combatants and internally
displaced persons; 3) Technical assistance and
policy dialogue to strengthen GON policy
decisions; and 4) Short-term Local Governance
Activities.
D) Established a database of information
including maps and charts regarding the course of
the conflict and is exploring incorporating this
into a GIS system.
E) Established a Special Projects Office to
implement the SpO and staffed it.
Note: USAID/NEPAL is hiring a GIS specialist to
integrate data wit
h GIS mapping systems, a USPSC
DG/Conflict Specialist and a USPSC Manager for the
Infrastructure Program.
F) Mission is coordinating with other donors to
develop a common position with the GON regarding
corruption, and the need to structure
interventions to reach the local level as rapidly
as possible. The WB, ADB, and DFID are negotiating
with the GON to establish conditions to
"irrevocably change" the way funds are distributed
to local bodies. The initial emphasis is on
providing education and health services to rural
areas.

G) Under the SO5 Governance program, USAID/NEPAL
is focusing on strengthening the demand for
services and improving accountability and
transparency in the financial management of public
resources. and
training for local elected officials,
particularly women

In addition, USAID is part of the Donors' Peace
Support Group, and participates in various donor
sector groups, and frequently confers with DFID,
GTZ, DANIDA, and representatives of the Japanese
and Australian governments on the conflict. U.S.
diplomatic efforts are ongoing and a needs
assessment by a military team was recently
completed.

USAID/NEPAL is working with PPC/PDC staff to look
at additional conflict mitigation factors.
USAID/NEPAL is also planning in-depth analyses for
new, related EG and DG strategies within the
context of the conflict. The contact person in the
ANE Bureau handling strategy issues is Rebecca
Cohn. Bernadette Bundy is the NEPAL desk officer.
Azza el-Abd heads USAID/NEPAL's Special Projects
Office.

MALINOWSKI