UPDATE ON NEPAL'S MAOIST INSURGENCY, SEPTEMBER 13-

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KATHMANDU 001841 SIPDIS STATE FOR SA/INS AND DS/IP/NEA STATE ALSO PLEASE PASS USAID/DCHA/OFDA STATE ALSO PLEASE PASS PEACE CORPS HQ USAID FOR ANE/AA GORDON WEST AND JIM BEVER MANILA FOR USAID/DCHA/OFDA LONDON FOR POL/GURNEY TREASURY FOR GENERAL COUNSEL/DAUFHAUSER AND DAS JZARATE TREASURY ALSO FOR OFAC/RNEWCOMB AND TASK FORCE ON TERRORIST FINANCING JUSTICE FOR OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL/DLAUFMAN NSC FOR MILLARD SECDEF FOR OSD/ISA LILIENFELD E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PINS PTER CASC PGOV NP SUBJECT: UPDATE ON NEPAL'S MAOIST INSURGENCY, SEPTEMBER 13- 19 REFERENCE: (A) KATHMANDU 1648 (B) KATHMANDU 1795 (C) KATHMANDU 0140 SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. According to local press accounts 68 Maoists, 19 policemen, and 7 Royal Nepal Army (RNA) soldiers died in clashes this week, along with 19 civilians, including a child. 40 security personnel suffered injuries. The Maoists' call for a three-day nationwide strike from September 18-20 closed down schools, businesses and halted all forms of transportation. Maoists continued to target infrastructure, causing almost a million dollars in damages, and stepped up their indiscriminate bombing campaign, causing extensive damages and injuring civilians. On September 15, the Maoists formally claimed responsibility for the recent bombings in and out of the Kathmandu Valley, as well as several murders, including the assassination of a Royal Nepal Army (RNA) colonel (Ref A). CASUALTIES HIGH IN LATEST CLASHES -------------- ¶2. Clashes between security forces and Maoists culminated this week with a deadly battle in the western district of Rolpa on September 17-18, in which at least 45 rebels, 6 Royal Nepal Army (RNA) soldiers, and 1 policeman were killed. At least twenty soldiers were also injured in the confrontation. Minister of Information and Communication Kamal Thapa said the number of Maoist casualties could be higher as additional bodies are recovered. Other clashes throughout the country left 23 Maoists, 1 RNA soldier, 18 policemen, and 19 civilians, including a child, dead. The child was killed in crossfire during a confrontation between the insurgents and the security forces in Banke District in southwestern Nepal. MAOISTS SHUTDOWN NEPAL -------------- ¶3. A three-day nationwide strike or "bandh" called by the Maoists for September 18-20 forced the closure of businesses, schools and transportation throughout the country. On September 17 authorities imposed a curfew from 9:00 p.m. - 4:00 a.m. in Kathmandu. BOMBS CONTINUE -------------- ¶4. On September 17, an American company based in Hetauda, Makwanpur (Ref B) reported to Poloff that there had been additional bombings in the area. One bomb reportedly exploded at a police post, located near a major crossroads, and another blast occurred at the ward office, with up to four bombs detonated, destroying the building. Police in the area reportedly have moved checkpoints to only within the city as a precautionary measure. In Nuwakot District, north of Kathmandu, a large group of Maoists stormed an office building and detonated several bombs inside, destroying the building. On September 14 the insurgents also detonated bombs at a local government office in Kirtipur, as well as at three office buidingss in the southeastern district of Bara. Damage was estimated in excess of USD 13,000. On September 15, Maoists also bombed a Department of Fisheries office in Kathmandu, causing severe damage. Insurgents bombed three spinning mills in Bhaktapur, southeast of Kathmandu, causing close to a million dollars in damages. CIVILIANS FACE DEADLY VIOLENCE -------------- ¶5. On September 17, rebels shot and killed a Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) activist in Rupendhai, and a government employee in Kathmandu on his way to the airport. On September 15, a bank security guard was reportedly killed by a group of Maoists attempting to steal money. A clash with security forces ensued, injuring dozens of civilians and killing one. The body of a woman abducted by Maoists a week ago in Kanchanpur was found on September 14. She had been stabbed to death. Maoists killed a man on September 13 in Dang. On September 16 two women were killed in Dhanusha District after a bomb planted by the insurgents exploded near the wall of a police post. On September 17 the insurgents killed a farmer on September 17 in the far northern district of Taplejung, a 70-year-old man in Udaypur, a former Village Development Committee (VDC) member in Rupendehi, in the Terai bordering India, and killed two others in Kapilvastu District. On September 18 a Maoist bomb detonated at a farmer's house in the southern district of Parsa killed three civilians and injured ten others. On that same day insurgents killed a Nepali Congress Party activist in Dhanusha District. ¶6. On September 17 a Nepali Congress (NC) activist was abducted in Lumbini, and a former police constable from Sindhupalchowk was also abducted by rebels. Maoists reportedly have threatened to kill an entire family in the western district of Banke, accusing them of being informants for security forces. The family, which had previously paid a ransom demand of USD 2000 to the rebels, was told on September 13 to leave the village or be killed. A neighboring family also has been told to leave the village. MAOISTS ADMIT TO MURDERS -------------- ¶7. On September 15 the Maoists formally claimed responsibility for the high-profile murder of Royal Nepal Army (RNA) Colonel Kiran Basnet and the attempted murder of another RNA colonel in two separate incidents on August 28 (Ref A). The statement, issued by the Peoples' Liberation Army, also claimed responsibility for the attempted murder of former Minister of State for Home Affairs Devendra Raj Kandel, and the recent bombings in and outside the Kathmandu Valley. ¶8. On September 16, authorities filed criminal cases against 21 Maoists, including Maoist leaders Prachanda and Baburam Bhattarai, with the Patan Appellate Court. The filing accuses the insurgents of masterminding the January 26th assassination of Krishna Mohan Shrestha, Chief of the Armed Police Force (Ref C). ¶9. A report released on September 17 by the Informal Sector Service Center (INSEC),a local human rights organization, claims that over 200 people have been killed since the ceasefire ended on August 27. INSEC condemned the Maoists for their ambushed, bombings, abductions, and murder of innocent civilians. INSEC urged both the Maoists and security personnel to stop "the irrational human rights violations." MAOISTS EXTORT MONEY FROM TOURISTS -------------- ¶10. The local press reported on September 16 that Maoists are extorting money from tourists in the popular trekking area of the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP). According to local sources, the rebels have increased extortion demands over the past several days, under their so- called "Peoples' War Assistance Campaign." The insurgents demand USD 13 for which they provide a receipt. INFRASTRUCTURE TARGETED BY MAOISTS -------------- ¶11. On September 16, a group of rebels bombed a solar power center in a remote district of Humla, leaving the entire area without electricity. The center had been installed with the help of the French Government. On September 15 rebels bombed a communications tower in Chitwan District causing telephone lines to be disrupted in over 400 homes. On September 17 the insurgents attacked a telephone tower in Limbini, causing an estimated USD 65,000 in damage. MALINOWSKI