UPDATE ON NEPAL'S MAOIST INSURGENCY, SEPTEMBER 13-

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KATHMANDU 001841

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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
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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