American Threatened by Maoists on Trail in

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KATHMANDU 001900

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR CA/OCS/ACS/NESA JOHN PETERS AND SA/INS

SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CASC ASEC PTER NP
SUBJECT: American Threatened by Maoists on Trail in
Dolpo District

REF: Kathmandu 1890


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: A resident American woman visiting
families she aids in Dolpo District, together with two
non-American friends, were recently accosted by a group
of twelve Maoists while hiking in the Upper Dolpo region.
The leader of the Maoist group demanded to have their
passports, repeatedly questioned them about their
nationality and became visibly upset that neither of the
two foreigners were carrying passports. The AmCit
pretended to be an Australian tourist. The cadre leader,
who identified himself as a Maoist, also demanded 100 USD
from each and threatened that he would "arrest" both,
stating that "I am the new government of Dolpo District.
After a 45-minute interrogation, he released the women
declaring that they should tell everyone that any
foreigners entering Dolpo must have their passports and
must pay 100 USD each. END SUMMARY.


2. (SBU) An American women who works with a school that
assists children in Dolpo, Mustang and Jumla Districts
told ConsChief on October 1 that she had been detained
and threatened with "arrest" by Maoists while hiking near
the village of Dho Tarap in Dolpo District. [NOTE: AmCit
did not contact the Embassy with this information.
ConsChief called her after hearing a second-hand report
of her incident from an American expedition leader who
was inquiring about bringing a group of American students
for a trek in the Kanchenjunga area. END NOTE.]


3. (SBU) AmCit was returning from Shey Gompa and Saldang
villages, visiting families her sponsored children
together with other women, an Australian and a Tibetan.
Accompanying them were a Nepali man and young boy who
were tending their pack animals. At the small hamlet of
Dho, in a very tight valley (three days north of the
district headquarters town of Dunai),they encountered 90
fully armed Maoists occupying the rooftops of the
village. At first, they were allowed to pass and
continued down toward Dho Tarap. They were worried the
Maoists would forcibly "recruit" their horseman and
horseboy, so told them to run ahead down to Dunai before
making camp in an open area that evening.


4. (SBU) While hurriedly packing to "get out fast" the
next morning, they were encircled by 12 Maoists who
immediately demanded, "Give us your passports." AmCit
told the cadre leader (truthfully) that neither she nor
her Australian friend were carrying their passports.
According to the AmCit, the cadre leader became visibly
agitated upon hearing they did not have passports,
yelling at them and his cadre and demanding "Where are
you from?" AmCit pretended to be a tourist and did not
let them know that she speaks Nepali fluently and
understood what they were saying to each other. She
answered in English that they were both Australian.


5. (SBU) The Maoist leader interrogated them for 45
minutes, repeatedly demanding to see their passports,
questioning their nationality and demanding that each of
the two foreigners pay USD 100 (in U.S. currency). AmCit
stated that she was "very, very afraid" because "I truly
felt that if they had found out I was American I would
have been at great risk." Her Nepali drivers license and
trail permits for Dolpo and Annapurna, both listing her
as an American, were hidden in her bag but never found.


6. (SBU) The three women had only a small amount of
Nepali Rupees among them (worth less than 30 USD),a fact
that also incensed the Maoist group leader. He
reportedly stated: "You are thief. You don't pay tax
and you don't have passport, so you are thief. I am the
leader of Dolpo District. I am the new government. I am
going to arrest you."


7. (SBU) After they gave him the small amount of money
they had, the leader demanded whether any of them had
sleeping bags, cameras or binoculars. When told that
each had only one sleeping bag, the leader let them go,
warning them to "tell every foreigner you meet" that they
have to pay 100 USD each and have their passports if they
want to come to Dolpo."


8. (SBU) Comment: Based on this report, and two other
recently reported instances in Kanchenjunga and lower
Solu Khumbu of Maoists demanding to know trekkers'
nationalities and/or indicating possible threats to
American and other trekkers, we are increasingly
concerned about risks on some trails from rogue Maoist
groups.

Malinowski