NEPAL: MAOIST PUBLIC STATEMENT DECLARES NEPAL

UNCLAS KATHMANDU 001989 SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE FOR SA/INS, LONDON FOR POL/GURNEY, NSC FOR MILLARD E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PTER PGOV PREL CASC NP SUBJECT: NEPAL: MAOIST PUBLIC STATEMENT DECLARES NEPAL SAFE FOR TOURISTS REF: (A) KATHMANDU 1784 (B) KATHMANDU 1900 ¶1. (SBU) THE MAOIST INFORMATION BULLETIN, POSTED ON THE INTERNET SITE (WWW.CPNM.ORG) OF NEPAL'S MAOIST INSURGENTS ON SEPTEMBER 28, COMPLAINED OF THE "ACTIVITIES OF THE AMBASSADORS OF SOME POWERFUL COUNTRIES," BUT ADDED THAT THE MAOISTS POSE "NO DANGER TO THE LIFE OF ANY FOREIGNER, INCLUDING U.S. NATIONALS, IN NEPAL." EXCERPTS FROM THE PUBLIC NOTICE ARE PROVIDED BELOW. BEGIN TEXT: BECAUSE OF THE KNOWN NATIONAL CAPITULATIONIST CHARACTER OF THE 'NEW' FEUDAL-COMPRADOR MONARCHY, THE COUNTRY IS FAST TURNING INTO A HOTBED OF INTERNATIONAL INTRIGUE AND CONSPIRACY. THE RECENT HECTIC ACTIVITIES OF THE AMBASSADORS OF SOME POWERFUL COUNTRIES AND THEIR OPEN INTERFERENCE IN THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF NEPAL HAS PROVED THIS BEYOND DOUBT. THE NAKED INTERFERENCE OF US IMPERIALISM HAS BEEN THE MOST CONSPICUOUS IN THIS RESPECT. THE US AMBASSADOR, MICHAEL ¶E. MALINOWSKI, HAS NOT ONLY BEEN MEETING VARIOUS LEADERS OF THE PARLIAMENTARY PARTIES AND DICTATING THEM TO 'COOPERATE WITH THE KING TO ISOLATE THE MAOISTS,' BUT HE HAS BEEN OPENLY LAUNCHING MALICIOUS TIRADE AGAINST THE REVOLUTIONARY FORCES THROUGH PUBLIC SPEECHES AND INTERVIEWS TO THE MEDIA. ... THE US PRESIDENT, GEORGE W. BUSH, IS UNDERSTOOD TO HAVE SPECIALLY PATTED HIS STOOGE FROM NEPAL, BHEK B. THAPA, AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE, DURING A RECENT GATHERING IN NEW YORK IN HONOR OF THE VISITING HEADS OF DELEGATIONS TO THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY. ON THE OCCASION, CHRISTINA ROCCA, ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE FOR SOUTH ASIA, IS REPORTED TO HAVE PLEDGED ALL ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT TO THE ROYALIST REGIME 'TO FIGHT THE MAOIST TERRORISTS.' SCARED OF ITS OWN SHADOW OF CRIMINAL MISDEEDS AND CONSPIRACIES, THE US GOVERNMENT, ON SEPTEMBER 24, HAS WARNED ITS CITIZENS EITHER NOT TO VISIT NEPAL AT ALL OR EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION ONCE THERE. THE CPN (MAOIST), HOWEVER, HAS CLARIFIED TIME AND AGAIN THAT THERE IS NO DANGER TO THE LIFE OF ANY FOREIGNER, INCLUDING THE US NATIONALS, IN NEPAL AND THE TOURISTS FROM ANY COUNTRY ARE MOST WELCOME TO VISIT AND TRAVEL. CONTRARY TO THE WIDESPREAD FALSE PROPAGANDA BY THE REACTIONARY RULING CLASSES THAT FOREIGN TOURISTS ARE SUBJECTED TO EXTORTIONS BY THE MAOISTS, A HOST OF TOURISTS FROM DIFFERENT COUNTRIES HAVE REFUTED THE BASELESS CHARGES IN RECENT WEEKS. END TEXT. ¶2. (SBU) COMMENT. THE STATEMENT THAT MAOISTS ARE NOT EXTORTING FROM FOREIGN TOURISTS IS A BLATANT LIE. PERSUASIVE ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE OF MAOIST EXTORTION OF TOURISTS HAS BEEN REPORTED REF B AND HAS BEEN POSTED IN THE CONSULAR INFORMATION SHEET ON THE EMBASSY WEBSITE. POST ALSO RECOMMENDED LANGUAGE REGARDING MAOIST EXTORTION FOR REF A PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT. ALTHOUGH THE VIEWS OF LOCAL MAOIST COMMANDERS MAY DIFFER, THE ABOVE STATEMENT SUGGESTS THAT THE MAOIST LEADERSHIP HAS TAKEN SERIOUSLY U.S. GOVERNMENT TRAVEL ADVISORIES FOR TOURISTS AND IS SEEKING TO DEFLECT JUSTIFIED BLAME FOR THE SERIOUS DETERIORATION OF NEPAL'S TOURISM INDUSTRY. END COMMENT. MALINOWSKI