UPDATE ON NEPAL'S MAOIST INSURGENCY, OCTOBER 25-31

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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PINS PTER CASC PGOV NP
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON NEPAL'S MAOIST INSURGENCY, OCTOBER 25-31

REFERENCE: (A) KATHMANDU 2022

(B) KATHMANDU 2040

SUMMARY
--------------


1. Thirty-three Maoists and twenty security personnel were
killed this week, including twelve policemen killed after
hundreds of Maoists stormed two police posts on October 26
and 28. Eleven civilians also were killed, seven of whom
reportedly were caught in crossfire, while four others were
brutally murdered by rebels. Maoist Supremo Prachanda
claimed he had no prior knowledge regarding the abductions
of four British Gurkhas (Ref B). Several major donor
countries issued a statement on October 28 condemning both
the Maoists and the security forces for the shooting at a
school in Doti District, which resulted in the deaths of
four children (Ref A). Security forces are coming under
fire for alleged illegal detentions. The renewed violence
is causing food shortages in several far western districts.
End Summary.

MAOISTS STORM POLICE POSTS;
MORE LIVES LOST IN CLASHES THROUGHOUT NEPAL
--------------

2. On October 28, over 200 Maoists stormed a police post in
Kaski District, killing six policemen and a soldier. On
October 26, an early morning ambush by Maoists on another
police post in Nawalparasi District left six more policemen
dead. Local press reports said an estimated 200 Maoists
stormed the police post, attacking with automatic weapons.


3. On October 29, a Royal Nepal Army (RNA) soldier was
killed in a Maoist ambush in Udaypur District, in the east.
On October 28 two policemen were killed by rebels in Surkhet
District, one of whom had been abducted by rebels the
previous day. A Maoist landmine exploded on October 27 in
the northern district of Gorkha, killing four policemen and
injuring four others.


4. Thirty-one Maoists were killed in separate clashes with
security personnel during the period of October 28-29. On
October 29 in Chitwan District, south of Kathmandu, two
Maoists were killed by security forces while the insurgents
were attempting to plant a landmine. On that same day, six
rebels were killed in the eastern district of Dhanusha,
while two others died in clashes in Kaski District. On
October 28, separate clashes in the western and mid-western
districts of Dailekh, Janakpur, Dadeldhura, Tanahu and
Arghakhachi left fourteen insurgents dead, while on that
same day in the eastern districts of Dhanusha and Sarlahi
four rebels were killed. Two more rebels were killed on
October 26 in Sarlahi District during a clash with RNA
personnel.


5. On October 25, the local press quoted an unnamed army
official as saying that the Maoists do not have control over
the western districts of Rolpa and Rukum, traditionally
Maoist strongholds. The official claimed that the Maoists
"no longer show any movement there," but cautioned that the
rebels might be planning a "fierce strike."

PRACHANDA CLAIMS IGNORANCE OVER ABDUCTIONS
--------------


6. Maoist Supreme leader Prachanda expressed surprise over
the abduction of four British Gurkha officers (Ref B). In
an October 26 interview with an online news service,
Prachanda claimed he was startled by the abductions, and
ordered the soldiers' immediate release as soon as he
learned of their detention. The Maoist leader declared that
his party has always refrained from abducting and causing
physical harm to foreign citizens, tourists and government
officials. He reiterated his concern over "American
imperialism," but said that no harm would come to American
citizens or aid workers, except those "who come in the
battlefield with the Nepali army."


7. A suspect in the assault and robbery of an American
citizen on September 26 in the central district of Lamjung
told Post's FSN investigators that he did not know the
victim was an American, and only targeted him because he was
"looking to rob foreign tourists because they carry lots of
money." The suspect also denied any affiliation with the
Maoists.

INSURGENCY CLAIMS MORE CIVILIANS
--------------


8. Despite Prachanda's statement that his party would
refrain from killing and abducting civilians, on October 24,
Maoist cadres shot and killed a man in Lalitpur District,
south of Kathmandu. Four civilians also were killed during
the Maoist attacks on police posts. Two were killed during
the October 26 attack in the southwestern district of
Nawalparsi, one of whom reportedly was killed for supplying
tea to policemen, while the other was a government worker
shot and killed on his motorcycle as he returned home. The
other two civilians were killed in the October 28 ambush by
rebels in Kaski District on a police post. According to
local press reports, a member of the Communist Party of
Nepal-United Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) was tortured to
death by Maoists on October 25 in Makwanpur District, in the
east. Rebels abducted him from his house, and brutally
killed him after accusing him of spying. On October 30 in
neighboring Dhading District, Maoists reportedly also killed
another CPN-UML cadre after forcibly taking him from his
residence.


9. Three civilians died after being caught in crossfire
during an October 30 gunbattle between security forces and
Maoists in the western district of Dang, a Maoist
stronghold. Rebels reportedly ambushed a police vehicle and
a clash ensued. On October 23 in the central district of
Tanahu, a fourteen-year-old girl allegedly was shot and
killed by members of the Royal Nepal Army (RNA). The local
press reported that the girl was killed after protesting
against security personnel who were "roughing" up her
father. On October 28 the Ministry of Defense said the
reports were disseminated without confirmation and published
with the goal of "demoralizing the security forces."

EDUCATIONAL SECTOR HIT HARD BY VIOLENCE
--------------


10. The Maoist threat to schoolteachers has been a constant
during the eight-year insurgency and the attacks continue.
On October 29 in Ramechap District, rebels entered a
classroom and broke the leg of a teacher. A school
principal was killed outside his home in Morang District on
October 24, and insurgents in Therathum District abducted a
teacher on October 24 who remains missing. Appeals for the
rebels to respect the educational sector have been ignored.


11. Members of several major donor countries, including
Finland, Denmark, Norway and the European Union, along with
representatives of the World Bank, Asian Development Bank
and UNICEF, issued a joint statement on October 28
condemning the shooting at a school in Doti District, which
killed four students (Ref A). The statement demands that
schools be respected as zones of peace, and calls on both
the government and the Maoists to take all possible measures
to avoid civilian casualties, declaring that "there is no
justification for the warring parties to bring their
conflict within school grounds." On September 25 the United
Nation's Acting High Commissioner for Human Rights called
for an investigation into the incident. The GON has not
issued a statement on the tragic event.

SECURITY FORCES UNDER FIRE
--------------


12. Security forces are coming under criticism for alleged
illegal detentions of civilians. The local press reports
that since the ceasefire between the Government of Nepal
(GON) and the Maoists broke on August 27, almost sixty
people have filed petitions against security forces for
illegal detentions. The press quoted an official at the
Supreme Court as saying that it is the "highest number of
detentions" in such a short time. Eight journalists are
among those seeking release. Amnesty International (AI)
also issued a statement on October 30, demanding to know the
whereabouts of five individuals recently arrested by
security forces for supplying rice to the insurgents.

INSURGENCY CAUSING FOOD SHORTAGES
--------------


13. Maoist activities and security concerns are causing
food shortages in some of Nepal's hardest hit and remote
regions. The far-western regions of Accham, Darchula,
Bajura and Bajhang are among the districts hit by Maoist-
imposed blockades and embargoes, as well as the refusal of
contractors to deliver goods out of fear of Maoist attacks.
Employees of the Nepal Food Corporation (NFC) told the local
press that food is available for delivery, but contractors,
who have been harassed by Maoists in the past, have refused
to make deliveries. Erika Jorgensen, World Food Program
(WFP) Country Director, said delay and obstruction in
delivering food are one of the "major problems" facing
development assistance programs. Jorgenson said over 500
tons of food last year went undelivered.

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