Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03KATHMANDU552
2003-03-27 10:54:00
SECRET
Embassy Kathmandu
Cable title:  

NEPAL: KING'S CONFIDANT ON INDIAN, EUROPEAN

Tags:  PREL PGOV PTER IN NP 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 KATHMANDU 000552 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR SA/INS
LONDON FOR POL - GURNEY
SECDEF FOR OSD/ISA - LILIENFELD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/26/2013
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER IN NP
SUBJECT: NEPAL: KING'S CONFIDANT ON INDIAN, EUROPEAN
SUPPORT FOR PEACE PROCESS


Classified By: AMB. MICHAEL E. MALINOWSKI. REASON: 1.5 (B,D).

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

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 KATHMANDU 000552

SIPDIS

STATE FOR SA/INS
LONDON FOR POL - GURNEY
SECDEF FOR OSD/ISA - LILIENFELD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/26/2013
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER IN NP
SUBJECT: NEPAL: KING'S CONFIDANT ON INDIAN, EUROPEAN
SUPPORT FOR PEACE PROCESS


Classified By: AMB. MICHAEL E. MALINOWSKI. REASON: 1.5 (B,D).

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


1. (S) On March 26 royal confidant Prabhakar Rana briefed
the Ambassador and DCM on his recent secret discussions with
foreign government representatives in India and Europe.
Indian National Security Advisor Brajesh Mishra reportedly
emphasized to Rana that while the GOI supports Government of
Nepal (GON) efforts to engage Maoists in dialogue, it
unequivocally opposes third-party mediation or facilitation
in that endeavor. Rana reported that in a positive meeting
Mishra denied any recent "cooling" in bilateral relations
between the two governments and acknowledged with gratitude
that the GON had informally "handed over" 45 suspected
Kashmiri militants to the GOI. Mishra reportedly assured
Rana that USG security assistance to Nepal is "no longer a
problem" for the GOI. The GOI would support a royal proposal
to form an all-party interim government, Mishra said, but
strongly urged that the post of prime minister not be given
to the Communist Party of Nepal - United Marxist Leninist
(UML). In meetings with British Defense Secretary Geoffrey
Hoon, UK Special Envoy for Nepal Jeffrey James, and other
senior FCO officials in London; EU Commissioner Chris Patten
in Brussels; and members of the European Parliament in
Strasbourg, Rana said his interlocutors expressed support for
GON efforts to engage the Maoists in dialogue. Hoon
reportedly emphasized that if negotiations fail to bring
about a peaceful resolution, his government will continue to
offer development and military assistance to the GON. End
summary.

--------------
DIPLOMATIC BLITZKRIEG
--------------


2. (SBU) On March 26 Prabhakar Rana, King Gyanendra's
confidant, business partner, and secret emissary, briefed the
Ambassador and DCM on discussions held during Rana's March
9-16 trip to India and Europe. Rana said he undertook the
trip at King Gyanendra's behest as "a diplomatic survey" of
Indian, British, and EU support for ongoing Government of

Nepal (GON) efforts to engage Maoist insurgents in dialogue.
Rana reported receiving a sympathetic hearing from foreign
government representatives at all stops in his visit.

--------------
NO "COOLNESS" IN GOI/GON BILATERAL RELATIONS
--------------


3. (C) Rana said he first met with Indian National Security
Advisor Brajesh Mishra in New Delhi. (The meeting was held
in part to prepare the ground for King Gyanendra's private
trip to India beginning on March 18.) Rana opened the
meeting by asking Mishra directly the reason for a recent
"perceived coolness" in bilateral relations between the GON
and the Government of India (GOI). Mishra reportedly
dismissed any suggestion that relations had cooled at senior
levels. The GON makes an effort to keep its large southern
neighbor alerted to impending developments, he acknowledged,
although he noted GOI disappointment that events do not
always unravel as GON representatives predict them to Indian
interlocutors. He cited the King's surprise October 11
appointment of Lokendra Bahadur Chand as interim Prime
Minister--after the GOI had been informally told someone else
would be the nominee--as a prominent example. Rana rejoined
that unforeseeable events sometimes occur but emphasized the
GON's continued willingness and intention to keep the GOI as
well informed and forewarned as possible.

--------------
GOI WILL SUPPORT DIALOGUE--
BUT NO THIRD-PARTY INTERVENTION
--------------


4. (S) Mishra reportedly said the GOI welcomes GON efforts
to bring Maoist insurgents to the negotiating table and to
find a peaceful resolution to the conflict. He stressed,
however, that the GOI absolutely would not tolerate any
involvement of third parties, either as facilitators or
mediators, in the peace process. He indicated that the GOI
was aware of the Maoists attempting to reach out to certain
European donors to establish a channel for dialogue (septel).
Rana reassured Mishra that the GON and GOI see eye to eye on
this issue and that the GON has no plans to involve third
parties.

-------------- --------------
GOI: USG SECURITY ASSISTANCE "NO LONGER A PROBLEM"
-------------- --------------


5. (C) Rana said he asked Mishra if the GOI had concerns or
reservations regarding US and UK security assistance to
Nepal. Rana said he emphasized that improved security in
Nepal is one area in which USG and GOI objectives coincide,
and noted that the British, Indian, and U.S. missions in
Nepal are working closely together to achieve that aim with
"unprecedented transparency." Mishra reportedly acknowledged
some initial GOI concerns that the weapons and training
provided to the Royal Nepal Army might be inappropriately
"sophisticated." The GOI now "knows everything" about USG
security assistance to Nepal, which is thus "no longer a
problem," Mishra said. The GOI is "a little concerned,"
however, about possible Chinese reactions to USG assistance.
Rana told Mishra that the GON had received no indications of
Chinese discomfort with the assistance. (Note: Nor have we.
End note.) According to Rana, Mishra added that Chinese
influence in Nepal is "no longer a threat to (Indian)
security and hasn't been for years."

--------------
GOI ACKNOWLEDGES GON HELP ON MILITANTS
--------------


6. (S) Rana said he raised repeated GOI charges that the GON
fails to apprehend anti-Indian extremists the GOI believes
operate on Nepali soil. Rana said he reminded Mishra that
the King had pledged assistance in a visit to India the
previous year. Since then, the GON has quietly turned 45
Kashmiri militants over to the GOI in recent months, a point
he said Mishra conceded and gratefully acknowledged. Nepal
has asserted greater control over the madrassas operating
within its borders than has India, Rana also claimed, which,
he indicated, Mishra did not challenge. GOI accusations that
Nepal is soft on extremists are thus unmerited, Rana
concluded.

--------------
GOI WILL SUPPORT ALL-PARTY GOVERNMENT--
BUT NOT ONE HEADED BY UML
--------------


7. (C) Noting that the King's previous attempts to bring
the political parties into the interim government had failed,
Rana told Mishra that the only real option left is for the
King to appoint a new interim government with political party
representation. Rana emphasized that the GON would
appreciate GOI support in influencing Nepal's political
parties to participate in such a government. Mishra
reportedly committed to supporting such an endeavor, but
noted that the GOI would need sufficient time--as much as
three or four months--to bring the parties around. According
to Rana, Mishra urged against nominating Communist Party of
Nepal - United Marxist Leninist (UML),currently the largest
party, to head such a government. Since the Maoists consider
the UML ideological enemies, Mishra reasoned, it is more
prudent to leave both the Maoists and the UML--or at least
UML leader Madhav Nepal--out of the government to fight each
other. Rana said he replied that the Palace would like to
move more quickly than Mishra's prospective timeframe, adding
that if proposed dialogue with the Maoists goes as well as
hoped the new interim government must be in place in order to
oversee elections.

--------------
UK DEFSEC PLEDGES FULL SUPPORT;
EU WELL BRIEFED AND SYMPATHETIC
--------------


8. (C) Rana's next meetings were with UK Secretary of
Defense Geoffrey Hoon, UK Special Envoy for Nepal Jeffrey
James, and other senior FCO officials in London. According
to Rana, Hoon told him that the British Government respects
and supports the King's courageous decision to enter into a
ceasefire and pursue dialogue with the Maoists. While the UK
fully believes in the importance of pursuing a peaceful
resolution, should negotiation efforts prove unsuccessful,
Hoon pledged full support for development and military
assistance. Rana said he also discussed GON peace efforts
with EU Commissioner for External Affairs Chris Patten in
Brussels. Rana described Patten as well briefed on Nepali
affairs and sympathetic to GON aims. Finally, Rana said he
briefed members of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the
European Parliament in Strasbourg, where, he noted, Italian
member and famed mountaineer Reinhold Messner of the European
Free Alliance is chairman of the SAARC Sub-committee and an
especially enthusiastic advocate for Nepal.

--------------
COMMENT
--------------


9. (S) Rana's lengthy, detailed readout of his meeting with
the Indian National Security Advisor underscores the pivotal
role this giant neighbor continues to exercise in domestic
Nepali politics. It is instructive--but not surprising--that
the Palace should enlist Indian influence in persuading
recalcitrant political parties to join a new interim
government. Indian opposition to a UML-led government, even
without the Maoists' antipathy toward their erstwhile
comrades, might well be enough to scuttle the largest party's
long-cherished hopes of gaining the PM's chair. Even clearer
is the GOI's categorical opposition to any possible
third-party mediation efforts. We predict this resounding
"no" from New Delhi will torpedo bids by some European
missions here to play peacemaker in prospective talks.
MALINOWSKI