NEPAL: MAOIST NEGOTIATING TEAM HOLDS PUBLIC RALLY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KATHMANDU 000620

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SUBJECT: NEPAL: MAOIST NEGOTIATING TEAM HOLDS PUBLIC RALLY
IN KATHMANDU


Summary
=======


1. (U) On April 3, the Maoists held a rally of an estimated
20,000 in a public park in Kathmandu. Near the venue, widows
and orphans of Maoist violence called for charges to be
brought against the Maoist leadership. The Maoist
negotiating team led by Baburam Bhattarai reiterated their
demands for a roundtable meeting, an interim cabinet, and a
constituent assembly. They described themselves as champions
of the people and called for the creation of a new,
representative constitution. The Maoist military leader, Ram
Bahadur Thapa, proposed the merger of the People's Liberation
Army with the Royal Nepal Army under the authority of an
elected body. At no time did the speakers apologize for past
excesses and in fact threatened to "return to the jungle," if
the Government of Nepal failed to negotiate a settlement.
End summary.

Supporters and Spectators Gather for Maoist Show
============================================= ===


2. (U) On April 3, an estimated 20,000 people gathered in a
public park in the heart of Kathmandu to listen to the
five-member Maoist negotiating team. According to Embassy
contacts, the attendees were a mix of genuine supporters (25
percent),plain clothes security personnel (10-15 percent),
and curiosity seekers, hoping to catch a glimpse of the
heretofore elusive Maoist leaders. The Maoist group was led
by chief ideologue Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, who was accompanied
by negotiation team members Ram Bahadur Thapa (alias "Badal,"
a politburo member and chief of the People's Liberation
Army),and politburo members Krishna Bahadur Mahara, Matrika
Prasad Yadav, and Dev Gurung. The event was well-organized
and peaceful. In addition to plain clothes police, roughly
700 uniformed officers surrounded the event to provide
security and to direct traffic.

Maoist Themes Unchanged: Details Sketchy
=========================================


3. (U) Bhattarai reiterated the now familiar Maoist
political agenda: a roundtable meeting, interim cabinet, and
constituent assembly. He explained the timing of the
cease-fire as a reflection of the "ground reality that
neither we (Maoists) nor the state could win, which brought
us to the negotiating table." Bhattarai and the other Maoist
negotiators repeatedly alleged that Nepal's constitution and
democratic political order are dead, done in by the King when
he dismissed the Sher Bahadur Deuba government on October 4,

2002. They stated that their goal is to usher in a "new
Nepal," in which there would be equal representation from all
religions, castes, communities, and genders in an "upcoming
parliament."


4. (U) On the podium, the Maoist speakers presented
themselves as the champions of the people. Yadav went so far
as to say the "Maoists are here not to rule but to serve."
The speakers placed the blame for the conflict at the feet of
the political parties, berating them for twelve years of poor
governance and corruption. Despite these charges, Bhattarai
insisted that the Maoists intend to work with the King and
the political parties at a roundtable conference. Bhattarai
stated that the Maoists would abide by the results of the
constituent assembly and called for "no unalterable articles
or provisions" in the new constitution. "The people should
have the right to amend the constitution any time they want
through referendum. Let the people decide if they want
active monarchy or a republic through a referendum."


5. (U) At no time during the rally did the speakers
apologize for past destructive excesses. Thapa asserted that
"our bullets were for the oppressed people, whereas the
state's bullets were to suppress the people." Thapa and
Bhattarai threatened to return to the jungles to fight
against the "reactionary forces," should peace talks fail.
They also called for the merging of the Royal Nepal Army with
the "People's Liberation Army" to form a new national army.
According to Thapa, the new army should be under the
authority of elected representatives because "until and
unless the army operates under the elected body, chances of
despotism are always there."

Widows and Orphans Confront Bhattarai
=====================================


6. (U) Near the rally, survivors of people killed in the
insurgency held a counter-demonstration, where they charged
Bhattarai with crimes against the Nepali people. Waving
black flags and shouting, "who will take action against these
criminals?" the widows and orphans appeared to have shaken
Bhattarai. Some of the Maoist strongmen moved to block the
counter-demonstrators, urging them to protest on a different
day.

Comment
=======


7. (SBU) Local press coverage of the rally could convey the
impression that the public has accepted the Maoists with open
arms. But in a society where nearly half of the work force
is underemployed, it is important not to confuse the draw of
the Maoists as pure spectacle and diversion with true
ideological appeal. Public fascination should not be equated
with political support; the Maoist leaders have been in
hiding and inaccessible for seven years, and their appearance
in public is a novelty that may wear off in time. The Maoist
claim to be the "people's champion" is belied by the Maoist
practices of maintaining arms, continuing extortion, and
threatening to return to violence should they not get their
way through negotiation. More time and evidence of
compromise is necessary to test the Maoists' sincerity for a
peaceful, political resolution to the conflict.


8. (SBU) Since the leadership's coming out reception on
March 29, the Maoists have made generous use of double-speak
directed at the government and the political parties. In
private meetings with established figures, the Maoists
reportedly have praised the efforts of Government of Nepal
and political party leaders to work towards peace, while in
public the Maoists have taken every opportunity to criticize
leading political and government personalities. Such tactics
may backfire by increasing the already substantial distrust
felt by their future negotiating partners.
MALINOWSKI