Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03KATHMANDU885
2003-05-13 08:27:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Kathmandu
Cable title:  

WEEKLY NEPAL MEDIA REPORT: MAY 6 - 12, 2003

Tags:  OPRC PGOV PREL KMDR NP 
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 KATHMANDU 000885 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC PGOV PREL KMDR NP
SUBJECT: WEEKLY NEPAL MEDIA REPORT: MAY 6 - 12, 2003


- STATE FOR NP, AC, PM
- STATE FOR IN/R/MR
- STATE FOR SA/INS, PM/CBM, PM/PRO
- STATE FOR SA/PPD

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 KATHMANDU 000885

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC PGOV PREL KMDR NP
SUBJECT: WEEKLY NEPAL MEDIA REPORT: MAY 6 - 12, 2003


- STATE FOR NP, AC, PM
- STATE FOR IN/R/MR
- STATE FOR SA/INS, PM/CBM, PM/PRO
- STATE FOR SA/PPD


1. POLITICAL AFFAIRS

"SECOND ROUND OF PEACE TALKS"

-- The government and Maoists made incremental progress
in the second round of peace talks (5/9) with the
former agreeing to release a few jailed rebels and even
limiting the Royal Nepal Army to within five kilometers
of their barracks. The two sides also announced the
formation of a monitoring and evaluation committee to
oversee the implementation of the all-important code of
conduct, which governs behavior during peace
negotiations. (The Kathmandu Post, 5/10)-.. The Royal
Nepal Army (RNA) has expressed serious discontent over
the government-Maoist agreement to limit the army's
movement within five kilometers of radius from military
barracks. (Reports, 5/12)

-- "The King is playing a game to divide Nepali
Congress and the UML, said NC President Girija Prasad
Koirala to the same journalists to whom the King had
met a few days ago." (centrist "Kantipur," 5/12)

-- "Maoist leader Dr. Baburam Bhattarai has said that
the real talks have not started yet. He said that the
"actual talks" would begin only when they entered into
political agenda." (independent "Nepal Samacharpatra,"
V/D, 5/12)

-- Facilitators in the current peace talks are wary of
the outcome and fear a repeat of 2001, when the talks
ended in failure. (centrist "Kathmandu Post," E/D,
5/11)

"FIVE POLITICAL PARTIES' JOINT MOVEMENT AGAINST OCTOBER
4 ROYAL MOVE"

-- Over one hundred persons were injured when the
fourth day of the joint agitation against political
regression turned violent in Kathmandu (5/11) following
a police lathi (bamboo baton) charge on the
demonstrators. Incidents of police lathi charge have
also been reported from other places of the country.
(Major newspapers, 5/12)

-- "The King should not prolong [the stalemate]-.
Otherwise, the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ)
will also come out in the streets in support of the
movement, said the President of the FNJ." (leftist
"Sanghu," V/W, 5/12)

-- The demonstrators burnt the effigies of "regression"
across the country on the third day of the movement.
(Media reports, 5/11)


-- Army personnel swooped down on the peaceful
demonstrations held in Nepalgunj (5/9) and arrested
several activists of various political parties. (Major
newspapers, 5/11)

-- In a separate campaign, Nepali Congress (Democratic)
launched its nation-wide protest campaign against the
royal take over, demanding reinstatement of the Sher
Bahadur Deuba government that was sacked by the king on
October 4. (Media reports, 5/10)

-- On the second day of the first phase of joint
movement five political parties took out (5/9) joint
rallies waving black flags across the country. (Media
reports, 5/10)

-- Agitating political parties staged a 20-minute long
silent demonstration in the capital and across the
nation. (Media reports, 5/9)

-- UML General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal said (5/6)
that Maoist leader Dr. Baburam Bhattarai "is anxious to
get a telephone call inviting him to be the Prime
Minister." (centrist "Spacetime Dainik," V/D, 5/7)

-- The functioning of the Premier Chand's cabinet gives
it poor public support to withstand the organized
onslaught of the parties. (centrist "Telegraph," E/W,
5/7)
-- The Royal Palace has put UML General Secretary
Madhav Kumar Nepal on its black list after he severely
criticized the King and the crown prince in the May 4
mass meeting. Nepali President Girija Prasad Koirala
was successful in stimulating Nepal against the monarch
and possibly preventing him from becoming the next
Prime Minister. The Palace was, otherwise, considering
appointing Nepal to the post of the Prime Minister.
(centrist "Ghatana Ra Bichar," V/W, 5/7)

-- The Chand government has started to ask for help
from foreign powers, especially America, to abort the
movement launched by five parliamentary parties.
(leftist "City Times," V/D, 5/6)
-- The leaders who encouraged the King to dissolve the
elected government have begun to express their
frustration not through the movement but through
"imaginary movement." Nobody is ready to support the
movement at a time when the talks are underway to
resolve the Maoist problem. People's negative reaction
to the May 4 mass meeting has made it clear that they
will run away from the scene rather than the King will.
(centrist "Punarjagaran," V/W, 5/6)

-- "Kathmandu valley denizens have not supported the
movement. People have punished Nepali Congress and the
UML; they don't trust the five parties." (pro-Royal
Palace "Gorkha Express," V/W, 5/6)

-- "There's an increased bitterness between the
government and political parties. There is once again
a race of strength show in the country." (leftist "Yug
Sambad," V/W, 5/6)

"KING MEETS JOURNALISTS AND EXPRESSES UNHAPPINESS WITH
POLITICAL PARTIES"

-- King Gyanendra went on an offensive one day before
five political parties launched a movement against him
Thursday for what they call his regressive actions
since October 4 last year. He met journalists
Wednesday and put forth his views on events leading to
the present stalemate between him and the opposition
parties. The King said he will hand over executive
power to that party or power that can give the country
permanent peace. "First peace should be restored; the
country will be stable only after the restoration of
peace. Politics will be meaningless without the
restoration of peace. My first priority is the
restoration of peace in the country. Efforts have been
initiated in this direction. In the future, my wish is
to hand over executive authority to representatives of
that power and party that can give permanent peace."

"Even now I have given my executive power to Prime
Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand. This demonstrates and
it should be understood the King is committed to
constitutional monarchy and multiparty system. There
should be such discipline in political parties and not
only with the King and people," the King told the
journalists. The King said he did not suspend the
constitution or hand over executive powers to others
after the dismissal of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur
Deuba on October 4 last year. "If the King wanted to
snatch executive powers, he could have suspended the
constitution or given executive authority to somebody.
But he did not do this and kept executive powers to
himself while asking representatives of parliamentary
parties to recommend names for a prime minister," the
King said. (Compiled from Nepalnews.com and others,
5/8)

-- Five major political parties criticized the
monarch's concerns. (Major newspapers, 5/9)

"Analyzing the King's message to the editors of major
dailies, political parties have concluded that the King
is becoming very weak." (centrist "Deshantar," V/D,
5/11)

-- "The Royal Palace is preparing to announce for
elections." (leftist "Sanghu," V/W, 5/12)


2. U.S.-NEPAL

"U.S. AMBASSADOR'S INTERVIEW ON NEPAL TELEVISION"

-- U.S. Ambassador Michael Malinowski said that as good
neighbor of Nepal, the U.S. always wanted to see
democracy, multiparty system, constitutional monarchy
and a government that respected human rights, was
efficient, could keep corruption down and deliver goods
and services to its people.

Ambassador Malinowski said that the United States was
worried about the recent political happenings
in Nepal.
Talking to Nepal Television's popular talk show "Disha
Nirdesh," he said that the U.S. was carefully watching
the situation in the troubled Himalayan kingdom and it
wished that the legal forces in the country and the
civil society should be more cohesive in their efforts
to bring permanent peace here. He said the U.S.
supported the peace talks between the government and
the Maoists. He expressed hope that the peace talks
would be able to bring the insurgents into the system.
The ambassador said it would not be in the interest of
the Maoists to go back into the jungle. He said the
U.S. interest in Nepal now was greater than ever
because of the crisis in the country. Now the funds
set aside for Nepal have reached $38 million, the
highest for a single year. He said the Maoists can get
off the "secondary list" [State Department's recently
announced terrorist list] if they stop violence,
extortions and child abuse." (Ambassador Malinowski's
5/5 interview on Nepal Television and compiled media
reports, 5/5-6)

-- "Malinowski's interview indicates that the U.S.
emphasizes on the establishment of human rights,
permanent peace and democracy" (Editorial in the
government-owned "Gorkhapatra," V/D, 5/8)

-- British Ambassador to Nepal Keith Bloomfield said
(5/6) that his country had not enlisted the Maoists in
its international terrorist list. The comment from the
British envoy comes a few days after the United States
put the Maoists in its second tier of terrorist list.
("The Kathmandu Post," 5/7)

"NEPALI CONGRESS PRESIDENT OPPOSES THE RECENT NEPAL-
U.S. AGREEMENT ON ANTITERRORISM ASSISTANCE (ATA)"

-- "Nepali Congress Party President Girija Prasad
Koirala has claimed that the Antiterrorism Assistance
(ATA) that Nepal signed with another country in order
to control terrorist activities will be scrapped as
soon as a legal government is established. "All the
work done by this illegal government will be declared
illegal," he said." ("Kantipur," 5/12)
"REACTIONS TO U.S.'S INCLUSION OF MAOISTS ON TERRORIST
LIST"

-- In his first reaction, Maoist President Prachanda
has accused the United States of interference in
Nepal's internal affairs. Prachanda said, " The United
States wants to extend its hold in Nepal, thereby
furthering its own interests and influence on India,
China and ultimately over whole of South Asia."
Prachanda also urged the US to stop what he calls "all
activities that interfere in Nepal's internal affairs."
"At a time when peace talks are being held to end the
insurgency, war mongering forces within and outside the
country have increased their conspiracy and
activities," the statement said. (Kantipuronline.com,
5/8)

-- "If the Maoists run away from the talks, they will
have no future. The U.S. might attack them. If it
attacks, then Nepal might become a puppet regime of
America, like Afghanistan and Iraq..." (Editorial in
centrist "Nispakshya," V/W, 5/6)

-- "Many people have not been surprised with America
putting the Maoists in its terrorist list. In fact,
most Nepalis consider the Maoists as terrorists. The
government has begun talks with them not because they
are popular among the people or their political
ideology is acceptable. The main purpose of the talks
is to disarm them and to end terrorism inflicted by
them with the help of weapons. The Maoists' activities
have been full of terror and they should be called
terrorists. America has said what it has seen.
There's no need to frown over." (editorial in
"Punarjagaran," 5/6)


3. MAOIST ISSUES

"MAOISTS MEET WITH EMBASSY OFFICIALS"

-- ""America is preparing to put the Maoists in the
main terrorist list in case the government-Maoists
talks fail. An U.S. Embassy representative and the
Maoist talks team have met recently. According to an
embassy source, the embassy representative, in the
meeting a few days ago made clear to the Maoists that
America would not supp
ort any move that undermined the
multiparty system" ("Nepal Samacharpatra," 5/6)

-- For the first time last week Chief Maoist peace
negotiator Dr. Baburam Bhattarai and his aide, Krishna
Bahadur Mahara met with an official of the American
Embassy, an official source said. A First Secretary of
the Embassy met with the rebels at the Embassy. The
diplomat raised the issue of the murders of two Nepali
security guards at the Embassy last year by the rebels,
attacks on U.S. interests and the importance of a
peaceful political movement at the business-like
meeting, a source said. (Nepalnews.com, 5/6)

-- "The U.S. has expressed the commitment that it would
not support or do anything that devaluates Nepal's
multiparty democracy. A source has said that a First
Secretary of the U.S. Embassy expressed such commitment

SIPDIS
a few days ago in a meeting with Maoist talks team
coordinator Dr. Baburam Bhattarai and two other
members." (pro-India "Annapurna Times," V/D, 5/6)

"MAOIST ACTIVITIES"

-- After the second round of talks between the Maoists
and the government, the former has set up a contact
office in Kathmandu. (leftist "Prakash," V/W, 5/12)

-- A report compiled by district security committees
reveals widespread and unabated Maoist violation of the
code - extortion, holding of mass meeting with arms and
abduction - across the country. ("The Himalayan Times,"
5/11)

-- Dr. Baburam Bhattarai said the King, army [Royal
Nepal Army] and America were the hurdles in the peace
talks. ("Nepal Samacharpatra," 5/8)

-- Maoist militias were alleged to have physically
tortured five civilians after taking them under control
and leading to Maoist hideout in connection with the
murder of a teacher about three weeks ago. ("The
Kathmandu Post," 5/7)

-- To raise people's opinion in favor of the Maoists'
demand of the roundtable meeting, interim government
and constituent assembly for a foregoing political
solution, the Maoists' Special Central Command has
begun "Ring March Campaign 2060" in the districts
nearby the Kathmandu Valley. (Maoist-mouthpiece
"Janadesh, V/W, 5/6)

-- A Maoist guerilla woman, who was shot by the Royal
Nepal Army in Okhaldhunga district during the
ceasefire, died in Kathmandu's Teaching Hospital. A
huge rally took a round with her body in the capital
before cremation. ("Janadesh," 5/6)

-- The Maoists have intensified military recruitment
and training. They have also extorted people... The
future political course will be made clear by the Royal
Palace's decision. (centrist "Samata," V/W, 5/6)


4. BUSINESS/ECONOMY

-- The World Bank has agreed to provide US $ 5 million
loan in support of the government policy of providing
an incentive grant to communities taking over
management of public schools. ("The Kathmandu Post" and
"Kantipur," 5/11)
-- The export of garments to the U.S. markets, which
absorbs around 80 per cent of the total garments
exported from Nepal, has increased by a whooping 111
per cent in the month of April as compared to the
exports during the corresponding month last year. ("The
Kathmandu Post," 5/7)

-- According to the South Asia Network of Economic
Institute, World Bank, there is an illegal trade worth
over 30 billion rupees [384 million dollars] between
Nepal and India because of the free border and weak
custom network. ("Kantipur," 5/7)

5. HEALTH/SARS
-- The government decided (5/6) to evacuate all Nepali
citizens studying in different Chinese provinces and
bring them back home at the earliest. (Media reports,
5/7)


6. OTHERS

-- Strong winds and blizzards sweeping the central and
eastern parts of the country have affected the Everest
region, preventing dozens of climbers from making it to
the top of the world. ("The Kathmandu Post," 5/7)

-- The government has withdrawn vehicle facilities for
former prime ministers and home ministers. It has also
called back the security personnel assigned to them.
(Media reports,
5/7)

-- There are 11 professional criminal gangs involved in
threatening, manhandling and killing people on
contracts in the Kathmandu Valley, say the police.
("The Kathmandu Post," 5/6)

-- An U.S.-based Nepali youth organization, Nepal
Democratic Youth Council (NDYC),has welcomed the joint
movement launched by five political parties. ("The
Kathmandu Post," 5/6)

-- The government has welcomed the announcement of the
conclusion of the U.S.-led war in Iraq. ("The Himalayan
Times," 5/6)

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