UPDATE ON NEPAL'S MAOIST INSURGENCY, JUNE 11-18,

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 KATHMANDU 001141 SIPDIS STATE FOR SA/INS AND DS/IP/NEA STATE ALSO PLEASE PASS USAID/DCHA/OFDA STATE ALSO PLEASE PASS PEACE CORPS HQ USAID FOR ANE/AA GORDON WEST AND JIM BEVER MANILA FOR USAID/DCHA/OFDA LONDON FOR POL/GURNEY TREASURY FOR GENERAL COUNSEL/DAUFHAUSER AND DAS JZARATE TREASURY ALSO FOR OFAC/RNEWCOMB AND TASK FORCE ON TERRORIST FINANCING JUSTICE FOR OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL/DLAUFMAN NSC FOR MILLARD SECDEF FOR OSD/ISA ALVERSON E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PINS PTER CASC PGOV NP PHUM SUBJECT: UPDATE ON NEPAL'S MAOIST INSURGENCY, JUNE 11-18, 2004 REFERENCE: (A) KATHMANDU 1095 (B) KATHMANDU 1119 SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. An early morning ambush by Maoists left 21 Armed Police Force (APF) personnel dead and sixteen injured (Ref A). Seven security personnel were killed and twenty-two suffered injuries in other incidents this week. Indian police arrested five Nepalese Maoists in the Indian state of Bihar. Twenty-three insurgents reportedly also were killed this week. Children forcibly recruited into the Maoists' army alleged abuse at the hands of senior Maoists and were forced to undergo weapons training. Over 1,800 civilians, mostly students and teachers, were abducted this week. The educational strike called by the student wing of the Maoists reportedly has been called off after negotiations with a government task force. Seven civilians were killed and 18 others injured. Maoist-planted bombs damaged government and commercial establishments including an American-owned carpet factory. End Summary. MAOIST AMBUSH KILLS 21 -------------- ¶2. A Maoist ambush in the far-western district of Banke of an Armed Police Force (APF) convoy left 21 policemen dead and sixteen injured (Ref A). Four others are missing. Among the dead is the APF Inspector in charge of the detachment. In the early morning of June 14, the convoy of two trucks hit a command-detonated mine, and subsequently came under small arms fire from the Maoists. ¶3. Five ROYAL Nepal Army (RNA) soldiers and two policemen were killed by Maoists this week. On June 17, Maoists attacked a group of plainclothes policemen in the western district of Arghakhanchi, killing two and seriously wounding two others. Five soldiers also died in Maoist ambushes: one was killed and two injured in the central district of Makwanpur on June 14; another in Damak on June 13; and one was killed and one injured in the eastern district of Jhapa on June 13. An RNA soldier was killed and two others injured by a Maoist-laid landmine in the central district of Makwanpur on June 12, and another soldier was injured in the central district of Chitwan on June 11. On June 9, Maoists shot dead two RNA personnel in the western district of Tanahu. MAOISTS ARRESTED IN INDIA -------------- ¶4. On June 12, Indian police reportedly detained five Nepalese Maoists in the Indian state of Bihar bordering Nepal's central lowland district of Bara. During a raid on the Maoists' safe house, the police recovered guns and ammunition. The Tamang Autonomous Revolutionary People's Council, a Maoist affiliated organization, announced a ban on Indian vehicles and screenings of Indian films from June 15 to 21 in the central districts of Makwanpur, Dhading, Nuwakot and Rasuwa to protest the arrests. The ban was lifted on June 16. MAOISTS KILLED -------------- ¶5. Twenty-three insurgents were killed and twenty-five injured in clashes with security forces this week: three in Ramechhap on June 17; three in the eastern district of Jhapa on June 13; two in the western district of Lamjung on June 12; ten rebels were killed and twenty-five sustained injuries in the eastern district of Terhathum on June 13; three in the far-western district of Kailali district, and one insurgent in the far-western district of Doti on June ¶6. On June 11, a Maoist was killed in the eastern district of Terhathum. On that same day, a Maoist district member was also killed in the central district of Sarlahi and another in the mid-western district of Dolpa. Security forces shot dead a Maoist area committee member in the far- western district of Dadeldhura on June 11. On June 15, one rebel was killed in the central district of Dhading, and another in the far-western district of Kanchanpur; four were killed in the far-western district of Bajura, and another in the mid-western district of Jumla on June 16; and on the same day, one rebel was killed in the eastern district of Panchthar. ALLEGED CHILD ABUSE IN MAOIST CAMPS -------------- ¶7. On May 30, the local press reported that three Maoists "cadres" in the eastern district of Taplejung attacked and killed their own commander and injured another to avenge abuse inflicted against them. A follow-up article on June 10 revealed that these "cadres" were sixteen-year-old boys who had been forced to join the Maoist army. The boys alleged that they were treated "very cruelly" by senior Maoists and forced to undergo weapons training. The three boys, who surrendered to security forces after the murder of their commander, said they were also forced to carry heavy bags, pressure cooker bombs, ammunition, and guns. Security officials in the eastern district also rescued two children, eleven and fourteen, who had been forcibly recruited. The children will be placed in a rehabilitation center. MAOISTS INTENSIFY ABDUCTION -------------- ¶8. According to the local press, the insurgents abducted over 1,800 civilians across the country this week to participate in Maoist programs: 500 students from the far- western district of Dadeldhura on June 11; 18 students from the eastern district of Udayapur on June 10; and 200 students on June 11; four-dozen teachers from the western district of Tanahu on June 12; 49 civilians, including 38 teachers, from the eastern district of Dhankuta on June 9; 11 civilians from the far-western district of Doti on June 10, and 79 civilians, including 76 local businessmen, from the central district of Sindhuli on June 13; On June 12, two- dozen teachers from the western district of Lamjung, and 500 civilians, including 45 teachers, from the mid-western district of Kalikot on June 6; 40 students from the eastern district of Taplejung on June 13, and on June 8, six civilians from the mid-western district of Surkhet; three civilians from the western district of Gorkha on June 13. The rebels also reportedly abducted a Junior Technical Assistant (JTA) of Agriculture Development Office in the eastern district of Siraha on June 10, and a ROYAL Nepal Army (RNA) soldier in the western district of Syangja on June 12. Maoists reportedly abducted 300 students from the far-western district of Baitadi, and 90 others from the eastern district of Taplejung on June 16. SCHOOLS TO REOPEN -------------- ¶9. On June 17, the All Nepal National Independent Union (Revolutionary),the Maoist affiliated student wing, reportedly agreed to call off the nationwide education strike in affect since June 6. A special Government of Nepal (GON) task force formed to help resolve the educational chaos said the strike would be called off and the government would withdraw the "terrorist" tag it had placed on the group "within a few days." ANNISU-R demanded that tag be lifted as one of their preconditions for negotiations. They are also demanding that the government provide free education for secondary level students and a reduction of 20 percent in tuition at private schools. ¶10. On June 14, the local press reported that ANNISU-R had called off the educational strike in rural parts of the mid- western district of Surkhet. Schools in that district reportedly reopened on June 13, following the announcements. MORE CIVILIANS KILLED -------------- ¶11. The Maoist insurgency continues to claim civilian lives. Armed rebels reportedly shot dead a civilian in the central district of Bara on June 14, and another in the western district of Rupandehi on June 10. The rebels also reportedly killed two civilians after abducting them in the eastern district of Siraha on June 12. On June 13, in the western district of Kapilbastu, two people were killed, including a child, and three others, two of whom were children, suffered injuries when the children started playing with a bomb left by the Maoists and it exploded. On June 13, Maoists shot dead a teacher in Kathmandu. A government official was also shot and wounded in the capital on June 10. At least seven civilians reportedly were injured when a group of Maoists detonated a bomb in the residence of the district president of the Nepali Congress (Democratic) in the mid-western district of Dailekh on June ¶10. INDISCRIMINATE BOMBINGS CONTINUE -------------- ¶12. On June 12, a powerful bomb ripped through an American- owned carpet factory in Kathmandu (Ref B). The factory was closed at the time and no injuries were reported. However, the explosion blew off the roof, and shattered all the windows, causing over USD 5000 in damages. (Note: There is no indication at this time that the factory was targeted because of American ownership. End note). On June 11, Maoists exploded a powerful bomb at a repeater tower of the Nepal Telecom Limited in the eastern district of Sunsari. Equipment worth USD 135,000 was damaged in the blast. On the same day, the insurgents reportedly detonated a bomb at a seed production office in Sunsari district. On June 9, the rebels reportedly detonated a powerful bomb inside the Land Conservation Office in the western district of Tanahu, causing damage to seven rooms of the building. On June 13, Maoists also blasted the premises of Shiva Mandir VDC in Tanahu district causing damage to doors, windows, furniture and documents. On June 14, Maoists torched two government vehicles in the western district of Nawalparasi. BOGUE