UPDATE ON NEPAL'S MAOIST INSURGENCY, AUGUST 14-

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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PINS PTER CASC PGOV NP PHUM
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON NEPAL'S MAOIST INSURGENCY, AUGUST 14-
AUGUST 20, 2004


SUMMARY
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1. The Maoists have imposed a virtual blockade of roads
leading to and from the Kathmandu Valley since August 18.
Traffic remains very light on the roads, no incidents have
been reported and no Maoists have been spotted. Tourism-
related organizations have raised serious concern over the
Maoist imposed blockade. More than dozen industries have
shut down indefinitely from August 17 following the threats
from All Nepal Trade Union Federation (ANTUF),affiliated to
the CPN (Maoist),and the August 16 bombing of the Soaltee
Hotel. The Industrial Security Group (ISG) urged the
Maoists to withdraw their threat to industry. The GON has
kept security agencies on high alert to maintain law and
order and to protect lives and property. The assassination
of a journalist by the Maoists and threat against nine other
journalists drew nationwide condemnation. Nepal and India
started joint search operations along the India-Nepal border
to prevent free movement of Maoist rebels. Maoists continue
to abduct civilians. Security forces reportedly killed
thirteen Maoists this week. Maoist attacks left six
security personnel and eight civilians dead. End Summary.

MAOIST IMPOSE INDEFINITE BLOCKADE IN KATHMANDU VALLEY
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2. The CPN (Maoist) Dhading-Nuwakot-Rasuwa Joint
Revolutionary People's Council Nepal and Dhading-Nuwakot-
Rasuwa Joint District Committee issued a press release on
August 9 calling for an indefinite economic embargo in the
Kathmandu Valley; it demanded that all vehicles stop
entering or leaving the Valley from August 18. Since the
18th, traffic has been light - a few buses, trucks and light
vehicles have been in operation on those routes, according
to spokesperson Gopendra Bahadur Pandey of the Ministry of
Home Affairs. The Maoists have demanded an impartial
investigation of the killings of their comrades, information
on those arrested by the security forces and their immediate
release. Reportedly, the Maoists are gradually intensifying
their activities in an around the capital to make their
demands heard.


3. Fourteen tourism organizations raised serious concerns
over the Maoist-imposed blockade, as the tourism sector has
already been hard hit by the longstanding insurgency in the
country.

BLOCKADE CONTINUES ON MAIN HIGHWAYS
--------------


4. The blockade continues on the main highways leading to
the Kathmandu Valley. However, there have been no reports
of any violence on the roads. According to the Thankot
Police Post, which is the main entry point to the Valley, 13
buses, 17 trucks, three oil tankers, 136 light vehicles and
91 motorcycles passed Thankot from Kathmandu between the
evening of August 19 and the morning of August 20. The
Thankot Police Post also said that 42 buses, 22 trucks, four
oil tankers, 117 light vehicles and 95 motorcycles entered
the Valley within the same period. Similarly, according to
Balaju Police Post, which is the main entry point to the
Valley from Nuwakot District (to the north),three buses,
four trucks, four light vehicles and 12 motorcycles entered
the Valley on the morning of August 20, and at the same
time, one bus, 12 light vehicles and nine motorcycles left
the Valley for Nuwakot.

MAOISTS CONTINUE ATTACKS AGAINST GOVERNMENT FACILITIES
-------------- --------------


5. The insurgents detonated a powerful bomb near the police
post in Bhaktapur on the morning of August 20. No
casualties were reported. The Maoists also detonated a bomb
in front of the Land Revenue Office at Dillibazaar in
Kathmandu, and shot a policeman on duty at the same location
the morning of August 20. The Maoist rebels set fire to a
truck heading towards Butwal on the Mahendra Highway from
the western district of Kapilbastu on August 19 for defying
the Maoists' call for a day long shut down in the district
to protest the killing of some of their cadres. On that
same day, the rebels torched a vehicle of Narayani
Irrigation Development Project in Rupandehi District, and a
tractor in the central district of Dolakha.

MAOIST THREAT PROMPTS INDUSTRIES TO SHUT DOWN
--------------


6. More than dozen industries, including multinationals,
have shut down indefinitely since August 17 following the
threats from the ANTUF-Revolutionary. The Maoists accused
those industries of exploiting their workers. The shutdown,
despite government assurance of adequate security, has
directly affected the livelihood of over 3,000 workers and
their family members. Despite Maoist rhetoric on behalf of
workers, the laborers have deplored the surprise indefinite
closure of the industries, saying it would only worsen their
lives. The Nepal Free Hotel Trade Union and Nepal Tourism
and Hotel Employees' Association have called upon the ANTUF-
R to withdraw the indefinite strike.


7. On August 14, the Industrial Security Group (ISG),
representing the Embassies of the United States of America,
the United Kingdom, France, Germany and India as well as
binational chambers of commerce, urged the Maoists to
retract their threats against the companies. The statement
also said that the Maoist threats for interrupting the
functioning of the companies would severely affect the
confidence of foreign investors, and could negatively impact
future investment in Nepal. The ISG issued another
statement August 20 condemning the August 16 bomb attack on
the Soaltee Hotel, which resulted in the closure of the
hotel. The ISG urged that these businesses be allowed to
conduct their operations without interruption.

GOVERNMENT TO KEEP SECURITY ON HIGH ALERT
--------------


8. The GON has directed all the security agencies,
including the district and regional administrations, to be
on high alert to maintain law and order and protect the
lives and property of the people. The Home Ministry issued
a press statement seeking the cooperation of civil society,
political parties, businessmen, transport entrepreneurs,
industrialists and media in its bid to maintain law and
order in the country.

MAOISTS KILL JOURNALIST-CUM-HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST
-------------- --------------


9. The Maoists assassinated Dekendra Raj Thapa, a
journalist-cum-human rights activist, in the mid-western
district of Dailekh on August 11. Thapa was a reporter for
the state-owned Radio Nepal and also an advisor to the Human
Rights and Peace Society (HURPES),a Nepali NGO. Murdered
for allegedly "spying for the security forces" against the
Maoists, Thapa's killing has drawn international
condemnation. Ten organizations, including the Federation
of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) and human rights
organizations, have denounced and condemned the rebels for
murdering Thapa. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) also
expressed shock and rage at the murder. As a result of the
killing, RSF listed Prachanda, Chairman of the CPN (Maoist)
party in their worldwide list of 37 "predators of press
freedom," a list that also includes Nepal's King Gyanendra.
Amnesty International has also strongly condemned the
killing of Thapa, and has asked the Maoists to provide
evidence of his spying and the process by which the
"charges" against him were proven.

NEPAL, INDIA START JOINT SEARCH OPERATION ALONG BORDER
-------------- --------------


10. Nepalese and Indian security forces on August 19
started joint security operations along the Nepal-India
border to prevent the free movement of Maoist rebels. The
joint operations are tied to an information-sharing network
between India's Special Services Bureau (SSB) and Nepal's
Unified Command. According to local press reports, the
joint operation will focus on ways to prevent arms smuggling
into Nepal by the rebels. The focus areas include the
border areas of Rupandehi, Kapilbastu and Nawalparasi
districts in Nepal, and Maharajgunj, Siddarthnagar and
Balrampur areas in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

MAOISTS CONTINUTE TO ABDUCT CIVILIANS
--------------


11. Maoists abducted one civilian in Jhapa District and
five others from Terhathum District on August 17. The
rebels also abducted 450 students from a school in Ramechhap
District on August 16. The students were reportedly forced
to participate in a Maoist function in an unidentified
location. The insurgents have also kidnapped around six
dozen students from several schools in Palpa District for
"indoctrination" on August 13.

MAOISTS TARGET SON AFTER MURDERING FATHER
--------------


12. After the killing of 61-year-old man on August 15, the
rebels on August 19 issued a death threat to his fifteen-
year-old son, Indrajit Roka, in the western district of
Baglung. The Maoists also warned others of dire
consequences should they try to protect him. Indrajit had
managed to escape the Maoists after he was forced to witness
the brutal murder of his father.

DEATH TOLL CONTINUES TO RISE
--------------


13. Six security personnel reportedly died in Maoist-
related violence this week:

-- Four security personnel were injured when Maoists hurled
socket bombs at a security patrol in Palpa District on
August 18.

-- An Assistant Sub-Inspector of Police sustained serious
injuries after Maoists shot him in Sunsari District on
August 17.

-- Three security personnel were injured when the Maoists
triggered a blast targeting a police van in Chitwan District
on August 15.

-- Maoist rebels shot dead a Royal Nepal Army (RNA) soldier
in Makwanpur District on August 14.

-- A police constable was killed in a Maoist-laid ambush in
the central district of Mahottari on August 14.

-- Maoists shot dead an RNA soldier in Dhankuta District on
August 14.

-- Three security personnel died and one was injured in a
clash with Maoist militants in Kanchanpur District on August

13.

-- Two security personnel were injured in a Maoist-laid
ambush in the western district of Palpa on August 13.


14. Security forces reportedly killed thirteen Maoists this
week:

-- Three Maoists were killed in Kanchanpur District on
August 17.

-- On August 16, four Maoist rebels were killed in an
encounter with the security forces in Siraha District, and
one in Kaski District.

-- One Maoist died at the hands of angry villagers in Morang
District on August 15.

-- On August 13, two rebels were shot dead in Bajura
District, and one in Solukhumbu District.

-- Locals spotted the body of a Maoist in Panchthar District
on August 13.


15. According to local media reports, Maoists claimed the
lives of seven civilians this week:

-- The chief of the Nepal Red Cross Society, Ilam chapter,
was killed by the Maoists in Ilam District on August 18.

-- A twelve-year-old boy died and three others were injured
when Maoists detonated a socket bomb in Chitwan District on
August 15.

-- On August 15, one civilian was killed and two others were
injured in Morang District.

-- A civilian was killed in Dang District on August 14.
-- One civilian was killed in a Maoist-planted bomb
explosion in Mahottari District on August 14.
-- Maoist shot dead one civilian in Sarlahi and another in
Makwanpur District on August 13.