POSSIBLE DEMARCHE FOR GOVERNMENTS HOSTING KING

S E C R E T KATHMANDU 002452

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SA/INS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/13/2025
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINS NP
SUBJECT: POSSIBLE DEMARCHE FOR GOVERNMENTS HOSTING KING
GYANENDRA

REF: THIS IS REPLACING KATHMANDU 02449

Classified By: Ambassador James F. Moriarty; Reasons 1.4 (b/d)


1. (U) This is an action request. See para 4.


2. (C) King Gyanendra is currently traveling outside Nepal
for three weeks. In addition to Dhaka (where he attended the
SAARC summit),we understand the King will visit Tunisia for
the World Summit on the Information Society, Saudi Arabia,
Egypt, and South Africa. There have also been indications
that he may stop in Burundi (where Nepal has a UNPKO
contingent) as well as Kenya and/or Tanzania.


3. (S/NF) Reporting in other channels indicates that the
King will use meetings with foreign government leaders to
gauge/enlist international support for his Feb 1 moves and
his rule since then. We worry that encouraging responses
from his hosts would convince him that he has no need to
begin reconciling with the political parties to move Nepal
back to democracy.


4. (C) It would therefore be useful for our embassies in the
capitals hosting Gyanendra to approach the respective
governments prior to his visit to review our assessment of
the deteriorating situation in Nepal.


5. (U) Suggested points for governments hosting King
Gyanendra:

-- The United States is deeply concerned about the situation
in Nepal.

-- Nepal is facing a violent Maoist insurgency which seeks
to establish a totalitarian one-party state.

-- Nepal's political institutions are fragile. The
parliament was dissolved over three years ago, and no
elections have been held since 1999. The King dismissed a
multi-party government on February 1 this year, assumed the
premiership and appointed a government which widely is viewed
as incompetent and/or corrupt. The King has taken many other
regressive steps, seeking to control the press and curb civil
liberties, citing the need to address the Maoist terrorists.
Most importantly, the King has failed to reach out to Nepal's
political leaders to agree on a way forward to address the
Maoist insurgency and to strengthen Nepal's democratic
institutions. Since the King's assumption of power, the
Maoists have gained strength and the overall situation in
Nepal deteriorated.

-- While the King has announced municipal and then
parliamentary elections, the main political parties have said
they will not participate given the absence of key civil
liberties.

-- As a result, Nepal's political parties are in dialogue
with the Maoists, even though the insurgents have not
demonstrated their willingness to abandon their violent
methods or ultimate goals.

-- The United States and several of Nepal's other key
international partners have repeatedly stressed to the King
the urgency of establishing a dialogue with the political
parties to reverse the current negative trend.

-- We believe it would be good if you too reinforced this
point.
MORIARTY