MAOIST ATROCITIES CONTINUE DESPITE CEASEFIRE

UNCLAS KATHMANDU 002638 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR SA/INS NSC FOR RICHELSOPH E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PINS PTER PHUM PGOV NP SUBJECT: MAOIST ATROCITIES CONTINUE DESPITE CEASEFIRE SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. Despite a three-month unilateral ceasefire announced on September 3 by Prachanda, Chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-Maoist),the rebels continued to commit atrocities daily. They attacked infrastructure and used extortion and looting to fund their insurgency. However, data showed that killings have declined since the beginning of the cease-fire. During the cease-fire, the Maoists abducted more than 9,210 civilians, including teachers and students. The All Nepal National Free Students Union (Revolutionary) (ANNFSU-R) forced dozens of schools to close, affecting over 50,000 students throughout the country. End Summary. NUMBER OF KILLINGS DOWN AFTER THE CEASEFIRE -------------- ¶2. More than one thousand people died between the Royal takeover of February 1 and September 2, but the number of killings went down after the CPN (Maoist) announced their unilateral ceasefire on September 3. From September 3 to November 20 a total of 67 people died; the security forces killed 55 people and the militants killed 12. MAOISTS CONTINUE TO ABDUCT CIVILIANS AND TARGET SCHOOLS -------------- -------------- ¶3. Since the ceasefire announcement, the Maoists have abducted more than 9,210 civilians, including a journalist, teachers and students, to participate in political programs and for indoctrination. On the day the Maoists declared the ceasefire, rebels kidnapped approximately 400 students and teachers in Kalikot District, 80 civilians in Doti District, and 24 civilians in Dolkha and Lamjung Districts. Insurgents took 25 dalits (people from the lowest caste) from Lamjung District during the first week of November, and on November 15, Maoists abducted 560 students and teachers from Taplejung District in eastern Nepal and 55 students and teachers in Kaski District. During the next week, militants abducted 17 civilians in Udayapur District and 125 students in Dadeldhura District. A journalist was abducted in Morang District on November 22. In most cases, the Maoists released the students and teachers after the indoctrination. ¶4. The Maoists and the ANNFSU-R, a student wing of the Maoists, continued to target schools. They have closed schools with decentralized management under local authority, demanding that the schools be managed by the central government. Maoists have forced dozens of schools to close across the country, affecting more than 50,000 students, including 10,000 in Udayapur District and 25,000 in Morang District. The ANNFSU-R locked up dozens of schools in Udayapur District after the unilateral ceasefire was declared. The Maoists have ignored repeated appeals, including by the National Human Rights Commission, to reopen the schools. All academic programs in 19 schools in Jhapa District have been suspended since August 17 due to repeated threats from the ANNFSU-R. Some of the schools in that district have re-opened after transferring management over to the government of Nepal. Several hundred students fled from Arghakhanchi District in October when private schools closed after school management failed to reduce fees as demanded the ANNFSU-R. MAOIST ATROCITIES CONTINUE -------------- ¶5. Insurgents continued to attack civilians across the country after the unilateral ceasefire began. Maoists shot and injured three civilians, and two children and two adults were severely injured in Maoist-planted bomb explosions. The militants shot and killed four civilians and abducted and killed two civilians. ¶6. Eight security personnel have died since the unilateral ceasefire declared by the CPN-Maoist. A Maoist- planted bomb explosion killed two Armed Police Force (APF) personnel; an unarmed RNA soldier was found dead in Dailekh District; two security personnel died in separate incidents in Kavre District. Three security personnel were injured in a Maoist-planted bomb explosion in Rautahat District and three security personnel sustained minor injuries when a Maoist-planted bomb exploded in Dolakha District. Twenty-one insurgents have been killed since the ceasefire began. Three Maoists and two security personnel died in a clash in Makwanpur District; security forces killed four rebels in Morang District. Militants attacked and killed one RNA soldier and one security person in Kavre District; days later, one security person was killed and seven sustained injuries when Maoists attacked them in Kavre District on November 20. On the same day, four rebels were killed and 28 sustained injuries in a clash that took place in Khotang District. REBELS ATTACK INFRASTRUCTURE -------------- ¶7. Insurgents continued to attack development infrastructure. On September 20, Maoists bombed office buildings of the Village Development Committee (VDC), Child Development Center and Agriculture Office in Doti District. On September 22, the Maoist-affiliated Kirant Workers' Party bombed the office of a team studying the proposed Koshi River high dam. The blast shattered the windowpanes of the ground floor, but noone was injured. On October 6, Maoists detonated a bomb inside the Gorhanna VDC office in Mahottari District. The explosion caused minor damage to the office. MAOISTS CONTINUE EXTORTION AND LOOTING -------------- ¶8. People across the country have reported that Maoists increased and broadened their extortion demands during the ceasefire. On the day the ceasefire was announced, insurgents looted NRs 200,000 (USD 2,788) from the Nuwakot District Development Committee (DDC); the money was slated for construction of a suspension bridge. Days later, terrorists stole cash and valuables worth NRs 60,000 (USD 836) from passengers on the road from Hetauda, Makwanpur District, to Narayanghat, Chitwan District. On September 22, militants stole 464 grams of gold and NRs 30,000 (USD 418) from a shop in Nawalparasi District. Two days later, rebels extorted NRs 500 (USD 7) each from the teachers of Beltar School in Makwanpur District, approximately 10 percent of their salary. On October 3, armed militants stole NRs 690,000 (USD 9,324) from two houses in Kathmandu Valley. The next day, insurgents stopped two vehicles heading from Kathmandu to Kailali District in mid-western Nepal and took NRs 22,000 (USD 297). On November 13, insurgents stole NRS 300,000 (USD 4,054) from a shop in Ramechhap District.