MAOISTS EXTEND UNILATERAL CEASE-FIRE ONE MONTH

C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 002685

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SA/INS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/02/2015
TAGS: PGOV PTER NEPAL'>NP
SUBJECT: MAOISTS EXTEND UNILATERAL CEASE-FIRE ONE MONTH

REF: A. KATHMANDU 1958


B. KATHMANDU 2556

Classified By: CDA Elisabeth I. Millard, Reason 1.4 (b/d)


1. This is an action request. Please see para. 5.

Maoists Announce One-Month Extension of Cease-Fire
-------------- --------------


2. (U) On the morning of December 2, the last day of the
Maoists' original three-month cease-fire (ref A),Maoist
party chairman Prachanda announced that they would extend the
unilateral cease-fire by another month. Prachanda issued a
statement explaining that an extension of the cease-fire
would help further the movement against the "autocratic
monarchy" and give additional time to explore a political way
out "through a constituent assembly." He asserted that the
Maoists had decided to extend the cease-fire in light of the
demands made by forces within the country and abroad.
However, he warned that it would not be possible to maintain
the cease-fire "if the current attitude of the absolutist
feudal elements continued." Prachanda noted that the
three-month cease-fire had provided an opportunity for the
seven-party alliance and the Maoists to present a new
"blueprint" to resolve NEPAL's crisis.

Political Parties Welcome Extension
--------------


3. (C) Political party leaders welcomed the extension of the
cease-fire. NEPALi Congress-Democratic (NC-D) Central
Committee member Narayan Khadka, CPN-UML Central Committee
member Kashinath Adhikari, and NEPALi Congress (NC) Central
Committee member Chakra Prasad Bastola separately commented
to us that the extension was positive. Khadka and Adhikari
noted to Emboff that the extension both gave time to, and
increased pressure on, the government to favorably respond to
the Parties-Maoist understanding (ref B). Khadka speculated
that the Maoists could have decided on a one-month extension
following discussions with UML party leaders, as a cease-fire
that ended January 2 would still leave time for Maoist
violence in the countryside to disrupt the municipal
elections called by the King for February 8. However,
Adhikari stated that after one month the Parties would again
request the Maoists to extend the cease-fire so the Maoists
and Parties could continue peace talks. Khadka also observed
that, by announcing the extension, the Maoists showed that
they had respected appeals to do so by the EU, the UN, and
the international community. Bastola suggested that the
Maoists and parties would use the time to "network" with
international groups that could play a monitoring role. He
remarked that the extension would give more time to the
Maoists to convince others about the sincerity of their
commitments expressed in the understanding with the political
parties. (Note: Despite the cease-fire and the
understanding, the Maoist violence has not ended. On
November 30, they abducted a NEPALi leader of a UNDP project
and seized journalists' equipment in Taplejung District. End
Note.) Bastola added that the understanding was "very
primitive" and only in its initial stages; it needed a lot of
clarification.

Comment
--------------


4. (C) By extending the cease-fire -- however imperfect --
the Maoists have maintained the high ground. The Parties
would have been hard-pressed to continue their understanding
with the Maoists had the latter returned to violence so soon
- without waiting for a reaction from the King or
establishing their bona fides. While the extension has also
given the King some breathing space, the pressure has indeed
mounted on him to respond positively.

Action Request
--------------


5. (SBU) Embassy suggests the following press guidance for
use by the Department spokesperson:

We welcome the Maoist one-month extension of the cease-fire.
We call on the government to respond positively to this
development. As we have said many times, there is no
military solution to the ongoing conflict in NEPAL. Any
measure that promotes peace in NEPAL is to be welcomed. We
urge the Maoists to permanently abandon violence and rejoin
the political mainstream to seek a peaceful resolution.
MILLARD