PARTY CLOSURE OF KATHMANDU VALLEY WIDELY

C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 002827 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR SA/INS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/16/2015 TAGS: PGOV PHUM MOPS ASEC CASC NP SUBJECT: PARTY CLOSURE OF KATHMANDU VALLEY WIDELY OBSERVED, SOMETIMES VIOLENTLY ENFORCED REF: KATHMANDU 2816 Classified By: Amb. James F. Moriarty, Reason 1.4 (b/d) Rock-throwing, Including At Dip-Plated Vehicle -------------- -- ¶1. (C) Students and the seven political parties' cadre enforced the seven-party-alliance-called December 16 bandh (closure) of Kathmandu Valley to protest the December 14 indiscriminate killing of civilians by a Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) soldier in Nagarkot (reftel). Emboffs observed that most shops were closed, and traffic was very light. Students protested on the streets outside their college campuses, burning tires and throwing stones at passing vehicles, and in one case at a police team. Police used tear gas to control the crowd at two college campuses. Local security reported that demonstrators threw stones and blocked traffic at almost every intersection within Kathmandu. Students stoned and broke the rear windshield of the World Bank Resident Representative's diplomatic-plated vehicle, which was driving with the World Bank flag flying. Party Politicians Pleased, Claim Bandh Mostly Peaceful -------------- -------------- ¶2. (C) Party politicos told us that this bandh was usual for party-called bandhs - largely peaceful, with the exception of some minor incidents around town. The politicos and civil police predicted that the streets would return to normalcy as dark approached; the Armed Police Force (APF) were more cautious. A CPN-UML Headquarters contact told us that he was pleased with the bandh as very few vehicles were on the roads. Although the political parties had announced a mid-day gathering at Kathmandu's Durbar Square, NSP-(A) Joint Secretary Anil Jha admitted it was a wrong move. While a few SIPDIS hundred people gathered there, the bandh and its lack of transportation had prevented others from attending. According to our CPN-UML contact, the situation in Bhaktapur was tense. No vehicles were on the road leading north to Tatopani. Outside the capital, Parties organized protest demonstrations in Pokhara, Biratnagar, Kavre, Birgunj, and Chitwan. They also called a bandh in Dhading District headquarters. Security Services Not Too Worked Up -------------- ¶3. (C) Hemant Malla, a Police superintendent, told Emboff that the Bandh was "mostly normal," but added that small groups of students were coming into the middle of streets and chanting slogans. Police sources reported that demonstrators had damaged six vehicles; police had arrested 39 demonstrators; and 17 police had been injured. A CPN-UML source said that police had arrested at least 50 people by late morning. All expected the police to release the arrested by the end of the day. The UML source said that demonstrators had slightly damaged three buses in Lalitpur and damaged over 25 vehicles in the Valley and that there were other "scuffles" around the city. Comment -------------- ¶4. (C) The rock-throwing at the WB vehicle was the first time in recent memory that demonstrators attacked a diplomatic-plated vehicle. Although the Party leaders acknowledged that a sole RNA soldier was responsible for the Nagarkot killings, they have used the incident to spark public outrage against the government. The government's rapid decision to investigate the incident and compensate the victims' families will perhaps prevent the tension from escalating even further. MORIARTY