JAPANESE AMBASSADOR URGES KING TO ANNOUNCE

C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 001017 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR SCA/INS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/21/2016 TAGS: PREL PGOV PREF NP SUBJECT: JAPANESE AMBASSADOR URGES KING TO ANNOUNCE CONCRETE PROPOSAL REF: A. KATHMANDU 1001 ¶B. KATHMANDU 944 Classified By: Ambassador James F. Moriarty. Reasons 1.4 (b/d). JAPANESE RELAY MEETINGS WITH GIRI AND KOIRALA -------------- - ¶1. (C) On April 19, Japanese Ambassador Hiraoka explained to the Ambassador that in a recent meeting with Vice-Chairman Giri he had delivered a three-point message to the Government of Nepal: security forces were reacting too strongly to demonstrators; Japan hoped security forces would act moderately during the planned April 20 rally; and, while Japan appreciated the King's April 14 call for dialogue, the King needed to offer a more concrete proposal. In a separate meeting with Nepali Congress President G.P. Koirala, Ambassador Hiraoka explained that he had told Koirala that Japan hoped the April 20 rally would be peaceful and that Koirala would explore options for dialogue with the King. Koirala stressed to Ambassador Hiraoka that there was no room for compromise with the King and that he was not concerned about Maoist statements that had cautioned the Parties not to compromise with the King (ref A). AMBASSADOR CAUTIONS SITUATION WILL TURN SOON -------------- ¶2. (C) The Ambassador stressed that the situation in Nepal could go very right or very wrong in the next days. He appreciated Hiraoka's message to the Nepalese Congress leader, noting the international community needed to keep pressure on the King, while urging the Parties to act responsibly toward a positive solution and warning the Maoists against any unwarranted actions. The Ambassador said that any steps taken against the handover of power from the King to the political parties would have to be viewed negatively by the international community. COMMENT -------------- ¶3. (C) Ambassador Hiraoka's comments indicate that Japan shares USG concerns about the tenuous state of the political situation in Nepal and is following the situation closely. MORIARTY