MAOIST TEN POINT ROAD MAP

C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 001251 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR SCA/INS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/15/2016 TAGS: PGOV PTER PHUM NP SUBJECT: MAOIST TEN POINT ROAD MAP REF: A. KATHMANDU 1203 ¶B. KATHMANDU 1195 Classified By: Ambassador James F. Moriarty. Reasons 1.4 (b,d). Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) The Maoists on May 13 laid out a ten-point road map and announced that Prachanda, CPN-Maoist Chairman, would lead the Maoist's dialogue team in the top-level negotiations with the government. Prachanda stressed the need to follow the 12-point understanding and cautioned the political parties not to go against the people's aspirations for a republican government, "otherwise there will be another uprising of the people and our party will be ready to lead such an uprising." Prachanda noted that the Maoists did not support the recent reinstatement of the House of Representatives as it only gave "room to the palace and the foreign reactionaries to conspire." Reacting to the Maoist plan, the political parties noted that the negotiations with the Maoists would be "difficult." Meanwhile, Maoists throughout the country continued to kill, threaten and extort, causing many Nepalis to doubt Maoist sincerity. End Summary. Maoist Ten-Point Roadmap to Peace -------------- ¶2. (U) The Maoists made public on May 13 their roadmap for talks with the seven party alliance government. The Maoist roadmap sets forth the following sequence of events: 1) declaring a cease-fire; 2) finalizing a code of conduct; 3) forming talks team; 4) releasing political prisoners; 5) starting talks; 6) dissolving the old parliament, constitution and government; 7) forming an interim guideline and government by holding a political conference consisting of representatives from political parties and civil society; 8) setting electoral constituencies by ensuring representation from people of all classes, castes, sectors and genders; 9) holding constituent assembly elections under reliable international supervision; and 10) restructuring all state structures, including the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and the Royal Nepalese Army (RNA),following the people's mandate as expressed in constituent assembly elections. Parties Term Negotiations with Maoists "Difficult" -------------- -------------- ¶3. (C) While waiting to see the full text of the Maoist proposal, political party members expressed unease with some of the steps of the Maoist roadmap. Minenda Rijal, NC (D) Central Committee Member, commented that "there will be many things to resolve through difficult negotiations." Kashi Nath Adikari, CPN-UML Central Committee Member, told Emboff that it would be dangerous to dissolve the House (step 6) without having something to take its place. He wondered what the country would do if negotiations fell through at that point, with no government in place. Adikari acknowledged that the negotiations would be "very, very, tough" and would require "give-and-take" from both sides. Anil Jha, Sadhawana (Anunda Devi) Central Committee Member, agreed that negotiations would be hard and termed it "very risky" to dissolve Parliament before elections to a constituent election. (Note: Most of our interlocutors in Parliament and government have told us that the Cabinet will not dissolve the Parliament until after constituent assembly elections. End note.) Jha stated that integration of the PLA with the RNA (step 10) "could be done," but suggested that many of the Maoists would not meet the physical standards of the RNA. He suggested that those cadre be sent to work abroad. He worried that if the Maoists did not disarm there would be a class of armed hooligans who would continue to terrorize the country. Prachanda to Lead Negotiations -------------- ¶4. (U) Prachanda told the press that he would personally lead a "summit dialogue" to make important decisions during talks with the government, but that the Maoist main negotiation team consisted of three members, headed by the Maoist party's central committee member Krishna Bahadur Mahara. Dev Gurung and Dina Nath Sharma were the two other Maoist team members (ref A). (Note: Similarly, top political party leaders told us they would step in to lead final negotiations on the government side (ref B). End Note.) The Maoists also formed a 13-member "central" speakers team to address peaceful mass meetings across the country. The Maoist statement explained that a special meeting of the central committee of the Maoist party had taken all these decisions. ...Cautions Parties -------------- ¶5. (U) Prachanda continued to warn the political parties to cooperate with the Maoist agenda. He cautioned that the recent reinstatement of the House of Representatives did not "represent and honor the unprecedented initiatives, sacrifice and courage demonstrated by the people on the street." He complained, "it only gives enough room to the palace and the foreign reactionaries to conspire." Prachanda requested the government to move forward following the Maoist-Party 12-point understanding, warning of the "danger" of the seven parties going against the spirit and feeling of the recent popular movement. "Otherwise there will be another uprising of the people and our party will be ready to lead such an uprising," stated Prachanda. ...Identifies Key Election Issues -------------- ¶6. (U) Prachanda stressed the need to initiate "immediate action" against leaders of the feudal autocracy "including the army, police officials and the bureaucracy" to ensure unconditional, free and fair constituent assembly elections. Prachanda advocated addressing "fundamental problems of the people" in the constituent assembly elections such as a secular state, ethnic and regional self-governance, a federal state system compatible with Nepal uniqueness, special rights to Dalits (untouchables) and women, revolutionary land reforms, an independent economic policy, a scientific and people-oriented education system, and the guarantee of employment within the country. Maoists Kill... -------------- ¶7. (U) Maoist violence continued despite the ongoing cease-fire, the 12-point understanding, and the Maoist ten-point roadmap. According to press reports, Maoists beat to death former Maoist cadre Prem Bahadur Thokar in Chitwan District on May 14. Thokar's wife reported that two men took her husband from his house saying they wanted to "talk" to him. His body was later found in the village. A Maoist mass meeting in the area had warned that the party would "take action" against anyone found to be "defaming their party." Separately, a bomb left in a forest exploded in western Rupandehi District on May 14, killing a 12-year-old boy and severely injuring two other children. Another Maoist bomb seriously injured a woman in eastern Bhojpur District also on May 14. A Maoist socket bomb exploded in Tanahun District on May 13, severely injuring an eight-year-old and a sixteen-year-old. ...Threaten -------------- ¶8. (U) Maoists have threatened two FM radio stations, Kalika FM in Chitwan District, and Radio Birgunj in Parsa District, according to local NGO Save Independent Radio Movement (SIRM). On May 13 SIRM expressed serious concern over the Maoist action, noting that "threat, force and imposition of ideas" was not proper. Saying that independent radio was a vital part of democracy, SIRM demanded that the Maoists revoke the threatening letters they had sent to the radio stations, explaining, "we cannot accept their proposition to solve problems through struggle rather than discussion." Maoists also continued to obstruct postal service in the mid-western region and area post offices in three districts remained closed, according to the Chief of the Regional Postal Service Directorate. ...Extort -------------- ¶9. (U) The media continued to carry reports from across the country detailing Maoist extortion (septel). Maoists in far-western Humla District extorted "donations" from 35 Indian pilgrims who were returning from Tibet on May 14. The Maoists forced the victims to pay a total of 33,000 NRs (471 USD). In Lamjung District on May 14, Maoists demanded 20 days salary from teachers at a high school. ...Release Captives -------------- ¶10. (U) Late on May 13, the Maoists released the Chief District Officer (CDO) of Sarlahi after holding him in custody for thirty-seven days, since April 5 (ref A). The Maoists also released the five armed policemen they had abducted in Nawalparasi District on May 9. The Maoists explained that they had begun to set free government captives as the government had begun to release Maoist detainees (ref A),including Maoist leaders Matrika Yadav, and Suresh Ale Magar, whom the government released the morning of May 13. Comment -------------- ¶11. (C) The Maoists have already started on their roadmap. They have declared a three-month-long cease-fire (step one), proposed a code of conduct (step two),and announced a negotiation team (step three). The government has also begun the process of releasing detained Maoist leaders and cadre (step four). However, Maoist violence continues. Front page reports of Maoists' continuing bad acts is increasingly leading Nepalis to doubt the Maoists' sincerity, although the public and many politicians continue to hope that the Maoists will realize they have no alternative but to enter the mainstream. MORIARTY