Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06KATHMANDU1438
2006-06-06 07:25:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kathmandu
Cable title:
POLTICOS PONDER JUNE 2 PEACEFUL MAOIST RALLY
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C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 001438
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/05/2016
TAGS: PGOV PTER NP
SUBJECT: POLTICOS PONDER JUNE 2 PEACEFUL MAOIST RALLY
REF: KATHMANDU 1405
Classified By: Ambassador James F. Moriarty. Reasons 1.4 (b/d).
POLITICAL LEADERS: MAOIST RALLY WAS PEACEFUL; PUSHING FOR
CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY
--------------------------------------------- -------------
C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 001438
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/05/2016
TAGS: PGOV PTER NP
SUBJECT: POLTICOS PONDER JUNE 2 PEACEFUL MAOIST RALLY
REF: KATHMANDU 1405
Classified By: Ambassador James F. Moriarty. Reasons 1.4 (b/d).
POLITICAL LEADERS: MAOIST RALLY WAS PEACEFUL; PUSHING FOR
CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY
-------------- --------------
1. (C) Three days after the Maoists' June 2 mass-rally in
Kathmandu (reftel),red flags and posters were beginning to
come down around the capital, but there was little public
recognition of the massive first public demonstration by the
Maoists as a significant event. Politicos agreed that the
gathering was peaceful, but differed as to its meaning.
Bharat Mohan Adhikari, Central Committee Member of the
Communist Party of Nepal - United Marxist-Leninist (CPN-UML),
speculated that the gathering signaled that the Maoists were
in favor of a competitive democratic process. Govinda Raj
Joshi, Central Committee Member of the Nepali Congress (NC),
opined that the Government of India (GOI) might have
pressured the Maoists to conduct the meeting peacefully. He
explained that the Maoists wanted to exhibit their strength
to exert pressure on Prime Minister G.P. Koirala and other
members of the seven-party alliance to hold elections to a
constituent assembly as soon as possible. Lilamani Pokharel,
Vice-President of the People's Front Nepal (PFN),an extreme
left party, said the Maoists had gathered people from
adjoining districts near KATHMANDU as a demonstration of
their popular support in the provinces. He agreed that the
rally was held to push the Maoist agenda of constituent
assembly elections. Pokharel noted that the June 2 rally was
much bigger than any ever held by the seven-party alliance.
2. (C) Kashi Nath Adhikari, Central Committee Member,
CPN-UML, stated that the Maoist rally brought a mixed-bag of
people. He said some had come of their own free will and
participated enthusiastically, some had been forced to
attend, others had considered it a free trip to see the
capital city, while others had been curious just to see the
Maoist leaders. Many editorials also praised the rally as
being peaceful, even as other articles in their pages
reported that the Maoists had coerced participation and
commandeered vehicles.
COMMENT
--------------
3. (C) Observers' emphasis on the rally's peacefulness again
signals the widespread fear that the rally could have turned
violent. It also conveniently ignores the open secret that
the Maoists continued with their tried and true tactics of
threats and intimidation to pursue their agenda. But
contrary to Maoist hopes, the impressive display of
organization did not appear to intimidate or further
destabilize the government.
MORIARTY
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/05/2016
TAGS: PGOV PTER NP
SUBJECT: POLTICOS PONDER JUNE 2 PEACEFUL MAOIST RALLY
REF: KATHMANDU 1405
Classified By: Ambassador James F. Moriarty. Reasons 1.4 (b/d).
POLITICAL LEADERS: MAOIST RALLY WAS PEACEFUL; PUSHING FOR
CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY
-------------- --------------
1. (C) Three days after the Maoists' June 2 mass-rally in
Kathmandu (reftel),red flags and posters were beginning to
come down around the capital, but there was little public
recognition of the massive first public demonstration by the
Maoists as a significant event. Politicos agreed that the
gathering was peaceful, but differed as to its meaning.
Bharat Mohan Adhikari, Central Committee Member of the
Communist Party of Nepal - United Marxist-Leninist (CPN-UML),
speculated that the gathering signaled that the Maoists were
in favor of a competitive democratic process. Govinda Raj
Joshi, Central Committee Member of the Nepali Congress (NC),
opined that the Government of India (GOI) might have
pressured the Maoists to conduct the meeting peacefully. He
explained that the Maoists wanted to exhibit their strength
to exert pressure on Prime Minister G.P. Koirala and other
members of the seven-party alliance to hold elections to a
constituent assembly as soon as possible. Lilamani Pokharel,
Vice-President of the People's Front Nepal (PFN),an extreme
left party, said the Maoists had gathered people from
adjoining districts near KATHMANDU as a demonstration of
their popular support in the provinces. He agreed that the
rally was held to push the Maoist agenda of constituent
assembly elections. Pokharel noted that the June 2 rally was
much bigger than any ever held by the seven-party alliance.
2. (C) Kashi Nath Adhikari, Central Committee Member,
CPN-UML, stated that the Maoist rally brought a mixed-bag of
people. He said some had come of their own free will and
participated enthusiastically, some had been forced to
attend, others had considered it a free trip to see the
capital city, while others had been curious just to see the
Maoist leaders. Many editorials also praised the rally as
being peaceful, even as other articles in their pages
reported that the Maoists had coerced participation and
commandeered vehicles.
COMMENT
--------------
3. (C) Observers' emphasis on the rally's peacefulness again
signals the widespread fear that the rally could have turned
violent. It also conveniently ignores the open secret that
the Maoists continued with their tried and true tactics of
threats and intimidation to pursue their agenda. But
contrary to Maoist hopes, the impressive display of
organization did not appear to intimidate or further
destabilize the government.
MORIARTY