MAOISTS BOMB CAPITAL, GOVERNMENT BANS GATHERINGS

C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 000172 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR SA/INS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/17/2016 TAGS: PGOV PTER NP SUBJECT: MAOISTS BOMB CAPITAL, GOVERNMENT BANS GATHERINGS REF: KATHMANDU 107 Classified By: Ambassador James F. Moriarty. Reasons 1.4 (b/d). Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) On January 14, the Maoists simultaneously attacked different police posts and government buildings in the Kathmandu Valley, detonating at least three bombs and raiding two police posts, killing at least twelve policemen. In reaction, the government issued a nighttime curfew with "shoot on sight" orders for violators in KATHMANDU and other major cities on January 16. Citing possible Maoist infiltration into political parties' activities, the Home Ministry also issued a statement on January 16 banning demonstrations and gatherings in major cities, including the Kathmandu Valley, for an indefinite period. Terming the government's ban on rallies "the height of autocratic attitude," leaders of the seven-party alliance said they would proceed with their mass rally scheduled for January 20 in Kathmandu. Smaller pro-palace parties that had previously stated that they would participate in the municipal elections threatened not to do so unless the security situation improved. End Summary. Maoists Attack Police Posts in KATHMANDU Valley -------------- -- ¶2. (C) On the evening of January 14, Maoist rebels simultaneously detonated at least three bombs and raided two police posts in the KATHMANDU Valley, killing at least twelve policemen. These were the first ever simultaneous Maoist attacks in the Valley and the largest inside the Valley in over a year. Maoists stormed the Thankot Check Post, along the main entry route into the KATHMANDU Valley from the west, at about 1730 local time on January 14, killed 11 policemen, looted weapons, and fled the scene within half an hour. About 100 insurgents in army combat gear reportedly entered the police post just minutes after it went dark due to load shedding. Eyewitnesses told the media that the rebels were armed with M-16s, INSAS, SLR and GPM weapons. The Maoists also threw socket bombs at the police checkpost. A total of about forty-two policemen were manning the post. The press reported that Maoists boarded a bus after a security check-point to bring them to Thankot. A former Royal Nepalese Army Valley commander told us that he had concerns about the security preparations undertaken by the current unified command in the Valley. Also, a senior Armed Police Force officer criticized the civil police for not following proper procedure and allowing security lapses, telling Emboff, "they made a lot of mistakes." ¶3. (U) In their second raid at roughly the same time on January 14, about 25 Maoists attacked a police post in Dadhikot in Bhaktapur, killing one policeman and injuring seven others and one civilian. The Maoists also detonated bombs in municipal ward offices in Lalitpur, near Patan Durbar Square and in KATHMANDU near Bouddha Buddhist stupa, both popular tourist destinations, and at the house of the Chief of Army Staff's father. No injuries were reported as a result of the bombs. Government Institutes Night Curfew... -------------- ¶4. (C) On January 16, in separate statements, the Chief District Officers of KATHMANDU and Lalitpur Districts announced the imposition of curfew orders within the Ring Road area of the KATHMANDU Valley from 2300 to 0400 daily for an indefinite period. The notices said that security personnel had been given a "shoot on sight" order if anyone was found "violating the orders or doing other prohibited things." This was the first time that the government had imposed a curfew in the capital since the King's February 1 move last year. New curfews were announced for eleven cities, including Pokhara and Biratnagar, and on major highways. Curfews already in place in the district headquarters of at least nine other districts were lengthened. For example the government will enforce a curfew beginning at 2100 hours in Bhairawa, instead of the 2300 hours starting time in place for the past two years. (Note: Police gave the Embassy a number of curfew passes to use by our roving security patrols or if other night travel was necessary. End Note.) ... And Bans Demonstrations -------------- ¶5. (U) In response to the Maoists' increased activities in the Valley, and citing possible Maoist infiltration into political parties' activities, the Home Ministry issued a statement on January 16 banning demonstrations and gatherings in major cities, including the KATHMANDU Valley, for an indefinite period. The statement also encouraged the Parties to bridge differences with the government through "dialogue and consensus." The statement came in the wake of the Parties' mass meeting on January 12 in Janakpur which drew thousands of people and days before a long-scheduled January 20 seven-party gathering in Kathmandu. The statement called on the parties to call off activities: "Taking into consideration the possibility of the terrorists creating anarchy in the rally said to be held on January 20, the government requests the Parties to withdraw the rally immediately." It continued, "the terrorists are trying to spread violence in KATHMANDU and other parts of the country under the cover of their 12-point understanding with the seven-party alliance reached on November 22, 2005." The Ministry called on people not to attend any such rallies and demonstrations, predicting they could become violent. Seven-Party Alliance to Defy Ban -------------- ¶6. (C) Terming the government's ban on rallies "the height of autocratic attitude," leaders of the seven-party alliance on January 16 stressed they would defy such bans and hold peaceful rallies as previously scheduled. They claimed the ban was aimed at curbing their democratic rights and was a "conspiracy by the government to make the proposed rally violent." The leaders said they planned to meet immediately to discuss the situation and vowed to continue their door-to-door campaign to disrupt municipal elections, set for February 8. Arjun Narsingh K.C., Central Committee Member of the Nepali Congress Party, told Emboff that the Parties would go ahead with their planned mass meeting on January 20, "definitely defying the ban," but stressed it would be a peaceful rally. He commented that the politicos were not afraid of being arrested. He added that he personally condemned the Maoists for attacking the Thankot and Dadhikot police posts. Kashinath Adhikari, Central Committee Member of the United Marxist Leninist Party, reiterated that the seven-party alliance would go ahead with their planned mass meeting. He noted that the major political parties would take action against those local leaders who contested municipal elections, and that this policy had been made clear to the cadre and local leaders of the party. Anil Jha, Joint General Secretary of the Nepal Sadbhavana Party (Anandi Devi faction, which announced it would not participate in the elections),opined that his party was looking at the ban imposed on the political activities negatively and would discuss with other seven-party coalition members how to carry out their activities. Fringe Parties May Boycott Elections -------------- ¶7. (U) On January 15, leaders of various pro-palace parties that had said they would participate in the municipal elections expressed doubt over the possibility of municipal elections being held in light of the deteriorating security conditions. They also demanded Home Minister Kamal Thapa's resignation for failing to provide security. Balaram Thapa, General Secretary of Democratic Nepal, whose party chairman Keshar Bahadur Bista is in the current government, told reporters "our party will not participate in the polls until and unless the seven-party alliance and the Maoists forge understanding (for elections) and improve the situation." Speaking at the Reporter's Club Nepal, Devendra Mishra, General Secretary of Nepal Sadbhavana Party, which had previously stated it would participate in the elections, now explained that his party workers were frightened to contest the polls due to the deteriorating security situation. According to Mishra, "the party will not be able to take part in the elections if the government fails to improve the security situation before nominations are filed." Rastabadi Milan Kendra Party chairman Ganesh Bahadur Gurung and Socialist Democratic People's Party chairman Prem Bahadur Singh, whose parties had said they would participate in elections, also criticized the government for the poor security situation and demanded the resignation of Home Minister Thapa if he could not provide security for the polls. Comment -------------- ¶8. (C) The Maoists' January 14 attacks in the KATHMANDU Valley were not unexpected: Maoist deputy Baburam Bhattari had set forth the Maoist plan (reftel) to use armed struggle in conjunction with the Parties' unarmed struggle to get rid of the "autocratic monarchy." Predictably, the attacks provided His Majesty's Government of Nepal (HMGN) with justification to ban all demonstrations, citing a real fear that the Maoists would infiltrate those demonstrations. HMGN's simultaneous call for dialogue with the Parties was poorly timed and understandably laughed off by the Parties. It is unlikely that HMGN will make more sincere efforts to reach out to the political parties, and January 20 is looming as a Party-government confrontation. (Post's January 17 EAC meeting to review our security preparedness reported septel.) MORIARTY