GOVERNMENT FORMALLY REQUESTS UN ASSISTANCE

C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 001744 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/05/2016 TAGS: PGOV PTER KPKO NP SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT FORMALLY REQUESTS UN ASSISTANCE REF: A. KATHMANDU 1731 ¶B. KATHMANDU 1373 ¶C. KATHMANDU 1733 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Nick Dean. Reasons 1.4 (b/d) MUCH-ANTICIPATED LETTER TO REQUEST UN MONITORING DELIVERED -------------- -------------- ¶1. (C) On July 3, the UN officially received a letter from Prime Minister GP Koirala to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan requesting help with the management and monitoring of Maoist and government arms. The GON declined to publicly disclose the contents of the letter "in the interest of the country and democracy," but a source in the Foreign Ministry confirmed that the letter contained the same points that UN Resident Representative Matthew Kahane previewed on June 30 (ref A). The letter asked for assistance with monitoring human rights through the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR),the 25-point Code of Conduct (ref B) during the cease-fire, the decommissioning of Maoist arms, and constituent assembly elections. Suresh Chalise, the Prime Minster's adviser, told us on July 1 that the GON was asking specifically for decommissioning of Maoist arms rather than the more vague "arms management" referred to in the June 16 eight-point agreement (ref C). AWAITING UN RESPONSE WHILE MAOISTS COMPLAIN -------------- ¶2. (C) The Maoists have already publicly complained that the GON did not consult them before sending the letter, disregarding the GON's reminder that it was a sovereign body that did not have to consult with anyone. Political party members were upbeat about the letter and told us that they hoped the UN would provide permanent peace-keeping forces in addition to temporary monitors. ¶3. (C) David Johnson, senior human rights officer at OHCHR (protect source),told Emboff on July 5 that he suspected a positive UN reaction; there was likely to be a meeting in New York before the end of the week to discuss the way to move forward. Johnson also told Emboff that a UN assessment mission was likely to come to Nepal "soon" to evaluate the situation. COMMENT -------------- ¶4. (C) The GON missed the opportunity to go on a public relations blitz to use the letter to the UN to push for decommissioning of Maoist weapons. Instead, the confidential request for arms decommissioning was likely intended to garner international support before the GON publicly calls for what it knows the Maoists will find unpalatable. A prompt, positive response and engagement from the UN is critical; the Maoists are unlikely to change their behavior without the prospect of effective monitoring. DEAN