Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06KATHMANDU200
2006-01-19 11:57:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kathmandu
Cable title:  

GOVERNMENT ARRESTS POLITICAL PARTY AND CIVIL

Tags:  PGOV PHUM PTER NP 
pdf how-to read a cable
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FM AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9972
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RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA PRIORITY 9140
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 2061
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RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 000200 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SA/INS, SA/PD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/19/2016
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PTER NP
SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT ARRESTS POLITICAL PARTY AND CIVIL
SOCIETY LEADERS

REF: KATHMANDU 172

Classified By: Ambassador James F Moriarty. Reasons 1.4 (b/d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 000200

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SA/INS, SA/PD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/19/2016
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PTER NP
SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT ARRESTS POLITICAL PARTY AND CIVIL
SOCIETY LEADERS

REF: KATHMANDU 172

Classified By: Ambassador James F Moriarty. Reasons 1.4 (b/d).


1. (U) This cable contains an action request. See paragraph

11.

Summary
--------------


2. (C) Citing fears that the Maoists would infiltrate the
January 20 mass protest program of the seven-party alliance
and turn it violent, the government cut phone services and
arrested political party and civil society leaders during the
early morning hours of January 19. The government held key
seven-party alliance leader GP Koirala under house arrest and
reportedly arrested scores of politicos and civil society
activists under the Public Security Act "to maintain peace
and security in the society." In an apparent effort to keep
the demonstration on track, Maoist leader Prachanda on
January 18 asserted the Maoists would not "use force,
infiltrate or incite the masses" during the January 20 rally.
End Summary.

Government Acts Against Politicos, Citing Fear of Maoist
Infiltration
-------------- -


3. (U) On January 19, the government cut cell-phone and
landline service at 0530 local time and began arresting
politicos from their homes as early as 0400 local time.
These actions followed the January 14 Maoist attacks in the
Kathmandu Valley - the bloodiest in over a year (reftel).
Government leaders asserted that the steps were designed to
prevent Maoist-incited violence from erupting during a mass
meeting called by the political parties for January 20 to
protest the King's actions and the upcoming municipal
election. Party leaders had insisted on holding the
demonstration despite the government's January 16 ban on all
political demonstrations in the Kathmandu Valley and other
urban areas. Separately, United Marxist Leninist (UML)
party's Bhim Rawal told Emboff that Bamdev Gautum, also from
UML, had been trying to push the parties to violence during
the January 20 demonstrations. That proposal, however, had
been voted down by the UML's central leadership. Rawal
speculated that was why MK Nepal and all seven-parties
alliance members had released a statement on January 17

calling for a peaceful demonstration on January 20.

Government Has List of 200 Leaders to Arrest...
-------------- --


4. (C) Police contacts told the Embassy that the Home
Ministry provided them a list of 200 political party leaders
and civil society activists to arrest under the Public
Security Act (PSA). Under the PSA, the government can detain
anyone for up to three months without a warrant or a hearing
"to maintain peace and security in the society." The
government used the PSA to arrest politicos and others after
the King took control on February 1, 2005. On January 19,
the government also announced a curfew from 2000 to 0400
hours in Kathmandu, an hour earlier than the 2100 curfew the
previous night. There were persistent rumors that the
government might announce an all day curfew on January 20.
(Note: See EAC report septel. End note.) Cell-phone service
remained down, but the government restored land-line phone
service at 0830 local time on January 19.

...At Least 93 Others Jailed
--------------


5. (C) As of 1500 local time on January 19, human rights
monitors confirmed the arrest of at least ninety-three
people: UML twenty-eight; NC twenty-two; People's Front Nepal
eight; NC(D) five Nepal Workers and Peasant's Party one; and
human right's activists and others nine. The wife of former
State Minister for Foreign Affairs and Nepali Congress
Democratic member, Prakash Sharan Mahat, told the DCM that
police brandishing an arrest warrant rang her bell at 0430 on

January 19 looking for her husband. She said that though she
came to the gate and asked them to wait while he got dressed,
they jumped the gate, broke down the door, and entered the
house. Police told her that they were taking him to the
Armed Police Force headquarters under the PSA. She reported
that police returned to her house at 0830 on the same day to
conduct a room to room search for her husband's brother,
former Foreign Minister and Nepali Congress member Ram Sharan
Mahat. He was not there and police left after the search.


Key Political Leader Under House Arrest
--------------


6. (C) On January 19, the government placed Nepali Congress's
elderly leader GP Koirala under house arrest. Security
forces told the Embassy that they had only this leader under
house arrest and would reevaluate the situation in 24 hours
to determine whether to continue the house arrest. UML
leader MK Nepal confirmed to us that security forces jumped
his gate at 0400 on January 19, and conducted a room by room
search for UML member Bandev Gautum, whom they did not find.
MK Nepal himself, however, has had as of yet no restrictions
placed on his movements. (Note: Embassy understands that
Gautum has gone underground. End note.)

Government Still Detaining Activists Arrested Earlier
--------------


7. (C) On January 18, the government arrested sixteen
political party activists under the PSA while the politicos
were carrying out a motorcycle rally as part of their
door-to-door awareness campaign for the January 20 mass
meeting and municipal polls boycott. The sixteen included
five people from NC, one person from NC(D),and three youth
leaders from the UML. The government later released one
activist, but announced they would hold the fifteen others in
custody for up to three months as permitted by the PSA. This
action and rumors of a government crackdown sent large
numbers of party activists into hiding. Calling into the
Embassy from an undisclosed location to avoid arrest, Arjun
Narsingh KC (NC) told Emboff on January 19 that plans for the
January 20 rally were in turmoil as no one knew who had been
arrested or where they could meet to discuss plans without
being arrested. Party cadre from each of the seven-parties
in the alliance had previously informed the Embassy that they
planned to gather at their respective party headquarters and
then converge on Kathmandu Durbar Square at around 1330 on
January 20.

Maoists Announce No Infiltration Into Demonstration
-------------- --------------


8. (C) The arrests came after a January 18 statement by
Maoist leader Prachanda claiming that the Maoists would not
"use force, infiltrate or incite the masses" during the
January 20 rally. However, Prachanda wrote that his party
would "fully support" any anti-government program organized
by the seven-party alliance as per the 12-point understanding
reached between the Parties and the Maoists in November 2005.
Prachanda termed the government's ban on demonstrations as
an excuse "to restrict peaceful assemblies and rallies by
citizens." (Note: We have heard from several sources that
Maoists were "urging" villagers in areas surrounding the
Kathmandu Valley to participate in the January 20
demonstration. End note.)

International Community and Human Rights Monitor Scrambling
-------------- ---


9. (C) Human rights organizations, including the UN Office of
the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR),the Nepal
Human Rights Commission (NHRC),and local NGO Informal
Service Sector (INSEC),were all scrambling to compile a list
of those arrested. OHCHR reported that they were making
efforts to contact those most likely to have been arrested,
and had established a presence at the ICJ-sponsored Human
Rights Home for human rights defenders and the UN House in
addition to their headquarters building to receive reports.

Other Embassies reported that they were working on statements
condemning the government's actions and seeking the immediate
release of those arrested. Uncharacteristically, even the
Japanese Embassy told Emboff that they were working with
Tokyo to craft a statement deploring the arrests.

Comment
--------------


10. (C) Following the January 14 Maoist attacks in Kathmandu
(reftel),when 100-200 hundred armed Maoists were able to
enter the valley and attack police posts, the government is
understandably afraid of further Maoist violence. But the
government's actions of banning gatherings and arresting
political party leaders only increase the antagonism between
the Parties and the Palace and will make ultimate
reconciliation of the legitimate democratic forces more
difficult. We need to send a clear and forceful denunciation
of the government decision to preemptively incarcerate
political party leaders to avoid Maoist violence.

Action Request
--------------


11. (U) Post recommends that the department spokesperson
issue a statement condemning His Majesty's Government of
Nepal for arresting political party leaders and human rights
activists.

Begin suggested text.

The United States is deeply concerned by His Majesty's
Government of Nepal's preemptive detention of political party
leaders and civil society activists on January 19 before a
political program scheduled by political parties on January

20.

There can be no excuse for the resumption of violence by the
Maoists. The United States has consistently called upon the
Maoists to abandon violence and come into the political
mainstream. However, there can also be no excuse for
preemptive arrests by the government to prevent citizens from
gathering to peacefully express their views.

We call on the Palace to urgently reach out to the political
parties and find a way to return to democracy and to address
the Maoist insurgency that threatens the very existence of
the nation.

End suggested text.
MORIARTY