INDIANS WANT TO WORK WITH US ON UN PRESENCE IN

S E C R E T KATHMANDU 002203

SIPDIS

NOFORN
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SCA/INS, P, IO

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/15/2016
TAGS: PTER PGOV PREL NP
SUBJECT: INDIANS WANT TO WORK WITH US ON UN PRESENCE IN
NEPAL

REF: KATHMANDU 2166

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

Summary
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1. (C) In an August 14 conversation with the Ambassador,
Indian Ambassador Mukherjee expressed Indian support for an
expanded UN presence in Nepal, as long as the UN Security
Council did not have to authorize that revised role.
Mukherjee believed that the GON gave in to all Maoist demands
in the last round of negotiations. Mukherjee expressed hope
that the Indian and U.S. Missions in New York could work
together to ensure that any UN team stressed the importance
of separating the Maoists from their weapons before they were
allowed into an interim government. End Summary.

India Supports A UN Presence -- But No Security Council
-------------- --------------


2. (C) In the August 14 conversation, Indian Ambassador
Mukherjee expressed concern about the recent five-point
agreement (reftel) between the Government of Nepal (GON) and
the Maoists. Mukherjee worried that the agreement
represented a double victory for the Maoists: the GON had
folded on specifically mentioning separation of the Maoists
from their weapons and abandoned specific wording that the
Maoists could not enter an interim government until their
weapons were managed. Mukherjee believed that some in the
GON viewed the five-point agreement as a panacea. These
elements of the GON hoped that a UN mission would, in effect,
do the GON's work and negotiate a tougher deal with the
Maoists.


3. (C) Mukherjee stressed that, while he had no specific
instructions on the issue yet, he was confident Delhi was not
ready to transfer Nepal's sovereignty in the peace process to
the United Nations. Mukherjee saw a UN role as important,
but was adamant that any mandate for a UN mission should not
come from the Security Council, but from the Secretary
General. Delhi would not support a Security Council
resolution. Mukherjee suggested that India and the United
States work closely in New York to shape the expanded UN
mission in Nepal. The Ambassador and Mukherjee agreed that a
UN mission needed to be clear that a peace process in Nepal
would fail unless the Maoists were separated from their
weapons. When the Ambassador raised the issue of financing a
UN mission, especially one not under the aegis of the
Security Council, Mukherjee conceded that he had not yet
thought financial issues through in detail.

Comment
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4. (C) The GON has made it clear to us that it is sticking to
the bottom line to separate the Maoists from their weapons
before they enter any interim government. However, the GON
wavered and then caved in to the Maoists in the last round of
negotiations. We must continue to show strong support for
the GON and press it to stick to its position on arms
management.


5. (S/NF) Embassy Kathmandu believes the time is ripe to
intensify conversations in New York to proactively shape the
process if a UN mission to Nepal is formed. In this context,
we are particularly concerned by second-hand reports we have
received that some UN officials have assured the Maoists that
they would be able to keep at least half of their weapons
outside the UN-monitored cantonments. We do not know whether
the sort of UN mission envisaged in the joint letters can be
done through the good offices of the Secretary General or
needs UN Security Council authorization. That said, it makes
sense to work closely with the Government of India to ensure
that the UN clearly understands that the Maoists must be
separated from their weapons if there is to be a successful
peace process here.

MORIARTY