MAOIST DEPUTY DEFENDS VIOLENCE TO END AUTOCRATIC

C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 000244 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR SA/INS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/25/2016 TAGS: PTER PGOV NP SUBJECT: MAOIST DEPUTY DEFENDS VIOLENCE TO END AUTOCRATIC MONARCHY REF: KATHMANDU 107 Classified By: Ambassador James F. Moriarty, Reasons, 1.4 (b/d). Maoist Violence Complements Understanding with Parties ... -------------- -------------- ¶1. (SBU) Maoist Deputy Baburam Bhattarai published an article in the January 18 issue of Budhabaar, a Nepali-language weekly (mouthpiece of CPN-UML, a major party of the seven-party alliance) with a circulation of about 10,000, explaining that the Maoists intended to use armed struggle to accomplish their goal - an end to the autocratic monarchy. He argued that Maoist violence should not affect their 12-point understanding with the Parties, and, indeed the political parties had accepted that the Maoists would use arms against the government. He called for high level talks between the Parties and the Maoists to coordinate the armed and peaceful movements. Bhattarai sought to assure people that "our future military offensives will be complementary to the urban-centered peaceful movement." ... But Parties Better Not Criticize Maoists -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Bhattarai warned the parties against criticizing any Maoist atrocities. Recalling how the parties and the Maoists had clashed in the past, he reminded the public that "now we have a common target - the autocratic monarchy. Since our working policy is now the same, we have forged this partnership." However, he concluded his article with the threat against the parties, "tomorrow if the nature of the political inter-contradiction changes, the nature of our relations could change as well." Comment -------------- ¶3. (C) Bhattarai continues his campaign to defend the Maoist use of violence, while seeking to maintain the Maoist-Parties' understanding and deflect any possible criticism. Although the Parties have indicated a growing nervousness, and have publicly stated they do not support the Maoist use of violence, they have yet to try to disassociate themselves from the understanding. They still hope to be able to use the threat of that alliance to prod the King to move. This becomes increasingly risky as the level of Maoist violence grows and spreads. MORIARTY