POLITICOS IN RAJBIRAJ: WE HAVE NO VOICE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KATHMANDU 003163 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/06/2016 TAGS: PGOV PTER NP SUBJECT: POLITICOS IN RAJBIRAJ: WE HAVE NO VOICE Classified By: Ambassador James F. Moriarty. Reasons 1.4 (b/d). Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) During a meeting in Rajbiraj (about 200 kilometers south-east of Kathmandu) on December 3, local political leaders told Emboff that they felt isolated from their parties and the government. The politicos in this rural community stated that the party leaders in Kathmandu did not listen to them and that no one paid attention to the demands of their region. They stressed that, although the Maoists continued to pose a danger, the bigger danger came from the Maoist splinter group, the Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha ("People's Terai Liberation Front" or JTMM). The local leaders said that, if the party hierarchy in Kathmandu continued to ignore the needs of the minority communities, more groups like the Maoists would pop up, even if the Maoists themselves came into the mainstream. Law and order was still a problem in Rajbiraj and surrounding communities, and the Maoists openly operated parallel government structures in the town. Rural Leaders Feel Isolated -------------- ¶2. (C) In a meeting on December 3, political leaders from the Nepali Congress (NC),Nepali Congress-Democratic (NC-D), Communist Party of Nepal-United Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML), and the Nepal Sadbhavana Party-Anandi Devi (NSP-A) from Rajbiraj (a small town in Saptari District in south-eastern Nepal) told Emboff that they felt increasingly isolated from Kathmandu-centric party politics. The leaders all had made many demands on the Government of Nepal (GON) and on their own political parties, mostly regarding the inclusion of Madhesis (the majority ethnic group in the district) and dalits (low-caste individuals who form a large group in the district). According to the local leaders, these demands had gone mostly unheard within the GON and their parties in Kathmandu. Politicians from Kathmandu come to visit the town, and make big promises of inclusion and social development, but nothing concrete ever emerged, complained an NC leader. Most of the concerns in Rajbiraj and the surrounding area focused on basic needs: water, education, housing, and employment. However, the political leaders in the town believed that no one from the center was honestly trying to help them solve their problems. Maoists and Other Groups Create Fear -------------- ¶3. (C) Party leaders all expressed hope that the Maoists would enter mainstream politics and give up violence, although each admitted that the Maoists had not yet demonstrated this through their actions. Maoist actions and words did not coincide, and leaders from the CPN-UML and the NC (the two largest parties in the government) complained that Maoist excesses continued to affect party operations across the district. The NSP-A leader stressed that it was not just the Maoists who caused problems; the JTMM was even worse. (Note: The JTMM split from the Maoist-affiliated Madhesi Mukti Morcha -- Madhesi Liberation Front -- in 2005 because its members, while Maoists, believed that violent action needed to be taken to establish an independent state for the people of the Terai in southern Nepal. End note.) The JTMM, the local leaders stated, had attacked both civilians and government targets, and had prevented all the other parties, including the Maoists, from conducting political activities in the southern areas of the district. Ignoring Rural Nepal Could Lead to New Factions -------------- -- ¶4. (C) The leaders warned that, if the leadership of the political parties in Kathmandu continued to ignore the problems of the minority communities in southern Nepal, more groups like the JTMM might form. The NSP-A leader stressed that people were fed up with the old government ignoring their demands; that alienation had led to the rise of the Maoists and their affiliated groups in the area. However, many people in Saptari and surrounding districts who KATHMANDU 00003163 002 OF 002 supported the Maoists now realized that the Maoists were also ignoring their issues. Without proper inclusion into the government and political mainstream, the politicos worried, some people might turn to more violent means to attain their rights. Law and Order Nonexistent: Parallel Government Strong -------------- -------------- ¶5. (C) When asked about the law and order situation, the group of political leaders laughed and said it did "not exist." Although there was one small police post in town, the police were not able to enforce the law against the Maoists nor against common criminals. The leaders suggested that the Maoist "people's government" in the district did not allow the police to engage in law enforcement activities. When asked about the "people's government" activities, the leaders stated that the Maoist "people's court" and "government" were very active in the district and were hearing cases and making decisions. (Note: Emboff drove by the "people's government" office later in the day and noticed that it was, in fact, open for business with a large crowd gathered at the door waiting to enter. End note.) The leaders said they had no indication that the Maoists planned to close their "government" offices any time soon. Comment -------------- ¶6. (C) It was encouraging to see that political parties in Saptari District were working together to reestablish themselves on the ground. However, it is troubling that the Maoists and other groups, such as the JTMM, are so active in the area, with the Maoists still running parallel government structures despite their commitments to the contrary. Whether the GON will effectively address the issues of the minority communities in southern Nepal is unclear. The warning of local leaders about more splinter groups is a real concern. Inclusiveness was a theme of the People's Movement and an important element of democracy. Although the recent adoption by the government of a new law that will grant citizenship, and voting rights, to many in the region looks like a positive first step, the concerns of rural ethnic and regional groups must be addressed and included in government in order for peace to prevail. MORIARTY