MAOIST THROWS SOCKET BOMB OVER WALL OF NEPALI

C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 000770 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR SCA E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/22/2016 TAGS: PTER PGOV PHUM NP SUBJECT: MAOIST THROWS SOCKET BOMB OVER WALL OF NEPALI CONSERVATION ORGANIZATION IN KATHMANDU VALLEY Classified By: CDA John Schlosser, Reasons, 1.4 (b/d). Maoists Bomb Office Associated With Royal Family -------------- --- ¶1. (C) During the evening of March 21, a suspected Maoist riding a bicycle threw a socket bomb over the wall of the King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation office in Jawalakhel (Patan, south of Kathmandu, within the Kathmandu Valley). The bomb injured two people, one seriously. The police did not apprehend anybody. The King Mahendra Trust is closely associated with the Royal Family; currently Crown Prince Paras is in Austria on King Mahendra Trust business to hand over two rhinos. Police Arrest Five Maoists in the Kathmandu Valley -------------- -------------- ¶2. (U) On March 21 Maoist Prabha Kiran, leader of the insurgents' Kathmandu Valley Command, issued a statement, carried by local newspapers and appearing on the Maoist website, acknowledging that on March 20 and 21 police had arrested five Maoist cadre, mentioned by name, active in the Kathmandu Valley. She gave a strong warning to the "Royal regime" to publicize the arrests of the cadre and treat them as "prisoners of war," or else His Majesty's Government of Nepal (HMGN) should "be prepared to face serious consequences." Kiran also requested human rights groups, journalists, intellectuals, civil society, and Maoist supporters to "take initiative to save the lives of these comrades." Comment -------------- ¶3. (C) The Maoists are announcing their presence in the Kathmandu Valley in actions and words. However, these arrests should hamper the Maoists' operational capabilities. Nevertheless, HMGN could use the very real threat of continuing Maoist violence to justify another round of arrests of politicos and representatives of civil society to prevent the seven-party alliance's planned April 8 pro-democracy demonstration. SCHLOSSER