AMBASSADOR PRESSING NEPALI GOVERNMENT FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 000946 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR D, P, SCA E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/11/2016 TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER NP SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR PRESSING NEPALI GOVERNMENT FOR RESTRAINT AND TO REACH OUT TO PARTIES REF: KATHMANDU 944 Classified By: Ambassador James F. Moriarty, Reasons, 1.4 (b/d). Vice-Chairmen: Parties Should Reach Out ... -------------- ¶1. (C) On April 10, the Ambassador spoke separately with Vice-Chairmen Tulsi Giri and Kirti Nidhi Bista to urge His Majesty's Government of Nepal (HMGN) to release political detainees, reach out to the political parties, and lift the curfew. Bista limited his response to agreeing that matters were bad and asking whether the Ambassador could persuade the political parties to reach out to the King. ... And USG Should Push Them to Do So -------------- ¶2. (C) Giri's message was that conditions were deteriorating in Nepal because the seven party alliance had lost control of the demonstrations. He pointed out that the Maoists had announced their intention to enforce a nation-wide closure of the roads (chhakhajam) and were urging people to tear down statues of the King and royalty all over the country (reftel). Noting that Nepali Congress President G.P. Koirala was upset with the Maoists, Giri asked the Ambassador whether the USG could push Koirala to offer an olive branch to the King, which the King would accept. The Ambassador responded that the Vice-Chairman's analysis was askew; he explained that the Parties viewed the King as being in a weakened position. The Ambassador stressed that it was incumbent upon the King to be reasonable. Comment -------------- ¶3. (C) Other sources indicate that the King is increasingly nervous about the direction of events here. That said, it is not encouraging to hear the two Vice-Chairmen still continuing to hope that the parties will take the initiative to reach out to the King instead of the other way around. MORIARTY