MAOISTS SHOOT AND INJURE ONE BHUTANESE REFUGEE

C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 000991 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR SCA/INS, PRM E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/17/2016 TAGS: PREF PTER PREL NP SUBJECT: MAOISTS SHOOT AND INJURE ONE BHUTANESE REFUGEE REF: A. KATHMANDU 965 ¶B. KATHMANDU 950 Classified By: Ambassador James F. Moriarty. Reasons 1.4 (b/d). Maoists Shoot and Injure Refugee -------------- ¶1. (C) The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (OHCHR) office reported to Emboff that Maoists shot and injured a Bhutanese refugee on April 16 outside the Beldangi refugee camp in Jhapa District during an Armed Police Force (APF) and Maoist gunfight. On April 15 several shops outside the Beldangi camp burned down. Four members of the APF were inspecting the burnt shops on April 16, when Maoists shot at the APF members. Maoists killed one APF, and injured three bystanders, including one Bhutanese refugee from Beldangi camp. Police transported the injured bystanders, including the refugee, to a hospital in Biratnagar. "It appears that the refugee was in the wrong place, at the wrong time," commented the UNHCR official. He explained that there was no evidence that the refugee was connected to the Maoists in any way. Food Supplies Reach Bhutanese Camps -------------- ¶2. (C) On April 17, a World Food Program (WFP) officer told Emboff that supply trucks originally unable to reach the camps due to Maoist roadblocks (ref A) had gone through India and used back roads in Jhapa and Morang Districts to deliver food to all Bhutanese refugee camps in eastern Nepal on April ¶16. WFP noted that there was now enough grain supply in all the camps to allow distribution until April 21. WFP was already working on the next food convoy, stating it was "doing our best to get food to the camps." The WFP representative noted with concern that WFP would have to negotiate purchasing kerosene with the Nepal Oil Corporation, which could prove to be difficult due to widely reported shortages in the country (septel). WFP provides kerosene to refugees to use as fuel and light. Indians Thinking of Pressuring Bhutan -------------- ¶3. (C) On April 13, Indian Ambassador Shiv Mukherjee told the Ambassador that the Nepali Ambassador to India, Karna Adhikari, had discussed the Bhutanese refugee issue with the Indian Foreign Ministry Joint Secretary Pankaj Saran (ref B). Mukherjee reported that there was a "real shift" in views at the Joint Secretary level in the Foreign Ministry on how to resolve the Bhutanese refugee issue in Nepal. The best way forward, in Saran's view, was for India to pressure Bhutan to take a token hundred refugees back. This would then open up Nepal to the idea of third country resettlement. Mukherjee explained that India needed just a little time to clarify this position. He was optimistic that in his next meeting with Foreign Minister Pandey, Pandey would request Mukherjee to encourage New Delhi to pressure Bhutan. Mukherjee was optimistic that this message would be well received in New Delhi. (Comment: The deteriorating political situation here might make progress on this issue more difficult. End Comment.) Tibetan Reception Center Construction on Target -------------- -- ¶4. (C) Despite twelve days of a general strike in Kathmandu, the Lutheran World Federation reported on April 17 that construction on the extension wing of the Tibetan Reception Center (TRC) was on schedule. The LWF contractor was using materials previously purchased and so was not experiencing any difficulties despite increased commodity prices (septel). UNHCR reported that TRC was not experiencing a shortage of food, however spinach and water buffalo meat were in short supply and LWF was working to substitute other foods. UNHCR noted that there were a number of new arrivals who had called UNHCR from inside the Nepali border. However, due to the transportation freeze as part of the general strike, UNHCR could not safely transfer the Tibetans to Kathmandu and the TRC. UNHCR was working to pass the word to Tibet that it was not safe to come to Nepal until local transportation resumed. MORIARTY