INDIAN AND UK AMBASSADORS SHARE U.S. CONCERNS OVER

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KATHMANDU 000158

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/22/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER UN UK NP
SUBJECT: INDIAN AND UK AMBASSADORS SHARE U.S. CONCERNS OVER
SECURITY

REF: A. KATHMANDU 0092

B. KATHMANDU 2374

Classified By: Ambassador James F. Moriarty. Reasons 1.4 (b/d).

Summary
--------------


1. (C) In separate meetings January 18 with Ambassador
Moriarty, Indian Ambassador Mukherjee and UK Ambassador Hall
stressed the importance of arms management before Maoist
entry into government and expressed concern over the security
climate in the countryside. Ambassador Moriarty and
Ambassador Mukherjee, based on recent meetings with Prime
Minister GP Koirala, hoped that the PM would hang tough on
ensuring arms management before Maoists entered an interim
cabinet (Ref A). All three Ambassadors agreed that improving
security and re-establishing a police presence in the
countryside in the run-up to elections was a top priority.
Both Ambassador Mukherjee and Ambassador Hall welcomed the
possibility of additional U.S. assistance to the police.
Ambassador Moriarty expressed his desire to coordinate U.S.
assistance efforts with the UK and India as key partners on
security.

Arms Management Before Maoist Entry into Government
-------------- --------------


2. (C) In separate meetings January 18 with Ambassador
Moriarty, the Indian and UK Ambassadors stressed the
importance of Prime Minister GP Koirala hanging tough on not
allowing Maoists into an interim government until arms
management was complete. Indian Ambassador Mukherjee
described the intense pressure India was putting on the Prime
Minister to stay strong on this point. Mukherjee said that
there must be a "high-level" of assurance from UN technical
experts that the Maoists had turned in the majority of
weapons they had captured from the Government of Nepal's
(GON) security forces. UK Ambassador Hall expressed concern
over how the GON would define the "vast majority" of weapons
captured and asked Ambassador Moriarty the likelihood that
the PM would "part company" with the U.S., UK, and India's
strong stand on arms management. Ambassador Moriarty said
that, based on a recent conversation with the PM, he was
reassured regarding the PM's resolve and felt India's "bottom
line" on arms management would ensure the PM's continued
strength.

Ensuring Maoist Compliance in Arms Management
--------------


3. (C) Ambassador Mukherjee said that, in meetings with UN
military advisor Jan Erik Wilhemsen, who heads the
UN-GON-Maoist Joint Monitoring Coordinating Committee (JMCC)
for the arms management process, Mukherjee was impressed with
Wilhemsen's expertise and rapport with the Seven-Party
Alliance and the Maoists. Regarding Indian concern that the
UN would not be able to ensure Maoist compliance with the
arms management agreements, Wilhemsen told Mukherjee that the
UN would be able to make strong statements of a technical or
factual nature if the Maoists were to violate arms management
stipulations. Mukherjee said that bilateral players, such as
India and the U.S., would then bear the responsibility of
following up with political statements and pressure to
encourage Maoist adherence to agreement provisions.

Maoist Abuses Continue in the Countryside
--------------


4. (C) The Ambassadors also discussed continued Maoist abuses
in the countryside and the Maoist failure to uphold peace
agreement commitments. Ambassador Moriarty stressed that
draining fear in the countryside in the lead-up to elections,
even more so than on election day itself, would be
fundamental to a credible election process. Ambassador
Mukherjee and Ambassador Moriarty shared similar reports
coming in from official travel throughout the country that

KATHMANDU 00000158 002 OF 002


Maoists were placing restrictions on political party movement
and activity, interfering with police post re-establishment,
and continuing abductions and beatings. UK Ambassador Hall
said he had heard encouraging reporting from some areas that
villagers were less afraid of pushing back against Maoist
intimidation. Ambassador Moriarty said he hoped that
progress in the arms management process would begin to reduce
fear in the countryside.

Coordinating U.S. Support to the Police
--------------


5. (C) In meetings with both Ambassador Mukherjee and
Ambassador Hall, Ambassador Moriarty raised the possibility
of U.S. funding to support the police and promote security in
the lead-up to elections. Ambassador Moriarty said he was
keen to continue the dialogue begun in December with India,
the UK, and the UN on promoting security and planned to
coordinate U.S. investments in the police with these key
partners (Ref B). The Indian and UK Ambassadors welcomed the
possibility of additional U.S. assistance for the police.
Ambassador Mukherjee emphasized that his current focus was to
push for an election process that was "reasonably" free from
fear and intimidation, including getting the police back out
in the countryside and flooding the country with
international observers. Mukherjee said that, fundamentally,
the police needed a confidence boost, and India's primary
message to the government was to strengthen the morale of
their police force. Ambassador Moriarty described the
enthusiasm he had witnessed on the part of the political
parties in the countryside for a strengthened police role in
election security. Ambassador Mukherjee agreed that dialogue
between security officials and local civilian and political
party leadership would be important in restoring civilian
confidence in the police.


6. (C) UK Ambassador Hall was also interested in continuing
the "quadrilateral" dialogue begun in December on policing
and security sector reform. He raised the potential for the
U.S., India, and the UN to meet with a UK police and security
sector assessment team traveling to Kathmandu in early
February. Ambassador Moriarty agreed that this would be an
opportunity to continue the discussion on coordinating
complementary approaches and said he would encourage the
Indians to participate. Ambassador Hall also said he hoped
the UK would be able to continue to support Ministry of
Defense (MOD) capacity-building efforts. Both Ambassadors
agreed that it would be important to find the "reformers"
within the army and police to be partners in assistance
efforts.

Comment
--------------


7. (C) The UK and Indian Ambassadors share our deep concern
over continued Maoist activity across the countryside at odds
with Maoist commitments in the November peace agreements. An
improved security environment throughout Nepal's districts
will be central to creating an atmosphere conducive to
credible Constituent Assembly Elections. To achieve a secure
environment, the arms management process must proceed in
earnest, and the GON must re-establish a governance and
security presence in districts where, in many cases, it has
been ineffective or absent for years. We will continue to
work closely with the UK and India, as well as the UN, in
designing police support efforts to ensure complementary
approaches and promote an effective and proactive police
presence in the run-up to elections.
MORIARTY