NEPAL: MAOISTS BACK DOWN ON AIRPORT THREAT

C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 001006 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/03/2019 TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM NP SUBJECT: NEPAL: MAOISTS BACK DOWN ON AIRPORT THREAT REF: KATHMANDU 0999 Classified By: Charge d' Affaires, a.i., Jeffrey A. Moon. Reasons 1.4 ( b/d). ¶1. (SBU) Citing international pressure, the Maoists called off plans to blockade the international airport on November ¶10. In a statement several hours after a November 3 meeting with the diplomatic community (reftel),Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal, aka Prachanda, said, "In view of the inconvenience it would create for tourists and per the request by diplomats, we have decided to withdraw the airport blockade." Prachanda reconfirmed that the Maoists planned to blockade Kathmandu Valley on November 10. ¶2. (SBU) Late in the evening of November 3, top party leaders from the major parties met at Communist Party of Nepal-United Marxist Leninist (UML) party leader K.P. Oli's residence to negotiate a resolution that would end the protests. Prime Minister M.K. Nepal, Maoist leaders Prachanda and Baburam Bhattarai, and Nepali Congress leaders Ram Chandra Paudel and Sher Bahadur Deuba were among the attendees. The group failed to negotiate a solution but agreed to "continue talks until we reach consensus." No specific future talks were announced, and the negotiations did not change the Maoist protest schedule. ¶3. (C) Comment: The Maoist decision to invite foreign diplomats to a meeting to discuss the ongoing protest program and the leadership's subsequent cancellation of the airport blockade shows that: (1) the Maoists seek the approval of the international community; and (2) international pressure can yield results. The Maoists have told Charge informally that they understand the need to move forward on the discharge of minors from the Maoist cantonments. Perhaps coordinated and sustained international encouragement and pressure can persuade them to demonstrate increased flexibility on discharge issues. End Comment. MOON