NEPAL: AMBASSADOR RAISES HANDLING OF ACCIDENT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KATHMANDU 000304 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV ASEC AMGT NP SUBJECT: NEPAL: AMBASSADOR RAISES HANDLING OF ACCIDENT INVOLVING EMBASSY EMPLOYEE WITH MFA REF: KATHMANDU 296 Summary -------------- ¶1. (SBU) On April 15, the Ambassador expressed concern to Acting Foreign Secretary Madan Bhattarai about how members of the police, the family and the press were handling an accident on March 9 in Kathmandu in which an out-of-control Nepali motorcyclist collided with an Embassy employee in a private vehicle. The Ambassador expressed willingness by Embassy staff to meet with the family, but stressed that such a meeting would be dependent on continued suspension of protests vilifying the Embassy employee. The Ambassador explained that she was requesting a meeting with the Home Minister and Inspector General of Police also. She noted that she had requested permission from the Department for a one-time contribution to toward the cyclist's medical expenses on humanitarian grounds, but that the request was still pending. Acting Foreign Secretary Bhattarai encouraged the U.S. Embassy to meet the family and indicated he would share the Ambassador's concerns and comments with the Home Secretary. Ambassador Expresses Concern -------------- ¶2. (SBU) The Ambassador requested a meeting April 15 with Acting Foreign Minister Madan Bhattarai to convey her sympathies to the family of the Nepali motorcyclist whose cycle collided with the personal vehicle of an Embassy employee on March 9 in Kathmandu (reftel),and also to express concern about how the case had been handled to date. The Ambassador, who was accompanied by the Deputy Chief of Mission, pointed out that members of the Nepal Police, including the Home Minister's nephew, had made statements to the press which were patently false -- alleging for example, that Embassy employee had left the scene of the accident. The police had also leaked her driver's license to the press. The picture had since appeared on placards used during protests against the employee. The family had also contributed to the false reporting, which the Nepali media had sensationalized. Prepared To Have Embassy Staff Meet the Family -------------- - ¶3. (SBU) The Ambassador pointed out that Embassy local staff had already been in contact with the family, but she was also prepared to have more senior Embassy staff meet with the cyclist's relatives. That meeting, she said, could be with the Foreign Ministry (MFA) present or not. The condition was that the family would not resume the public protests in which groups of students and others had vilified the Embassy employee specifically. Those protests appeared to have stopped since April 10. If Nepalis wanted to protest against the U.S., that was their right, but the Ambassador was concerned about the personal safety of the Embassy employee, and Mission employees in general, in light of further protests. Meeting with Home Minister To Be Requested -------------- ¶4. (SBU) In the near future, the Ambassador was requesting a meeting with the Home Minister and the Inspector General of the Nepal Police to discuss how to resolve the issues arising from the accident, including the unhelpful and false statements made by the police early on. The Ambassador said she intended to ask the Home Ministry/Nepal Police to issue a statement clarifying key facts about the incident based on the police report. She stated she would also discuss if the police were prepared to make a finding of liability in this case, as it was our understanding that the accident took place due to no fault on the part of the Embassy employee. KATHMANDU 00000304 002 OF 002 Possible U.S. Payment -------------- ¶5. (SBU) The Ambassador explained that she had also contacted the State Department about the possibility of a one-time contribution to the family on humanitarian grounds to help defray the cyclist's medical costs. She pointed out, however, that the release of funds required senior-level approval in Washington, that it might or might not be approved and that a decision would not be forthcoming for several days, at the earliest. MFA Reaction -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Acting Foreign Secretary Bhattarai encouraged the Embassy to contact the family directly. The MFA had no need to work through the MFA. He took note of the Ambassador's concerns and comments and said he would convey them to the Home Secretary. POWELL