Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09KATHMANDU356
2009-05-01 10:37:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kathmandu
Cable title:  

SCENESETTER AND POINTS FOR MAY 5 UNSC SESSION ON

Tags:  PREL MARR PTER KDEM UNSC NP 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO4327
OO RUEHCI
DE RUEHKT #0356/01 1211037
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 011037Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0111
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 6931
RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO PRIORITY 7247
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA PRIORITY 2569
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 5291
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 6438
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 3001
RUEHCI/AMCONSUL KOLKATA PRIORITY 4580
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 2302
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 3499
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 KATHMANDU 000356 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/01/2019
TAGS: PREL MARR PTER KDEM UNSC NP
SUBJECT: SCENESETTER AND POINTS FOR MAY 5 UNSC SESSION ON
NEPAL

Classified By: Ambassador Nancy J. Powell. Reasons 1.4 (b/d)

Summary
-------

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 KATHMANDU 000356

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/01/2019
TAGS: PREL MARR PTER KDEM UNSC NP
SUBJECT: SCENESETTER AND POINTS FOR MAY 5 UNSC SESSION ON
NEPAL

Classified By: Ambassador Nancy J. Powell. Reasons 1.4 (b/d)

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


1. (C) The May 5 session of the UN Security Council to review
the UN Secretary General's mid-term report on the UN Mission
in Nepal provides the United States with an excellent
opportunity to push the peace process forward. For almost
two weeks, Nepal's politics has been consumed with a struggle
over whether or not the Maoists will succeed in sacking Chief
of Army Staff Katawal. Katawal has brought some of these
problems on himself. The reasons for the timing of this
political confrontation and the motivations and objectives of
key actors are still murky. The U.S. has re-affirmed the
importance of civilian control of the Army, but stressed that
control must be exercised responsibly. It is time for the
GON and the parties to re-focus on the key issues: the peace
process, the new constitution and the immediate needs of the
Nepali people.

May 5 UNSC Session: Pushing Nepal's Peace Process Forward
-------------- --------------


2. (C) The May 5 session of the UN Security Council to review
the UN Secretary General's April 28 mid-term report on the
current six-month extension of the UN Mission in Nepal
(UNMIN) provides the United States with an excellent
opportunity to push the peace process forward. The process
badly needs a push. Since April 19, Nepal's politicians have
been almost completely consumed with a struggle over whether
or not the United Communist Party of Nepal - Maoist (UCPN-M)
will succeed in sacking Chief of Army Staff General
Rookmangut Katawal. The continuation of this stalemate (and
distraction) is not in Nepal's interest or America's. The
Special Committee for Supervision, Integration and
Rehabilitation of Maoist army combatants and its recently
established Technical Committee are now effectively on hold.
The work of the Constituent Assembly (CA) to draft the new
constitution is impeded. Agitated Members of Parliament from
the opposition parties have compelled the CA to cancel its
parliamentary sessions. The UCPN-M is threatening to leave

the government if Katawal stays and its most important
coalition partner, the Communist Party of Nepal - United
Marxist Leninist (UML),is threatening to leave if the
Maoists' use their cabinet majority to remove him.
Meanwhile, the Nepali public is suffering under a drought,
spiraling food prices, numerous transportation stoppages
(including violent agitation by ethnically based armed
groups),fuel shortages, power outages, poor law and order
and woefully inadequate government services.

Katawal's Complicated Role
--------------


3. (C) In some ways, the Nepal Army (NA) chief brought his
problems on himself. Katawal has never hidden his disdain
for the Maoists. The NA chief was adopted and raised in the
Royal Palace, and became Chief in Fall 2006 in spite of
allegations of human rights abuses under his command,
including a controversial role as the deputy army chief
during the April 2006 People's Movement. Since August 2008,
he has had to report to a Maoist Defense Minister, Ram Thapa.
The Chief chose in most cases to ignore him and dealt
directly with Maoist Prime Minister Pushpa Dahal. To his
credit, Katawal resisted pleas from royalists and, later,
members of the Nepali Congress to seize control to prevent
the removal of the King or the installation of a Maoist-led
government. However, at times, he has been ham-fisted. His
decision to proceed with Army recruitment and induction in
late 2008 in the face of clear indications from the Defense
Minister of dissatisfaction aggravated an already rocky
relationship and represented a clear challenge to civilian
control. The UCPN-M has tried to paint him as an obstruction
to the peace process, but his insistence that only qualified
individual People's Liberation Army (PLA) combatants be
allowed to join the Army is consistent with the June 2008

KATHMANDU 00000356 002 OF 003


peace accord.

The U.S. Role So Far
--------------


4. (C) On April 19, PM Dahal asked Katawal to step down. The
cabinet followed up that same day with a demand for
clarification on three issues -- Army recruitment, Katawal's
handling of eight brigadier generals whose terms the Defense
Ministry (MoD) did not extend, and the pullout by the Army
from the National Games events in which the PLA participated.
Why the Maoists chose to force these issues to a head now is
still not clear. The motivations of the major players and
their objectives are also far from transparent or even
consistent. The Indian Ambassador on instructions told Dahal
not to fire Katawal and has incited nationalist Nepali ire by
meeting repeatedly with the PM and President Yadav to drive
the point home. The Chinese have been more subtle but are
believed to back the Maoists and their assertion of greater
control over the Army. Ambassador Powell voiced concern in a
private meeting with the PM about the MoD's arbitrary denial
of extensions to all eight brigadiers (one of whom was U.S.
War College trained). She also argued at an April 23 meeting
with the PM, along with other selected Ambassadors, that
civilian supremacy was a crucial democratic principle, but
the GON had to exercise it responsibly.

Comment: Possible U.S. Intervention at UNSC
--------------


5. (C) If the U.S. chooses to deliver a separate statement at
the UNSC session in New York, we will need to tread
carefully. Post's recommendation is that we avoid getting
overly involved in prescribing a solution. At close of
business May 1, it is not at all evident how this struggle
will play out. The final, Nepali solution could easily be
one that no one, at least none of the international
community, anticipate or fully endorse. In post's view, the
focus should be on fundamentals: any solution should be
lawful, peaceful and consensual; GON's concentration should
be on completing the peace process, particularly
integration/rehabilitation of the Maoist combatants, drafting
the constitution and dealing with the practical, everyday
problems of the Nepali public (water, power, food, law and
order). The Maoists' pursuit of what looks like a vendetta
has understandably called into question their commitment to
the peace process and democratic principles. In the
observations that conclude his report, the UN Secretary
General notes: "Continuing political decisions such as the
controversial decisions taken by the UCPN-M-led Government
and the Nepal Army related to army personnel, and frequent
acrimony among senior political leaders, have strained
relations, contributing to an atmosphere of mistrust which
may hinder all parties from moving forward .... The spirit
of cooperation that is required to advance the peace process
needs to be invigorated." We could not agree more.

Proposed Talking Points
--------------


6. (C) If Katawal is relieved/fired by May 5 by consensus:

-- The United States regards the principle of civilian
supremacy as fundamental in any democracy and respects the
decision of the Government of Nepal (GON) to replace the
Nepal Army Chief of Staff.

-- We urge the GON to turn its attention to the pressing
issues that the GON faces. These include completing the
peace process, particularly the discharge of the
disqualified, including minors, from the Maoist cantonments
and the rehabilitation and integration of Maoist army
combatants.

-- The process of drafting the new constitution, which has
been delayed, needs to move forward. It is also important
that the GON ensure that the government fulfills its

KATHMANDU 00000356 003 OF 003


obligations to its citizens to provide services and
infrastructure and to ensure law and order, the protection of
human rights and transitional justice. Impunity and
continued political interference in the law enforcement
process should stop.

-- The U.S. urges the GON to forge ahead rapidly with a
process of rehabilitation and integration of Maoist
combatants that is consistent with international standards,
transparent and respectful of individual choice.

-- Nepal's peace process has made progress in the past three
years. We urge the GON to bring that process to a peaceful
and democratic conclusion.

If Katawal is still in office:

-- The United States expresses its regret that the Government
of Nepal (GON) and the political parties have failed to
resolve the ongoing issue over the future of the Chief of
Army Staff. It is our strong hope that the GON will find a
solution very soon which is lawful, consensual and promotes
the peace process.

Note: Other points are identical.
POWELL