NEPAL: ARMED POLICE FORCE LOOKING FOR ROLE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KATHMANDU 000121

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KDEM NP PGOV PHUM
SUBJECT: NEPAL: ARMED POLICE FORCE LOOKING FOR ROLE


1. (SBU) Summary: The Nepal Armed Police Force (APF) is a
paramilitary force originally created to combat the Maoist
insurgency. Still struggling to define its role in
post-conflict Nepal, the APF's duties range from border
control to combating terrorist activities. The APF has
25,650 members with plans to increase the force to 31,161.
End Summary.
Creation
--------------

2. (SBU) Created on October 24, 2001 to combat the Maoist
insurgency, the APF was designed to fill the gap between the
Nepal Police and the Nepal Army. At the time of the APF's
inception, the Nepal Army was prohibited from combating the
Maoist insurgency, because the insurgency was considered a
civil matter and was therefore handled by the under-trained
and ill-equipped Nepal Police. The heavily-armed and
well-trained APF could tackle the insurgency without
violating Nepali Law. The Nepal Army eventually joined the
fight in November 2001, following a ferocious attack on Nepal
Army barracks. The founding members of the APF were
recruited from the Nepal Army and Nepal Police with the
promise of a promotion in rank. The APF is now commanded by
Inspector General Police (IGP) Sanat Kumar Basnet who was
appointed APF IGP on May 4, 2009. Basnet transferred from
the Nepal Army to the APF in 2002 and has completed several
military training courses in India, the United Kingdom, and
the United States.

Role Following the Insurgency
--------------

3. (SBU) One of the primary roles of the APF is border
security, including anti-smuggling and anti-trafficking
operations. The role also includes monitoring of the border
markers along the Nepal/India border. On January 14, 2008,
the cabinet created the Border Security Department (BSD)
within the APF headquarters to be commanded by an Additional
Inspector General Police (AIGP). The BSD is responsible for
directing, monitoring, and supervising the activities of the
border security offices and brigades. The APF is considered
Nepal's premier riot control force whose members remain ready
to intervene during demonstrations that become violent.
Additional duties include personal security details for VIPs,
and protecting diplomatic facilities and vital government
installations. The APF also contributes to United Nations
(UN) peacekeeping missions. Since 2002, over 2000 members of
the APF have participated in UN peacekeeping missions as both
monitors and advisors to Iraq, Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Haiti,
Sudan, and East Timor.

Arrest Restrictions
--------------

4. (SBU) Despite the police label, members of the APF do not
have arrest authority and must turn detainees over to the
Nepal Police upon arrival to the nearest police station. By
law, once the detainee is in Nepal Police custody, the APF
must inquire in writing to the detainee's status and the
Nepal Police must respond in writing. Both the inquiry and
the response must take place within 24 hours of Nepal Police
custody.

Composition
--------------

5. (SBU) The APF is organized into five combat brigades for
each region in Nepal. Each brigade is made up of two to
three infantry battalions. Each battalion includes rifle,
support, and administrative companies. The APF is not bound
by the recruiting limitations set forth by the Comprehensive
Peace Accord (CPA),as is the Nepal Army, and continues to
successfully draw quality recruits. Recruitment of women
began with two junior non-commissioned officers in 2003 and
as of early 2010 there were more than 300 women serving
within the ranks of the APF. Women serve in all branches of
the APF to include the infantry. It is likely that former
members of the Maoist Peoples Liberation Army will be
integrated into the APF as part of the broader integration
and rehabilitation plan.


KATHMANDU 00000121 002 OF 002


Equipment and Training
--------------

6. (SBU) APF training closely mimics that of the Nepal Army
and the bulk of APF equipment, from communication equipment
to 120 millimeter mortars, is Nepal Army surplus. Despite
its reliance on Nepal Army equipment, the APF is
significantly better equipped than the Nepal Police. Many of
the APF founders graduated from U.S. Military schools to
include U.S. Army Ranger School and the U.S. Army Pathfinder
Course. The APF also conducts joint training with elements
of both the Chinese and Indian military and law enforcement.


7. (SBU) Like the Nepal Army, the APF committed human rights
abuses during the Maoist insurgency, but its record has
improved in recent years. A human rights cell was
established in the APF Headquarters in January 2003, with
additional cells later established within all APF Brigade
headquarters. The purpose of the cells is to train APF
personnel in human rights issues in accordance with the
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
Human rights training is mandatory at both the basic and
advanced stages of APF training.

Comments
--------------

8. (SBU) Created to combat the Maoist insurgency that ended
in 2006, the APF is struggling to establish its own identity.
The APF can play a valuable role in Nepal's security
infrastructure but needs to define its mission as part of the
broader security sector reform effort. The APF must be
brought under the Police Act, giving them arrest powers but
also establishing a single chain of command under the Home
Ministry. Plans to increase the size of the APF without a
clear mission and increase in budget will only compound the
confusion and make members of the APF more susceptible to
corruption.
CAMP