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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