This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KATHMANDU 000568 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
LONDON FOR POL/RIEDEL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV ASEC CASC PTER PHUM PREL PINR NP
SUBJECT: MAOIST STATEMENT THREATENS TOURISM INDUSTRY 
 
 
Maoists Threaten Tourism Industry 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶1. (SBU) For the first time, a leader of Nepal's Maoist 
insurgency has issued explicit threats against Nepal's 
tourism industry.  Maoist leader Baburam Bhattarai issued 
the statement March 15.  (Text of statement follows as 
paragraph 4.)  The statement called for the cadres to 
"smash" hotels and travel businesses owned by prominent 
Nepalese.  It warned tourists about the danger of being 
caught in the crossfire, and advised foreign travelers to 
take "precautionary measures" and not to visit Nepal 
during the upcoming general strike called by the Maoists 
for April 2-6.  Bhattarai's statement was the fourth 
Maoist press release in a week. 
 
EAC Met 
------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) EAC met March 18 to discuss this and other issues 
(Reftel).  Post will consult today and tomorrow with other 
Embassies and GON officials to gauge their respective 
postures and planned responses. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) The Maoists have so far refrained from attacks on 
the tourism industry or against foreign nationals.  Post 
takes Bhattarai's statement seriously, as it legitimates 
tourist facilities as targets for his cadres.  At the same 
time, the Maoists set a precedent last year, when they 
issued a threat against development agencies but never 
acted on it.  This year they seem both more daring, and 
more desperate.  As the April 2 start date for their 
general strike approaches, Post expects the level of 
Maoist agitation - and corresponding threat - to increase. 
 
¶4. (U) Begin text of statement: 
 
OPEN LETTER TO FOREIGN TOURISTS VISITING NEPAL 
 
Dear Foreign Tourists, 
 
Welcome to the country of the roof of the world, and 
warmest greetings from the materially poor but spiritually 
rich people of Nepal! 
 
As you very well know, a revolutionary People's War (PW) 
under the leadership of Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) 
is raging in Nepal against a fascist monarchical state 
since February 1996.  After getting severe drubbing from 
the heroic People's Liberation Army (PLA) in every battle 
front and losing almost all of the countryside to the 
advancing revolutionary forces, the fast crumbling 
reactionary regime headed by hated Gyanendra Shah has 
imposed brutal military dictatorship under the guise of 
the so-called state of emergency in the country since 
November 2001. 
 
This last desperate act of the tottering regime to save 
its skin has already backfired on itself and the mass 
rebellion in the form of the PW has intensified further in 
recent weeks and will reach a crescendo in the coming 
days.  It is now obvious that two states, two armies, two 
laws and two cultures, one representing a handful of 
moribund parasitic classes and the other representing the 
vast majority of the democratic and progressive working 
people, are engaged in life and death struggle in the 
country. 
 
The United Revolutionary People's Council (URPC) is an 
embryonic Central People's Government Organizing Committee 
in the form of a revolutionary united front headed by the 
CPN (Maoist).  We, therefore, deem it our duty to acquaint 
you with some of our basic positions and dispel some 
canards spread against us by the old reactionary state 
machinery.  What are we basically fighting for? 
 
We are fighting for a genuine people's democracy in the 
country.  As you know, in the current political 
dispensation in Nepal the real state power vests in the 
feudal monarchy that effectively controls the royal army, 
and the parliament is a mere showcase to embellish the 
hereditary autocracy. 
 
Besides, the self-proclaimed current "king" Gyanendra and 
his son Paras are known criminal gangsters who have 
usurped the throne in a bloody coup d'tat against King 
Birendra last June 2001. 
 
Anybody familiar with the Nepalese history will agree that 
the archaic institution of feudal monarchy is the root 
cause and bulwark of socio-economic backwardness, abysmal 
poverty, glaring inequality and all-round underdevelopment 
plaguing the country, and its abolition is a minimum 
precondition for ushering in genuine democracy, both 
political and economic, in the country. 
 
When the English could wage war against their monarchy in 
the 17th century, or the French in the 18th century, or 
other civilized peoples in the 19th and 20th century, why 
can't the Nepalese people do the same even in the 21st 
century?  And are we against tourism industry in general 
and foreign tourists in particular?  Nothing could be 
farther from the truth. 
 
We are all for making maximum utilization of the natural 
and cultural resources for the rapid economic development 
and well-being of the country and the people.  And given 
the exquisite natural beauty and rich cultural heritage of 
the country, promotion of tourism obviously comes high in 
the priority list of the future economic development 
policy. 
 
As regards the false accusations of our xenophobic 
inclinations and preference for a closed political system, 
this is another example of sinister disinformation 
campaigns deliberately launched by the counter- 
revolutionary forces.  By ideological persuasion we are 
for the ultimate withering away of all national and state 
boundaries and creation of a classless and stateless 
global community of people.  Rather the fake votaries of 
"globalisation" of capital are mortally against the 
globalisation of labor as well and hence, in essence, 
against genuine all-round globalisation. 
 
Foreign tourists are, therefore, most welcome in the 
country and will be so in future as well.  However, we 
would like to draw your attention to the grossly lopsided 
nature of current tourism industry in the country and 
would advise you to take special precautionary measures 
while traveling during the period of war. 
 
Firstly, the tourism industry in Nepal is monopolized by 
the arch-reactionary Shah-Rana family and their close 
courtiers (for example, all the five-star hotels and most 
of the star hotels and travel business are either owned or 
controlled by them), and most of the earnings from tourism 
is said to flow back to foreign countries. 
 
Therefore it is quite imperative to smash this anti-people 
and anti-national monopolistic structure of the tourism 
industry and foreign tourists would be advised not to 
patronize such tourism services (e.g., hotels, airlines, 
buses etc.) particularly owned by the hated Shah-Rana 
families. 
 
Secondly, during wartime the unassuming traveler can be 
caught between the crossfire of the contending armies. 
The foreign tourists are, therefore, kindly advised not to 
venture into areas where active fighting is going on. 
They are most welcome into the revolutionary base areas, 
which are firmly under the control of the revolutionary 
forces. 
 
And a few words to our honored guests from neighboring 
India.  Though the reactionary state media cries hoarse 
about our so-called anti-India posture, you need not be 
unduly perturbed.  Despite the conspiracy of the ruling 
classes of both the countries to drive wedges between the 
people of Nepal and India, we are conscious of the common 
destiny of the two peoples and are for developing a close 
and cordial relations between the two.  You are, 
therefore, most welcome to visit Nepal. 
 
And finally, in view of the 5-day long "Nepal bandh" (i.e. 
general shutdown) from April 2 to April 6, 2002, and the 
subsequent surcharged atmosphere in the aftermath, the 
foreign tourists are well advised to skip the tour 
itinerary, if any, for the said period.  We deeply regret 
the inconveniences likely to cause to you all. 
 
Wishing you all the best for a future visit to a 
democratic, progressive and prosperous people's republic 
of Nepal, 
 
March 15, 2002 
Yours sincerely, 
Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, Convenor, 
United Revolutionary People's Council, Nepal 
 
End text of statement. 
 
MALINOWSKI