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

022304Z Nov 03

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KATHMANDU 002132 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SA/INS AND DS/IP/NEA 
STATE ALSO PLEASE PASS USAID/DCHA/OFDA 
STATE ALSO PLEASE PASS PEACE CORPS HQ 
USAID FOR ANE/AA GORDON WEST AND JIM BEVER 
MANILA FOR USAID/DCHA/OFDA 
LONDON FOR POL/GURNEY 
TREASURY FOR GENERAL COUNSEL/DAUFHAUSER AND DAS JZARATE 
TREASURY ALSO FOR OFAC/RNEWCOMB AND TASK FORCE ON TERRORIST 
FINANCING 
JUSTICE FOR OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL/DLAUFMAN 
NSC FOR MILLARD 
SECDEF FOR OSD/ISA LILIENFELD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PINS PTER CASC PGOV NP
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON NEPAL'S MAOIST INSURGENCY, OCTOBER 25-31 
 
REFERENCE: (A) KATHMANDU 2022 
 
           (B) KATHMANDU 2040 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1. Thirty-three Maoists and twenty security personnel were 
killed this week, including twelve policemen killed after 
hundreds of Maoists stormed two police posts on October 26 
and 28.  Eleven civilians also were killed, seven of whom 
reportedly were caught in crossfire, while four others were 
brutally murdered by rebels.  Maoist Supremo Prachanda 
claimed he had no prior knowledge regarding the abductions 
of four British Gurkhas (Ref B).  Several major donor 
countries issued a statement on October 28 condemning both 
the Maoists and the security forces for the shooting at a 
school in Doti District, which resulted in the deaths of 
four children (Ref A).  Security forces are coming under 
fire for alleged illegal detentions.  The renewed violence 
is causing food shortages in several far western districts. 
End Summary. 
 
MAOISTS STORM POLICE POSTS; 
MORE LIVES LOST IN CLASHES THROUGHOUT NEPAL 
------------------------------------------- 
¶2.  On October 28, over 200 Maoists stormed a police post in 
Kaski District, killing six policemen and a soldier.  On 
October 26, an early morning ambush by Maoists on another 
police post in Nawalparasi District left six more policemen 
dead.  Local press reports said an estimated 200 Maoists 
stormed the police post, attacking with automatic weapons. 
 
¶3.  On October 29, a Royal Nepal Army (RNA) soldier was 
killed in a Maoist ambush in Udaypur District, in the east. 
On October 28 two policemen were killed by rebels in Surkhet 
District, one of whom had been abducted by rebels the 
previous day.  A Maoist landmine exploded on October 27 in 
the northern district of Gorkha, killing four policemen and 
injuring four others. 
 
¶4.  Thirty-one Maoists were killed in separate clashes with 
security personnel during the period of October 28-29. On 
October 29 in Chitwan District, south of Kathmandu, two 
Maoists were killed by security forces while the insurgents 
were attempting to plant a landmine.  On that same day, six 
rebels were killed in the eastern district of Dhanusha, 
while two others died in clashes in Kaski District.  On 
October 28, separate clashes in the western and mid-western 
districts of Dailekh, Janakpur, Dadeldhura, Tanahu and 
Arghakhachi left fourteen insurgents dead, while on that 
same day in the eastern districts of Dhanusha and Sarlahi 
four rebels were killed.  Two more rebels were killed on 
October 26 in Sarlahi District during a clash with RNA 
personnel. 
 
¶5.  On October 25, the local press quoted an unnamed army 
official as saying that the Maoists do not have control over 
the western districts of Rolpa and Rukum, traditionally 
Maoist strongholds.  The official claimed that the Maoists 
"no longer show any movement there," but cautioned that the 
rebels might be planning a "fierce strike." 
 
PRACHANDA CLAIMS IGNORANCE OVER ABDUCTIONS 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶6.  Maoist Supreme leader Prachanda expressed surprise over 
the abduction of four British Gurkha officers (Ref B).  In 
an October 26 interview with an online news service, 
Prachanda claimed he was startled by the abductions, and 
ordered the soldiers' immediate release as soon as he 
learned of their detention.  The Maoist leader declared that 
his party has always refrained from abducting and causing 
physical harm to foreign citizens, tourists and government 
officials.  He reiterated his concern over "American 
imperialism," but said that no harm would come to American 
citizens or aid workers, except those "who come in the 
battlefield with the Nepali army." 
 
¶7.  A suspect in the assault and robbery of an American 
citizen on September 26 in the central district of Lamjung 
told Post's FSN investigators that he did not know the 
victim was an American, and only targeted him because he was 
"looking to rob foreign tourists because they carry lots of 
money."  The suspect also denied any affiliation with the 
Maoists. 
 
INSURGENCY CLAIMS MORE CIVILIANS 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶8.  Despite Prachanda's statement that his party would 
refrain from killing and abducting civilians, on October 24, 
Maoist cadres shot and killed a man in Lalitpur District, 
south of Kathmandu.  Four civilians also were killed during 
the Maoist attacks on police posts.  Two were killed during 
the October 26 attack in the southwestern district of 
Nawalparsi, one of whom reportedly was killed for supplying 
tea to policemen, while the other was a government worker 
shot and killed on his motorcycle as he returned home.  The 
other two civilians were killed in the October 28 ambush by 
rebels in Kaski District on a police post.  According to 
local press reports, a member of the Communist Party of 
Nepal-United Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) was tortured to 
death by Maoists on October 25 in Makwanpur District, in the 
east.  Rebels abducted him from his house, and brutally 
killed him after accusing him of spying. On October 30 in 
neighboring Dhading District, Maoists reportedly also killed 
another CPN-UML cadre after forcibly taking him from his 
residence. 
 
¶9.  Three civilians died after being caught in crossfire 
during an October 30 gunbattle between security forces and 
Maoists in the western district of Dang, a Maoist 
stronghold. Rebels reportedly ambushed a police vehicle and 
a clash ensued.  On October 23 in the central district of 
Tanahu, a fourteen-year-old girl allegedly was shot and 
killed by members of the Royal Nepal Army (RNA).  The local 
press reported that the girl was killed after protesting 
against security personnel who were "roughing" up her 
father.  On October 28 the Ministry of Defense said the 
reports were disseminated without confirmation and published 
with the goal of "demoralizing the security forces." 
 
EDUCATIONAL SECTOR HIT HARD BY VIOLENCE 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶10.  The Maoist threat to schoolteachers has been a constant 
during the eight-year insurgency and the attacks continue. 
On October 29 in Ramechap District, rebels entered a 
classroom and broke the leg of a teacher.  A school 
principal was killed outside his home in Morang District on 
October 24, and insurgents in Therathum District abducted a 
teacher on October 24 who remains missing.  Appeals for the 
rebels to respect the educational sector have been ignored. 
 
¶11.  Members of several major donor countries, including 
Finland, Denmark, Norway and the European Union, along with 
representatives of the World Bank, Asian Development Bank 
and UNICEF, issued a joint statement on October 28 
condemning the shooting at a school in Doti District, which 
killed four students (Ref A).  The statement demands that 
schools be respected as zones of peace, and calls on both 
the government and the Maoists to take all possible measures 
to avoid civilian casualties, declaring that "there is no 
justification for the warring parties to bring their 
conflict within school grounds."  On September 25 the United 
Nation's Acting High Commissioner for Human Rights called 
for an investigation into the incident.  The GON has not 
issued a statement on the tragic event. 
 
SECURITY FORCES UNDER FIRE 
-------------------------- 
 
¶12.  Security forces are coming under criticism for alleged 
illegal detentions of civilians.  The local press reports 
that since the ceasefire between the Government of Nepal 
(GON) and the Maoists broke on August 27, almost sixty 
people have filed petitions against security forces for 
illegal detentions.  The press quoted an official at the 
Supreme Court as saying that it is the "highest number of 
detentions" in such a short time.  Eight journalists are 
among those seeking release.  Amnesty International (AI) 
also issued a statement on October 30, demanding to know the 
whereabouts of five individuals recently arrested by 
security forces for supplying rice to the insurgents. 
 
INSURGENCY CAUSING FOOD SHORTAGES 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶13.  Maoist activities and security concerns are causing 
food shortages in some of Nepal's hardest hit and remote 
regions.  The far-western regions of Accham, Darchula, 
Bajura and Bajhang are among the districts hit by Maoist- 
imposed blockades and embargoes, as well as the refusal of 
contractors to deliver goods out of fear of Maoist attacks. 
Employees of the Nepal Food Corporation (NFC) told the local 
press that food is available for delivery, but contractors, 
who have been harassed by Maoists in the past, have refused 
to make deliveries.  Erika Jorgensen, World Food Program 
(WFP) Country Director, said delay and obstruction in 
delivering food are one of the "major problems" facing 
development assistance programs.  Jorgenson said over 500 
tons of food last year went undelivered. 
 
BOGGS