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DE RUEHC #8551/01 1282017
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O 072011Z MAY 08
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO ALL DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR POSTS COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
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RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
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RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI IMMEDIATE 0304
INFO RUESBKC/ATO ASIA IMMEDIATE 1655

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 048551 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CASC ASEC NP
SUBJECT: TRAVEL WARNING - NEPAL 
 
¶1.  This Travel Warning updates safety and security 
information for travelers to Nepal.  The Department of 
State remains concerned about the security situation in 
Nepal and urges American citizens to obtain updated 
security information before they travel and to be prepared 
to change their plans on short notice.  This supersedes 
the Travel Warning for Nepal issued on February 25, 2008. 
 
¶2.  Nepal continues to experience sporadic incidents of 
terrorism and politically-motivated violence in major 
urban areas.  In the run-up to Constituent Assembly 
elections on April 10, bombings occurred in various 
locations around the country, including four bombings in 
the capital, Kathmandu, on April 4, in which no one was 
injured.  In September 2007, near-simultaneous blasts at 
three locations in Kathmandu killed three persons and 
injured scores of commuters and bystanders, many of them 
seriously.  Nepalese police believe that the Improvised 
Explosive Devices were planted intentionally where people 
congregate, and in a moving microbus carrying passengers. 
American citizens are reminded to remain on high alert, 
avoid public transportation (including travel by 
microbus), and be cautious of unattended baggage in public 
places, including airports and bus depots. 
 
¶3.  In November 2006, a Comprehensive Peace Agreement 
(CPA) was signed by the Government and the Communist Party 
of Nepal (Maoist), a U.S. designated terrorist 
organization.  Following that agreement, the former 
insurgents joined the interim parliament and, 
subsequently, the interim government.  However, since the 
signing of the CPA, the Maoists have continued to engage 
in violence, extortion, and abductions. The Young 
Communist League, a Maoist subgroup, continues to extort 
and abuse people, including threatening Kathmandu-based 
personnel of a U.S. Non-Governmental Organization. 
 
¶4.  Various armed groups emerged in 2007, primarily in the 
Terai region along the southern border with India, and 
insurgent violence has affected trade and travel in that 
area.  Ethnic tensions in the Terai region have spawned 
violent clashes with police, strikes, demonstrations, and 
closures of the border with India. The U.S. Embassy 
strongly recommends against non-essential travel to this 
region. 
 
¶5.  While widespread protests have abated, the potential 
for demonstrations and disruptions remains high.  During 
demonstrations, protestors have used violence, including 
burning vehicles, throwing rocks and burning tires to 
block traffic.  Given the nature, intensity and 
unpredictability of disturbances, American citizens are 
urged to exercise special caution during times when 
demonstrations are announced, avoid areas where 
demonstrations are occurring or crowds are forming, avoid 
road travel, and maintain a low profile.  Curfews can be 
announced with little or no advance notice, and American 
citizens are urged to consult media sources and the 
Embassy's website, http://nepal.usembassy.gov for current 
security information. 
 
¶6.  Crime in the Kathmandu Valley, including violent crime 
and harassment of women, has continued to increase since 
April 2006, and police are unwilling or unable to arrest 
criminals who claim Maoist affiliation.  Travel via road 
in areas outside of the Kathmandu Valley is hazardous due 
to erratic drivers and frequent road accidents, and should 
be avoided.  Police have reported a number of robberies by 
armed gangs; in some cases victims were attacked and 
injured.  The U.S. Embassy reports an increase in crime in 
some popular tourist areas.  Visitors to Nepal should 
 
STATE 00048551  002 OF 002 
 
 
practice good personal security when moving about, 
especially at night, and avoid walking alone after dark 
and carrying large sums of cash or wearing expensive 
jewelry.  In several reported incidents tourists have had 
their belongings stolen from their rooms while they were 
asleep.  Solo trekkers have been robbed by small groups of 
young men, even on some popular trails. 
 
¶7.  Almost all U.S. official travel outside the Kathmandu 
Valley, including by air, requires specific clearance by 
the U.S. Embassy's Regional Security Officer.  As a 
result, emergency assistance to U.S. citizens may be 
limited.  Active duty U.S. military and Department of 
Defense contractors must obtain a country clearance for 
official and unofficial travel to Nepal. 
 
¶8.  Although the Government of Nepal no longer considers 
the Maoists to be terrorists, the U.S. Government's 
designation of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) as a 
"Specially Designated Global Terrorist" organization under 
Executive Order 13224 and its inclusion on the "Terrorist 
Exclusion List" pursuant to the Immigration and 
Nationality Act remain in effect.  These two designations 
make Maoists excludable from entry into the United States 
and bar U.S. citizens from transactions such as 
contribution of funds, goods, or services to, or for the 
benefit of, the Maoists. 
 
¶9.  For additional information, please refer to "A Safe 
Trip Abroad" found at http://travel.state.gov.  Americans 
living or traveling in Nepal are encouraged to register 
with the U.S. Embassy through the State Department's 
travel registration website.  The Consular Section of the 
U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu is located at Maharajgunj.  The 
telephone number is 977-1-4007200, 4007201.  The number 
for after-hours emergencies is 977-1-4007266,4007269.  The 
fax number is 977-1-4007281.  The Consulate's e-mail 
address is consktm@state.gov and its Internet web page is 
http://nepal.usembassy.gov.  U.S. citizens should also 
consult the Department of State's latest Travel Warning 
for Nepal, Country Specific Information for Nepal and the 
Worldwide Caution, available at http://travel.state.gov. 
Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by 
calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the United States and 
Canada or, for callers outside the United States and 
Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444.  These 
numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern 
time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal 
holidays). 
 
¶10. Minimize considered. 
RICE