VZCZCXRO8864
PP RUEHCI
DE RUEHKT #1180/01 3651127
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 311127Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1225
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 7262
RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO PRIORITY 7602
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA PRIORITY 2948
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 5643
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RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 3417
RUEHCI/AMCONSUL KOLKATA PRIORITY 4901
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 2506
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 3786
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KATHMANDU 001180 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM NP
SUBJECT: NEPAL:  ARMY'S TRANSITION TO PEACETIME 
 
REF: KATHMANDU 1178 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  Morale and discipline remain high in the 
Nepal Army (NA) despite restrictions on training and the 
instability of the Government of Nepal (GON).  EmbOffs found, 
 during a trip to Western Nepal, the NA suffers from a severe 
shortage of supplies, and the soldiers do not receive pay on 
a regular basis.  NA officers reaffirmed their commitment to 
the GON and vowed to remain apolitical regardless of which 
political party is in control.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) EmbOffs visited the 5th Brigade in the Kailali 
District, the 4th Brigade in the Banke District, the 22nd 
Brigade in the Rupandehi District, and the Jwala Dal 
Battalion located in the Bardiya District.  The units had not 
conducted any combat operations since the end of the 
insurgency and no incidents had occurred between the local 
People's Liberation Army (PLA) cantonment camps or armed 
groups.  Training supplies, to include ammunition and spare 
parts, were in short supply due to the Comprehensive Peace 
Accord (CPA), which permits only non-lethal assistance.  The 
CPA also confines NA units to military bases, limiting their 
ability to conduct large scale exercises. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) The limited availability of military supplies and 
prohibition against large-scale exercises led senior officers 
to question the readiness of the NA.  Brigadier General Hari 
Bahadur Basnet, commander of the 4th brigade in Nepalgunj, in 
the Banke District, noted that although the quality of his 
soldiers has not decreased since the end of the insurgency, 
NA capabilities have declined due to the lack of supplies and 
training opportunities.  Other NA officers said they 
understood that the NA's capabilities could never match those 
of neighboring China or India, and deduced the current size 
of 95,000 personnel was too large for Nepal.  These officers 
believed the size of the NA should be reduced to the 
pre-insurgency level of 40,000. 
 
Anti-Poaching Operations Maintain Military Effectiveness 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
¶4.  (SBU) The Jwala Dal Battalion in Bardiya District was 
responsible for anti-poaching operations in the Bardiya 
National Park.  The CPA explicitly permits the NA to protect 
national parks.  The park includes 18 NA outposts with 93 
civilian park staff employees and covers an area of 698 
square kilometers.  NA officers estimated that approximately 
30 poachers are arrested each month.  Following their arrest 
the poachers are turned over to local law enforcement 
authorities.  As part of these anti-poaching efforts, the NA 
regularly conducts patrols which may last up to three days. 
These operations are one of the few effective ways for the NA 
to maintain and develop patrolling techniques. 
 
Army Maintains Quality Standard of Living 
----------------------------------------- 
¶5.  (SBU) Soldiers live in concrete barracks with concrete 
floors.  The beds are constructed of cement and soldiers are 
equipped with a sleeping pad, blankets and sheets.  Extra 
uniforms are  stored in metal foot lockers located at the end 
of the beds.  Some of the barracks have satellite televisions 
and internet connectivity is available in separate 
outbuildings.  The dining facilities are clean and served 
traditional Nepali food twice a day.  A delay in the budget 
approval process meant the soldiers had gone for over a month 
without pay.  However, the soldiers appeared unfazed and said 
they had faith they would be paid when the money became 
available.  (Note:  This trip to Western Nepal coincided with 
visits to both military and police units.  EmbOffs noted that 
the cleanliness and quality of life of the NA far exceeded 
that of the Nepal Police (reftel).) 
 
Homogeneity in Personnel 
------------------------ 
¶6.  (SBU)  The NA is comprised mainly of male, Hindu 
soldiers.  The 4th Brigade contains only one female, a 
lieutenant who stated that she had not experienced harassment 
problems and was provided her own living quarters.  She was 
 
KATHMANDU 00001180  002 OF 002 
 
 
satisfied with her choice to join the military and was very 
proud to be an army officer.  There are also very few 
non-Hindu soldiers in the NA.  The 5th brigade contains one 
Muslim soldier, even though three to five percent of the 
Nepali population is Muslim, with the majority living in 
Nepal's southern Terai region.  (Note:  A NA Brigade consist 
of 3,000 to 3,500 personnel.)  The 4th Brigade maintained 
good relations with the local Muslim community.   The grave 
of a local Imam is located within the 4th Brigade 
Headquarters, 50 feet from the barracks.  NA soldiers 
maintain the grave and sweep the site daily.  Members of the 
local Muslim community visit the grave monthly in order to 
change the traditional cloth. 
 
Comment 
------- 
¶7.  (SBU) Following the end of the insurgency, the NA has 
found itself without a clear purpose and looking for 
direction.  The soldiers admitted the NA is too small to be a 
deterrent against India or China and too big for 
post-insurgency Nepal.  Conflicts within Nepal have 
transformed into civil matters handled by civil authorities, 
such as the Nepal Police.  Even so, the NA continues to be a 
well-disciplined, experienced army with dedicated leadership 
whose members view the army as the last bastion of stability 
in a country plagued with political infighting. 
ORDWAY