VZCZCXYZ0001
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHKT #0024 0120352
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 120352Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1254
INFO RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 3425
RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 7610
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 2958
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 5651

UNCLAS KATHMANDU 000024 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/INS, PM/CBM, PM/PRO 
 
STATE FOR SCA/PPD, PA/RRU 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KMDR KPAO PGOV OPRC NP
SUBJ: MEDIA REACTION: NOBEL PEACE PRIZE 
 
¶1.   SUMMARY: Independent English-language weekly 
Newsfront (with circulation of 5,000), edited by a 
well known journalist in Nepal, published an OP-ED 
piece titled "Nobel peace prize for Koirala: Obama 
got it, why shouldn't he?" in its January 4-10, 2010 
issue.  The piece, written by a Nepali scholar 
studying at Oxford University in the UK, ridiculed 
the Nepal government's nomination of former Nepali 
Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala for the Nobel 
Peace Prize.  Comparing the nomination with 
President Obama's winning of the Prize, the piece 
implied that if it can go to one "wrong" person then 
it can go to another "wrong" person as well. 
 
EXCERPTS: 
 
¶2.  "Analysts forget the reality that the peace 
process [of Nepal] is slowly metamorphosing into a 
'war process.'  At least you should pray that the 
aged leader will be able to die in peace, and with 
peace.  Stockholm should not deprive him of a piece 
of peace." 
 
¶3.  "I don't know about the others, but I'm really 
hopeful, not least because the Nobel Prize appears 
to be decided by a highly capable and thoughtful 
panel.  They did a wonderful job of offering 
President Obama the Peace Prize without waiting to 
see if he would deliver on his promise to make the 
world a more peaceful place to live in.  Who knew he 
would be accepting his prize in Stockholm for his 
"slight achievements" days after taking a decision 
to escalate the Afghanistan conflict, borne out of 
US invasion, by committing extra 30,000 troops? 
Perhaps he might not have taken this step if he had 
not received the award? After all the price is set 
up under the name of the person who discovered 
dynamite.  Who says the peace prize should not go 
for someone promoting violence and warfare?" 
 
¶4.  "One of the difficulties the Nobel Committee is 
likely to face while considering Koirala is that 
they may hardly know anything about Nepal and 
Nepal's peace process.  The first thing they are 
likely to do is check the BBC Timeline, which alone 
may not be enough to reach a unanimous decision, 
even by their standards.  Nepal hardly matters to 
the world powers and therefore the western media 
does not care a tad bit about what goes on there. 
So it might be quite challenging for them to defend 
their support for Koirala before the largely- 
ignorant world audience." 
 
¶5.  "To overcome this problem, why don't they visit 
Nepal? I am pretty certain all politicians will 
support the nomination.  The Maoists will also 
support it as the Prize will give them the 
international exposure which they have been craving 
for long.  However, the Committee delegates should 
not make the mistake of talking to two sections - 
India and members of the public.  The former is 
furious that Gandhi was not awarded, and will insist 
that Koirala is nowhere near Gandhi.  They will also 
claim that it was not Koirala but India that 
brokered the peace deal in the first place.  On the 
other hand, people on the streets are furious that 
they cannot live in peace despite the much-hyped 
shanti prakriya [peace process] which is 
increasingly looking shanty.  They are likely to 
shout - "how can Koirala have a peace prize when 
nobody in the country enjoys peace?" 
 
ORDWAY