Friday, October 31, 2003
US declares Nepal Maoists security threat, freezes assets
Agence France-Presse Washington, October 31
The United States on Friday declared the insurgent Maoist Communist Party of Nepal to be a threat to US national security and froze the group's assets as part of sanctions.
Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage made the designation amid a spike in fighting between Nepalese troops and Maoist rebels, who want to overthrow the country's constitutional monarchy.
"I hereby determine that the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) ... Has committed, or poses a significant risk of committing, acts of terrorism that threaten the security of US nationals or the national security, foreign policy, or economy of the United States," Armitage said in a notice published in the Federal Register.
The notice listed several aliases for the organisation including the United Revolutionary People's Council, the People's Liberation Army of Nepal and the CPN (M), all of which are covered by the sanctions.
Rebels ended a seven-month ceasefire on August 27 after peace talks broke down, setting off the latest surge in fighting in which one human rights group said 1,092 people had died.
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