Important Security Announcement for American Citizens in Nepal

The Embassy has received information about Young Communist League (YCL) cadre approaching residents of Kathmandu in a sustained information campaign. YCL cadre resumed their door to door campaign in the Kathmandu Valley on Tuesday, July 10, 2007 and may continue this effort until early September. The purpose of this campaign is to inform residents of "positive" YCL activities in their specific neighborhoods. This campaign originally occurred during the final two weeks of June. The YCL, a Maoist paramilitary organization, has been roundly criticized, including by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, for its continued use of violence and intimidation.

The Embassy encourages American citizens and their locally employed staff (LES) to not permit strangers into their yards or houses. Do not feel compelled to supply information or invite strangers into your home. If you do agree to talk with a YCL cadre, however, always be selective with the detail and amount of personal information you share (for example, do not provide specific information about the number of men/women living in the house nor any information concerning your monetary assets). Be polite and listen to the information supplied and accept any letters offered.

If the YCL cadre attempt to threaten or extort money from you, please report the situation to American Citizen Services (ACS) at the Consular Section @ 444-5577 and ask for the ACS unit and/or the Regional Security Office (RSO) @ 441-1179 at the Embassy. Americans can also send an email to consktm@state.gov. The Embassy will keep all personal information about Americans confidential.

For further information about security conditions in Nepal, American citizens are encouraged to refer to the Consular Information Sheet for Nepal and the current Travel Warning for Nepal issued on May 07, 2007 (http://travel.state.gov). American citizens are also encouraged to refer to the Worldwide Caution Public Announcement for additional travel safety and security information. These documents are available on the homepage of the Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs at http://travel.state.gov and the American Embassy in Nepal's home page at http://nepal.usembassy.gov. The State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs maintains an information line at 1-888-407-4747 toll free or (202) 501-4444 Monday through Friday (excluding U.S. Government holidays) from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Specific information may also be obtained by calling the Embassy at 977-1-444-5577 during working hours and at 977-1-441-1179 during evenings and weekends and asking for the American Citizen Services unit of the Consular Section.