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DEPARTMENT OF SEBRIEFING MEMORANDUM

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THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES

:- Mr. SiscoFrom: NEA - Harold H. Saunders, ActingSikkimThe reports of trouble in Sikkim come as nosurprise. It has been clear for more than a monththat forces supporting Sikkimese Chief MinisterDorji and those behind the Chogyal were movingtoward a showdown. According to press reports,India has now forcibly disarmed the Palace Guards,the last vestige of real power left to the Chogyal;and we believe it probable his days are numbered.Shortly before the amendment to the Indianconstitution making Sikkim an associate state wentinto effect March 1, the Chogyal generated consid-erable criticism by his comments in Kathmandu(where he attended King Birendra's'coronation asa personal guest). He charged that Sikkim did nothave a fully responsible government and declared

he would leave "no stone unturned" in seeing Sikkim'sseparate identity preserved.With steadily increasing antagonism, theSikkim Congress first staged demonstrations againsthis return to Sikkim, then called several times forhis removal. Chief Minister Dorji also forbademembers of the government from meeting with theChogyal and refused to talk with him directly.There have also been charges that the Chogyal'sPalace Guard was being used to undermine Dorji oreven to assassinate him. India's Foreign SecretaryKewal Singh recently visited Gangtok and the GOIsubsequently warned the Chogyal not to'interfere"with the democratic process in Sikkim.We have no information on a "coup attemptreported in a ham radio broadcast from the Sikkim

-GDS--DECLASSIFIEDA/ISS/IPS, Department of State

E.O. 12958, as amendedOctober 11, 2007

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Palace and picked up in Tehran. Our guess isthat the broadcast may have been an effort bythe Chogyal to generate international support toforestall the disarming of his guard.We assume Delhi will be reporting fullywhen the facts become clearer.

We can expect some press and Congressionalinterest here if the Chogyal is in fact removed,especially because his wife, the former HopeCooke, is in the U.S. (She has made informalinquiries through intermediaries regarding proce-dures for her to remain here). There has beena steady stream of correspondence, for example,from a group called the Friends of Sikkim (SenatorPell and Congressman Symington are sponsors) urgingus to raise the Sikkim affair at the UN. We have "held to the line that we are not involved in thisproblem and see no reason to change our positionin light of current developments.

DECLASSIFIEDA/ISS/IPS, Department of State

E.O. 12958, as amendedOctober 11, 2007

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