| ashu |
Posted
on 10-Mar-01 11:06 AM
Hi everyone.
I'm having a very informative and educational
time attending a conference this week-end, organized
by the Ex-Gorkha servicemen in Kathmandu.
Special appreciation for Mr. Om Gurung, a Cornell
PhD, for taking leadership to invite "non-Gorkha
soldier" type of people like myself in the
conference.
Visiting British lawyers and human rights activists
have argued, with evidence that even British domestic laws and International laws and regulations do NOT allow discrimination
in pay, pension schemes and other facilities against
the past and present Gorkha soldiers serving in
the British army.
To learn more about the struggles of our fellow
Nepalis, ex-British Gorkha soldiers, please read
the newspapers of this week-end, and
also check out:
www.nepalonline.net/gaeso
oohi
ashu
********************************
MARCH 9-11, 2001
KATHMANDU, NEPAL
Nepalis have served the British in a military capacity since 1815. The record of these soldiers, known as "Gurkhas", is renowned worldwide. For nearly 200 years the British have praised Gurkhas to the skies for their loyalty, bravery and exceptional military skills.
Their record on the battlefield in war and in peace-keeping missions attests these qualities. Yet when it comes to fair and equal treatment, the British record is tarnished. Where British Gurkhas are concerned, the colonial legacy of discriminatory treatment of "native" soldiers persists till today.
But the colonial era is over. Retired Gurkha soldiers have been raising their collective voice for fair and equal treatment for the past decade. In response the British government has made certain concessions in matters of pay and pensions, but has consistently rejected the basic principle of equality with British soldiers.
Recently some British tabloids have even resorted to a smear campaign against ex-Gurkhas who insist on the basic principle of equality. The British stance is clearly contrary to internationally recognized standards of human rights, and in violation of Britain's Race Discrimination Act. All who are concerned to see such colonial legacies brought to an end are heartily invited to attend the upcoming conference.
OBJECTIVES
* to discuss the situation of Gurkhas in the British Army, including issues of racial Discrimination and equal pay for equal work
* to examine the difficult situation of many ex-Gurkhas and their families in Nepal
* to review the case for equal treatment of Gurkhas in all matters of service, and for ending the two-tiered system that exists within the British Army at present
* to discuss avenues of redress for human rights violations against Gurkhas, including the British judicial system, the United Nations, and the European Court of Human Rights
* to prepare to raise the issue of racial discrimination against British Gurkhas at International forums such as the 57th Session of UN Commission on Human Rights and the UN World Conference on Racism to be held in South Africa in 2001.
* To prepare grounds for compensation to prisoners of War (POW)of the Second World War.
* To document individual cases of war veterans who were sent back empty handed under redundancy policy of the British army immediately, after bloody battles of world war II and ask for appropriate compensation and /or reparations and rehabilitation for them and their widows and families.
* to argue the case for review of the 1947 Tripartite Agreement on Gurkha recruitment Which Britain continues to claim prevents equal treatment (despite equal treatment Being a provision of the treaty)
|
