2009-07-27 15:16:36

Nepal welcomes Gurka rights campaigner


(July 27, 2009) Hundreds of Gurkha veterans and their families turned out on Sunday to welcome British actress and campaigner Joanna Lumley in Kathmandu at the start of her first tour of the Himalayan nation, witnesses said. Britain announced in May that all Gurkha veterans who had served at least four years in the army were eligible for settlement in the United Kingdom after a campaign by Lumley, the star of the "Absolutely Fabulous" show, whose late father worked with the Gurkhas in the World War II. Prior to that decision, only those who retired after 1997 when the Gurkhas were rebased from Hong Kong to Britain were eligible. Gurkhas say there are about 26,000 ex-soldiers in Nepal who get a British pension. Analysts said the right to residency in Britain would help Gurkha veterans give quality education and job opportunities for their children - opportunities that are inadequate in Nepal. The Gurkhas, who hail from the foothills of the Himalayas, are known for their loyalty and fierce fighting skills. They have been serving the British army since 1815 when an agreement was struck by the British East India Company after it suffered heavy casualties during an invasion of Nepal. In recent years, the Gurkhas have served in the Falklands, Iraq and Afghanistan.








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