UK did not accept proposal: PM Oli

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli today said that the joint communiqué – issued after the meeting between Nepali him and his British counterpart Theresa May – did not spell revision of Nepal-India-UK Tripartite Agreement on Gurkha recruitment as the British side did not accept the proposal.
Saying that he has proposed the British government to revise the 1947 tripartite agreement (TPA) among Nepal, Britain and India about the recruitment of Gurkha soldiers in Indian and British armies, Prime Minister Oli, informed that the British government, however, did not consider the proposal, and it did not even include the issue in the joint communiqué.
Talking to journalists at a press meet upon his arrival from three-country Europe visit today organised at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), Oli said that he had proposed revision of the TPA and replace it with a new agreement between Nepal and the UK. “But the British side did not accept it.”
The joint communiqué only includes issues that are easily acceptable to both sides, according to diplomatic norms. Though, foreign minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali and other government officials – earlier – claimed that Nepal’s proposal to revise the treaty was one of the biggest achievements of PM’s Europe trip, it was not included in the joint communiqué.
The joint communiqué released at the end of Oli’s UK visit reads that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the United Kingdom and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nepal acknowledged the long and distinguished service of Gurkhas in the British Army. The two sides recognised Gurkhas as a vital link in strengthening bilateral relations. Going forward, both sides agreed to continue discussion on Gurkha matters.
Oli, during his talks with May, claimed that he has proposed a new bilateral agreement – encompassing recruitment, retirement, and post-retirement situation of Gurkhas, in line with the changed context – replacing the old TPA signed after India became independent from the UK in 1947.
The two governments decided to split Gurkha regiments between the British and Indian armies as it quit India. “The TPA has now become very old, and it cannot guide and control our present needs,” he said, adding that it is obvious, not impulsive, that Nepal seek a revision. “It is not that the agreement should always remain tripartite, we can also go for bilateral agreement.”
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Oli has been forced to raise the issue with Britain as the former British Gurkhas have been staging protests in both Nepal and the UK demanding pay, pension, and other facilities equal to British nationals. The Gurkha veterans have demanded that besides providing equal pension, the British government should compensate the entire amount – that comes around Rs 1.2 trillion apart from the regular pension of around Rs 36 billion every year – which former and serving Gurkhas did not receive over the years due to discrimination against them in terms of pay, pension and other facilities.
The Ex British Gurkha said that they would continue their protest unless the government made concrete efforts towards addressing their demands by forming a high-level dialogue team in line with the ‘Report of the technical committee on Gurkha veterans’ prepared by a tripartite committee. The report has documented the discrimination faced by British Gurkhas over the years. It was submitted to both the governments on 22 March, 2018.
The Parliamentary International Relations Committee – in the second week of March – had also directed a high-level talks team of the government to hold dialogue with the British government in line with the report.
Coordinator of Gurkha Satyagraha United Struggle Committee Krishna Bahadur Rai said that their struggle will continue until the Nepal government – keeping Gurkha veterans in the loop – formally writes to the British government seeking formation of the high-level talks team to implement the ‘Report of the technical committee on Gurkha veterans’, which the British government has accepted but is waiting formal invitation for a bilateral talks.
The Ex Gurkhas have given Nepal government an ultimatum that it should form a talks team by July 1. “Otherwise, we will start a decisive protest against both the governments,” Rai said.

PM Oli for revising Gurkha recruitment pact

Nepal has proposed to revise the tripartite Nepal-India-UK agreement on Gurkha recruitment inked in 1947 to address the demand of the changed time and context.
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has proposal – during his talks with British Prime Minister Theresa May yesterday held at her office at 10 Downing Street in London – to revise the tripartite agreement and sign agreement between Nepal and the United Kingdom, according to a press note issued by the Foreign Ministry.
“During the talks, the PM Oli told his British counterpart that the tripartite agreement has become obsolete,” the note reads, adding that a new agreement between Nepal and the UK will encompass recruitment, retirement and post-retirement situation of Gurkhas.
The current pact permits the governments of the United Kingdom and India to recruit Nepali citizens in their armies.
Though, May has already resigned from her post and is presently a caretaker, she assured premier Oli that she would convey his proposal to her successor.
The government is under pressure from the ex British Gurkhas, who have been protesting in Nepal and the UK demanding equal pay, pension and other facilities with British nationals.
The former Gurkhas have also demanded that besides equal pension, the British government should compensate them the entire amount that former and serving Gurkhas did not receive over the years due to discrimination against them in terms of pay, pension and other facilities. “The amount comes to around 1.2 trillion including compensation,” according to coordinator of the Struggle Committee Krishna Bahadur Rai, who have been making rounds of Baluwater – the official residence of Prime Minister in Kathmandu – every time he comes to Kathmandu.
After the long protest, the British government has started providing equal pay and pension to Gurkhas from 2007. Since Gurkhas retire after 15 years of service, those who were recruited after 1993 retired after 2007, and became eligible for equal pension. But those who retired before 2007 are deprived of equal pay and facilities for their service.
Rai said that the British government is ready to pay the compensation but only after the government-to-government talks with Nepal. “We have requested the Prime Minister Oli to take initiative to hold government-to-government talks and pave the way to get around Rs 1.2 trillion compensation and around Rs 36 billion annually thereafter in increased pension amount every year,” he said, the British government has already sent a letter to Nepal to hold the talks.
He also demanded that the British government implement the ‘Report of The Technical Committee on Gurkha Veterans’ that calls for providing serving and former Gurkhas pay, pension, and other facilities equal to those paid to British soldiers. The report was prepared by ‘The Gurkha Technical Committee’ comprising officials from the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence and officials from the Embassy of Nepal in the United Kingdom, together with representatives of Gurkha veterans groups. It was submitted to both governments on March 22, 2018.
Rai – during the meeting with the Prime Minister Oli in Baluwater in April – had asked to take a strong stand to ensure implementation of the report. He said that there is no reason why the British government delays implementation of the tripartite committee.
Rai explained that those Gurkha, who were recruited from 1975 to 1993 retired before 2007 and were deprived of equal pay, pension and facilities. “Likewise, those who served the British Army from 1947 to 1975 when there was no provision for pension were not provided equal pay and facilities,” he said remembering that the Gurkhas discrimination began after the adoption of ‘Brigade of Gurkhas Standing Instruction’ in 1949 that provisioned disparity in pay, pension and other facilities. “The standing instructions were against the tripartite agreement of 1947 that states Gurkhas will be treated on the same footing as the other units in the parent army.”
Rai welcoming the Oli’s proposal for the revision of the tripartite agreement, said they would continue their agitation unless the government made concrete efforts towards addressing their demands by forming a high-level dialogue team in line with the ‘Report of The Technical Committee on Gurkha Veterans’.
The Parliamentary International Relations Committee had also – in March – directed the government to form a high-level talks team to hold dialogue with the British government to implement the report.
Former Gurkhas have asked the government to form talks teams before a July 1 or face the music.
According to the press note from the Foreign Ministry, the two PMs, on the occasion, deliberated on the various aspects of the 203 years old bilateral relations between the two nations and expressed satisfaction on the relationship that is based on trust and cooperation. “British Prime Minister May stressed concluding the Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (BIPPA) and Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) between the two countries at the earliest,” it reads, adding that investment climate in Nepal will become even better, with the signing of these two agreements.
PM Oli is in an eight-day entourage – from June 8 to June 15 – of Europe.