§ Mr. JenkinTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has made to the Government of Nepal concerning the treatment of former British Army Gurkhas in Nepal by the Gurkha Army Ex-Servicemen's Organisation; and if he will make a statement. [62219]
§ Mr. IngramThe Gurkha Army Ex-Servicemen's Organisation (GAESO) is one of a number of ex-Gurkha organisations based in Nepal. Unfortunately, there have been reports in the past of GAESO activists using threats of violence to extort money from former Gurkha soldiers. This is unacceptable intimidation of sometimes weak and vulnerable pensioners who have provided this country with dedicated service over many generations. In light of these reports, the then Minister for the Armed Forces, my right hon. Friend the Member for Warley (Mr. Spellar) wrote to the Prime Minister of Nepal in April 2000. Our concerns were also reinforced during subsequent visits to Nepal by my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State for Defence. The British Embassy in Kathmandu also maintain regular contact with the Nepalese Government and police authorities. There have been no reports of illicit fund raising since October 2001.