Nepal Information British Gurkhas in Nepal

British Gurkhas in Nepal

October 2003

Baglung: Maoists rebels abduct British Army Gurkha officier

Maoist rebels in the remote Lekhani Village Development Committee abducted five persons, including Brigadier General of the British Army. The British Army has been recruiting Nepalese men for nearly 200 years. At least one British army officer is thought to be among five people reportedly abducted by Maoist rebels in Nepal. The group were part of a mission to recruit Gurkhas in the remote Baglung region, northwest of Kathmandu. They had gone to the nearby villages to pick up Nepali youths for recruitment in the British-Gorkha Army. Earlier, the five-member team had left for Lekhani VDC from Dudilabhat VDC to select youths vying for the British-Gorkha regiment. The team had already picked up more than 200 youths from the areas for the first round of selection before their abduction, locals said.

January 2007

A team of Gurkhas who have recently retired have begun monitoring the decommissioning of weapons held by Maoist rebels in Nepal. They will be assisting the United Nations until the world body can bring the full quotient of its own monitors to the country. For nearly 200 years, Gurkhas have been recruited from the Nepalese hills to the British and Indian armies. They have won international fame for their fighting skills. And for them to be deployed in their country of origin is thought to be unprecedented. (Source: BBC Asia)