Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, March 14:

The British Embassy here today stated that the British government has recently made an ex-gratia payment of £10,000 to the 578th Gurkha applicant, who was taken prisoner by Japanese soldiers in Singapore during the World War II. Though this is a significant number, there is still a large number of applicants yet to be processed and paid. The British government representatives, working to establish the authenticity of claims, are of the belief that there are still many more ex-Gurkhas who have a legitimate claim to this ex-gratia payment. Recipients of the ex-gratia payment have been found from all over Nepal, mostly western Nepal. A number of payments have been made to applicants living in India and the Fellow Prisoners of War (FEPOW) team will visit India again in May to accept and process applications from there.

The payment is made to Nepali citzens who served in the old British/Indian Army and who were taken Japanese prisoners of war in World War II. Widows, and in certain cases the State also, may claim if the soldier has died, said an embassy press statement issued today.

The team of British and locally employed personnel began accepting applications in April 2004. Since then, over 1,800 individuals from across Nepal and India have lodged a claim and over 1,500 of them have been interviewed.