KATHMANDU, Jan. 9: The Gurkha Army Ex-Serviceman’s Association (GAESO) will submit claims for compensation on behalf of 300 surviving World War II Prisoners of War (PoW) and their widows to the British Defence Ministry next week. A two member delegation, including legal advisor, advocate Gopal Shivakoti and GAESO’s president Padam Bahadur Gurung, is leaving for London on Saturday. 
”We expect to submit the remaining claims by the end of January,” said Gurung, president of the GAESO. But, there is no dateline, he added.

After the London High Court decided in favour of the Gurkhas that all PoWs should be paid £10,000 in compensation, the British Defence Ministry appealed to review the case in the British Appellate Court two weeks ago, said Shivakoti.

But this will not stop us from claiming the compensation as we have already won the case, he said. 
Following the victory in the Gurkhas, some 50,000 Indians have also claimed compensation from the British government, a reason why the Ministry has appealed in the court to review the case.

“The Indian PoWs are not entitled to the compensation as India has reached a bi-lateral treaty with Japan not to claim any such compensation for Indian PoWs,” he argued.

Over 3,000 Nepalese were made PoWs in Second World War (1939-1945) by the Japanese in different war frontiers while fighting for the British.

British PoWs, however, received £10,000 in compensation from the Japanese government. The Gurkhas, who were unable to receive any, had filed a case in the British High Court seeking compensation. They won the case on November 27 last year.

“The victory in this case has opened new avenues for winning cases that are sub judice in the British court,” said Gurung.

Four cases relating to discrimination meted out to the Gurkhas are sub judice in the British High Court. These cases will be finalised by the end of February. “We are confident that we will win the cases which are being considered in London,” said Shivakoti.