Kathmandu, Apr. 19: Officials of Gurkha Army Ex-Servicemen’s Organisation (GAESO) said that they presented the issue related to their discrimination by the British government on perks and pensions at the 56th Session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) being held in Geneva.

This is an issue of human rights violation, they said at a programme held here this afternoon.

Presenting the agenda at the meeting, Lecturer in Anthropology at Tribhuvan University Dr. Om Gurung said that there had been discrimination by the British government against the Gurkha soldiers of Nepal who were employed in the British Army since the First World War, said a United Press Release circulated at the programme. “Despite all the sacrifices and services that these soldiers had so valiantly provided to the British government and to the world community by serving as UN peacekeepers, the Gurkhas were blatantly and persistently discriminated against by the British Army on the mere fact of their national origin and of being non-white and non-European,” the press release said.

The issue discussed under UNCHR’s agenda item on “indigenous issues” was tabled on behalf of World Federation of Democratic Youth, according to the GAESO officials who hoped that it would enter the upcoming UN General Assembly for discussion.

They said that the main objective of taking the issue to UNCHR was to draw the attention of the world body for the resolution of the conflict.

“We want to fight this battle legally, so we will knock on the door of the International Court of Justice if need be,” said GAESO legal advisor Yubraj Sangraula, who arrived here today after taking part in the UNCHR meeting.

He said that the ex-Gurkhas would welcome British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook during his visit to Nepal. “We will be glad to put our views if he calls us for discussion on this issue.”

The ex-Gurkhas have been fighting for facilities at par with their British counterparts. They continued their movement even after a recent rise in their pension citing that it was still discriminatory.