Falklands Gurkha betrayed
TAC Int Bloke
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 975
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I actually got a reply from Norman Lamb's office this time,
Though I suspect it might have something to do with this bit I left off the template
Cnuts
Dear Maple01,
Thank you for your message of 16 June, which I will pass on to Norman Lamb.
With Best Wishes,
James West
---------------------------------------------------
Parliamentary Office of Norman Lamb MP
Thank you for your message of 16 June, which I will pass on to Norman Lamb.
With Best Wishes,
James West
---------------------------------------------------
Parliamentary Office of Norman Lamb MP
Though I suspect it might have something to do with this bit I left off the template
I was disappointed to note that you failed to respond to my previous
e-mail concerning Tul Bahadur Pun VC, can you confirm that this was an
oversight by your support staff, that you did not receive the e-mail in
the first place or that you and your party are unconcerned with the
issues that affect ex-servicemen?
e-mail concerning Tul Bahadur Pun VC, can you confirm that this was an
oversight by your support staff, that you did not receive the e-mail in
the first place or that you and your party are unconcerned with the
issues that affect ex-servicemen?
Yes, Him
Join Date: Aug 1999
Location: West Sussex, UK
Posts: 2,689
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hmm, maybe he's not as idle as I thought, just received the following:
Dear Mr xxxxx
Thank you for your e-mail about the case of Lance Corporal Gyanendra
Rai. We have immediately made representations to the Home Secretary
and, as soon as we have a response, we will let you know.
Yours sincerely
Pippa Way
Office of Rt Hon Francis Maude MP
Dear Mr xxxxx
Thank you for your e-mail about the case of Lance Corporal Gyanendra
Rai. We have immediately made representations to the Home Secretary
and, as soon as we have a response, we will let you know.
Yours sincerely
Pippa Way
Office of Rt Hon Francis Maude MP
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: South Wales UK
Posts: 41
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Recieved a hand written letter from the House of Commons sent by my MP today with a copy of a letter he has sent to Des Browne at the MOD so at least my MP acts on matters raised by his constituents.
Regards,
Steve.
Regards,
Steve.
Last edited by swp53; 20th Jun 2007 at 18:45.
My email to Liam Byrne, and reply from his office, all very bureaucratic and soulless so it must be genuine! Lets hope they get shed loads more and decide discretion is....well they'd have to seek advice from the Gurkhas for the rest!
Glad to see WO Pun VC will be arriving LHR 4th July, courtesy of Virgin, well done them. Lets make him feel very welcome!
Dear Mr. Byrne,
I trust that you are aware of the case of the above named ex Gurkha, who has been denied entry to this country as he has failed to show close enough links with it. He served in the Gurkha's for 14 years, he fought and was badly wounded in the Falklands conflict, nearly dying of his wounds. Just how much closer could his links be with us? If he fails to meet the criteria, then I suspect most of us would fail them also, myself included! He needs urgent medical treatment for the effects of the wounds that he sustained on our behalf. Whatever the regulations say, they can be changed. Our moral obligation to this faithful and brave ex-soldier cannot be changed, and to flout them brings shame on us all. Please reconsider Mr. Rai's application to come here and allow it. We would be honoured by his being amongst us. Reject him and we are dishonoured. Do the right thing and let him come here, and stay here if that is his wish.
Thank you, for your email. Your support for Corporal Gyanendra Rai (retd) ex !st/7th Gurkha Rifles
has been noted and your email will be forwarded to the case file for future reference.
Joan Dulieu
Public Correspondence Team
Lunar House
I trust that you are aware of the case of the above named ex Gurkha, who has been denied entry to this country as he has failed to show close enough links with it. He served in the Gurkha's for 14 years, he fought and was badly wounded in the Falklands conflict, nearly dying of his wounds. Just how much closer could his links be with us? If he fails to meet the criteria, then I suspect most of us would fail them also, myself included! He needs urgent medical treatment for the effects of the wounds that he sustained on our behalf. Whatever the regulations say, they can be changed. Our moral obligation to this faithful and brave ex-soldier cannot be changed, and to flout them brings shame on us all. Please reconsider Mr. Rai's application to come here and allow it. We would be honoured by his being amongst us. Reject him and we are dishonoured. Do the right thing and let him come here, and stay here if that is his wish.
Thank you, for your email. Your support for Corporal Gyanendra Rai (retd) ex !st/7th Gurkha Rifles
has been noted and your email will be forwarded to the case file for future reference.
Joan Dulieu
Public Correspondence Team
Lunar House
nt and I am not impressed!!
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: England
Posts: 964
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I really think that once we get Mr Pun VC in on 4th July, the media coverage will be massive, and if the old boy voices his concerns about the veteran Ghurkas then we will be on to a winner to establish a campaigne to allow all of OUR soldiers who have fought for OUR country to recieve the full thanks and benifits we have to offer if they should choose to have it. I don't give a hoot what nationality they are, if they have sworn an oath of allegience to our Queen or her Father, the previous King then on that alone they deserve every hospitality we can afford them. Carribean, South African, Nepalese, Indian, Austrailian, Kiwi etc etc etc. Anyone who opposes cannot be military, therefore has never taken an oath of allegience, swearing thier life to the monarch, so do not even dare to reply!
Cool Mod
Join Date: Apr 1998
Location: 18nm N of LGW
Posts: 6,185
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I wrote to Liam Byrne - but didn't get a reply. Why am I not surprised? The indifference they show to questions of concern from the people they are supposed to represent is typical of this government. I for one hope we see the back of them soon.
I also wrote to my MP, Paul Birstow (Lib Dem), and he did reply and will include his name in support.
I also wrote to my MP, Paul Birstow (Lib Dem), and he did reply and will include his name in support.
TAC Int Bloke
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 975
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
From Viscount Slim
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Sl..._Viscount_Slim
Son of
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William..._Viscount_Slim
This government is *******with the wrong people
Dear Maple
How kind of you to write and I share your views completely. The only thing I can say is that I think the ruling, though I am in the process of finding out, is that a Gurkha has to have spent 15 years in the Army before being considered for UK residency. I maybe completely wrong but I have sent your letter to the right quarters and asked for ruling and support.
This FCO and Home Office ruling 'he failed to demonstrate that he had strong ties to the UK' is absolute nonsense and cannot be substantiated. What stronger ties can you have than giving many good years of service to the Queen and Country .
Again thank you for writing.
Yours sincerely
Slim
How kind of you to write and I share your views completely. The only thing I can say is that I think the ruling, though I am in the process of finding out, is that a Gurkha has to have spent 15 years in the Army before being considered for UK residency. I maybe completely wrong but I have sent your letter to the right quarters and asked for ruling and support.
This FCO and Home Office ruling 'he failed to demonstrate that he had strong ties to the UK' is absolute nonsense and cannot be substantiated. What stronger ties can you have than giving many good years of service to the Queen and Country .
Again thank you for writing.
Yours sincerely
Slim
Son of
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William..._Viscount_Slim
This government is *******with the wrong people
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
Thank you from Rod Liddle of the Sunday Times/Spectator reference Gurkha Pun VC posted on Jet Blast, for those that hadn't seen it.
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Farnham, Surrey
Posts: 326
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Got this just now. At least he has responded;
Dear JohnFairr
Thank you very much for your email regarding the treatment of Gurkha
Corporal Gyenendra Rai for wounds sustained during the Falklands
conflict.
I hope you will appreciate that, without knowing the all the facts, I amirr
not in a position to comment in detail on Mr Rai's case.
However, I do recognise that, time and time again, the Gurkhas have
proved their calibre, having won 13 Victoria Crosses since they were
first recruited in 1815. Their motto - "better to die than be a coward"
- reveals their tremendous dedication and commitment to providing some
of the best soldiers in the world.
As I understand it, the Government amended the immigration rules in 2004
to allow those Gurkhas that have given more than four years service to
the British Army to be entitled to remain in the United Kingdom
indefinitely, as long as they were discharged from service after 1st
July 1997. This was the date when the Gurkhas became a UK-based force,
following withdrawal from their previous base in Hong Kong. Although
those that were discharged prior to this date are not covered by this
new rule, they can still apply to remain in the UK. However, they must
be able to demonstrate close personal ties with the UK, such as children
being educated here, and the discretion to grant leave to remain on this
basis remains with the Home Office.
I will of course forward your letter to the Home Secretary so that he is
aware of your concerns about Mr Pun's situation and let you know as soon
as I get a reply. I hope that we can put pressure on the government to
treat him with the fairness and dignity he deserves.
Once again, thank you for taking the time to write to me. Please do not
hesitate to get in touch if I can be of further assistance.
Best wishes,
Jeremy Hunt
I assume that whoever ends up as Home Secretary after the Wednesday shenaniggans willfile this at the bottom of their "Too Hard" tray!!
jf
Dear JohnFairr
Thank you very much for your email regarding the treatment of Gurkha
Corporal Gyenendra Rai for wounds sustained during the Falklands
conflict.
I hope you will appreciate that, without knowing the all the facts, I amirr
not in a position to comment in detail on Mr Rai's case.
However, I do recognise that, time and time again, the Gurkhas have
proved their calibre, having won 13 Victoria Crosses since they were
first recruited in 1815. Their motto - "better to die than be a coward"
- reveals their tremendous dedication and commitment to providing some
of the best soldiers in the world.
As I understand it, the Government amended the immigration rules in 2004
to allow those Gurkhas that have given more than four years service to
the British Army to be entitled to remain in the United Kingdom
indefinitely, as long as they were discharged from service after 1st
July 1997. This was the date when the Gurkhas became a UK-based force,
following withdrawal from their previous base in Hong Kong. Although
those that were discharged prior to this date are not covered by this
new rule, they can still apply to remain in the UK. However, they must
be able to demonstrate close personal ties with the UK, such as children
being educated here, and the discretion to grant leave to remain on this
basis remains with the Home Office.
I will of course forward your letter to the Home Secretary so that he is
aware of your concerns about Mr Pun's situation and let you know as soon
as I get a reply. I hope that we can put pressure on the government to
treat him with the fairness and dignity he deserves.
Once again, thank you for taking the time to write to me. Please do not
hesitate to get in touch if I can be of further assistance.
Best wishes,
Jeremy Hunt
I assume that whoever ends up as Home Secretary after the Wednesday shenaniggans willfile this at the bottom of their "Too Hard" tray!!
jf
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Near a former secret airbase somewhere in Wiltshire
Age: 77
Posts: 29
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
What have we become?
Salman Rushdie, who did exactly what for the country? gets a knighthood and Lance Corporal Rai gets the elbow!
What have we become?
Perhaps Lance Corporal Rai should claim political asylum as a refugee from severe hardship.
The FCO's treatment of a loyal servant of this nation is despicable, morally reprehensible, ugly, vile, unworthy, wretched (sorry, my dictionary has run out of synonyms).
Still, it's not surprising, loyalty, patriotism, integrity, a sense of fair play and a sense of duty are outmoded concepts and politically incorrect and those who hold these concepts dear are clearly dinosaurs who have no place in the "real" world.
I despair
TPD
What have we become?
Perhaps Lance Corporal Rai should claim political asylum as a refugee from severe hardship.
The FCO's treatment of a loyal servant of this nation is despicable, morally reprehensible, ugly, vile, unworthy, wretched (sorry, my dictionary has run out of synonyms).
Still, it's not surprising, loyalty, patriotism, integrity, a sense of fair play and a sense of duty are outmoded concepts and politically incorrect and those who hold these concepts dear are clearly dinosaurs who have no place in the "real" world.
I despair
TPD