Queen to visit Nepal

Press, 13 February 1986, Page 20

Queen to visit Nepal

By

KEDAR MAN SINGH,

of Agence France Press, in Katmandu

The alleged persecution of Christians in Nepal and the fate of the 5000 Gurkhas in Hong Kong are likely to crop up on the agenda when Queen Elizabeth II arrives in Nepal for a State visit on February 17. Nepal, the third least developed of the world’s 16 poorest countries, is hoping the four-day

visit will reap increased aid from its leading European Economic Community donor. After 170 years of uninterrupted friendship, Nepal’s only fear in its future relationship with Britain centres on the fate of more than 5000 Gurkhas serving in Hong Kong after the British colony transfers to Chinese sovereignty in 1997, an official source said.

This landlocked kingdom receives about £lO million ($NZ36.5 million) annually in gratuities, pensions, and salaries through its Gurkha service to the British Army. London also gives Nepal an average £lO million a year for communications development, currently in setting up a medium size earth satellite station, in recognition of the Gurkhas’ service in the two World Wars and in the Falklands war. Curtailment of the Gurkha force in Hong Kong would cut Nepal’s foreign exchange earnings, and Nepal wants the force continued after 1997. The inclusion of the British Foreign Secretary, Geoffrey Howe, in the Queen’s entourage will give Nepal an opportunity to discuss the Gurkhas’ future in Hong Kong, an official source said. Another sensitive issue expected to come up in Mr Howe’s talks with his Nepalese counterpart, Padma Bahadur Khatri, is the question of religious freedom for the Christian minority in Hindu Nepal. A delegation from Christian Solidarity International headed by a British M.P., David Atkinson, toured Nepal last month and reported discrimination and torture. The Nepalese source said there was no religious discrimination in Nepal, and pointed out that the number of Nepalese Christians had increased ten-fold in four years. The source said Mr Howe’s prresence also would give Nepal a chance to lobby for aid for the construction of roads to link the national highways. Britain al-

ready has helped in the construction of the two main highways, which when completed are expected to boost the country’s sagging economy. The British Government also has helped Nepal run several rural development projects, and provides high level training programmes to about 100 Nepalese in Britain annually. Another area that might be discussed is the trade balance favouring Britain, the source said. Britain is a major market for Nepal’s jute, handicrafts, readymade garments, woollen carpets, and other cottage industries products. In return, Nepal imports scientific equipment, machinery, and industrial raw materials. In spite of these questions, the source said there were "no problems between Nepal and Great Britain needing high level negotiations, for both the countries are closely linked through their traditional culture and so-cio-economic relationship.” Britain was the first European country to establish relations with Nepal. The two had fought a two-year war in which Nepal surrendered and lost a sizeable territory, including Darjeeling, Sikkim, Assam, Pithuragadh, Gorakhpur, and Kumao Gadwal, which now are part of India. The two then signed the 1816 Sugauli Treaty for peace and friendship and have had close relations since then. The Queen last visited in March, 1961, when Nepal had just dissolved its first parliamentary system and switched to a party-less Government system. She will arrive this month eight weeks ahead of the country’s second General Election in the 25 years of its party-less Government. _A Foreign Ministry source said her first visit had resulted in substantial aid assistance. “We hope the forthcoming visit will further strengthen the bilateral traditional relations between the two monarchical countries apart from increasing substantial aid for Nepal,” the source said.