GURKHA INTERNATIONAL GROUP

April 2015 Issue 212 Newsletter

Contents

• Shipping Companies & Ships, Important Notice...... 1 • PEME, GI (HK) Business World Security: Economics, Nuclear, Europe...... 2 • The Arab World, Afghanistan & Pakistan, Palestine, Asia, Thiland, malaysia and the Malacca Straits, Somalia...... 3 • Africa, Myanmar, The Americas.....4 • News...... 5 - 7 • Hong Kong News ...... 7 - 10 • Conclusion ...... 11

We publish this month a photograph of the Superstar Libra of Star Cruises .

If you have pictures or postcards of your ship, please send them in to us for future Newsletters. SHIPPING COMPANIES AND SHIPS LINKED TO US We Welcome We are working with 21 shipping companies, and have 768 men and 153 women on ships, a total of 921 crew and staff under management. Star Cruises Resham Gurung IMPORTANT NOTICE: REPORTING TO Umesh KC Saroj Khatiwada OUR OFFICES WHEN YOU REACH HOME Bijay Lama Last month we published our regular notice about reporting to our office Chhewang Lama when you get back to home country. We now need to remind you again, Binod Roka Magar because we have received a series of complaints about our crew not returning Prabin Raut Subash to work on time. There are many reasons for this, but one of them is because we are too late starting to process visas and medicals for some of our crew Norwegian Cruise Lines who don’t report to our office on return. If you think about it, it’s easy to see Yamuna Gurung why. Some leave periods are about 30 days or less. It takes us 15 days to get one visa, 30 days to get 2. Now we are sending our Nepalese crew to New Carnival UK Delhi for medical examinations, that adds another 7 days. Add in the usual Anju Jaiswal and unusual holidays, emergencies like weather, landslides, planes that block Sinuara Subba runways, etc etc, and you can see that we have a problem here. It has caused Weennie Thapa so much anxiety and inconvenience to one of our client companies that they Sakun Tamang have threatened to recruit crew from another country. That would mean some of you losing your jobs. So, we have to do something about it. Gurkha International Group Newslatter 1 World Security

In future, if you have not been in contact with our office 4 days af- ter return, we will inform our client companies and nominate a re- placement. That will mean that you may have to wait for another va- cancy. It may mean serving on a different ship. It may mean losing your job altogether. That would be a disaster which no one wants. The solu- tion is in your hands. Please report in immediately you get back.

PRE-EMPLOYMENT MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS (PEME)

GI (HK) Business Since our medical examiner, Dr Shrestha, died recently, we have been working to have our chosen replacement, Dr Shakya of the Subba Clinic, We are providing security ser- authorized to examine our crew in his place. The process is a lengthy one vices for 32 Hong Kong Clients involving the Norwegian Embassy and the Norwegian Maritime Author- and have 100 security staff em- ity in Oslo. While this is underway, we regret that we have to ask you all ployed. to have the examinations done in New Delhi en route to ship. This takes time and expense, we know. We shall have our new medical examiner au- Our employment agency place- thorised as soon as we can so that we can resume the old system using the ment service found 0 Bodyguard/ Subba Clinic as soon as possible Driver post position over the last month. World Security

Economics

The problems in Greece rumble on and remain a threat to the Eurozone. The Chinese economy has slowed, and doubts have re-emerged about the US economy. World growth seems to have stalled. Nuclear The negotiations between the joint powers and Iran over its nuclear pro- gramme came to a successful but only provisional agreement. Much op- position to the deal remains, both in Iran and the US, but detailed talks will resume in June. Until those are successfully completed, sanctions remain in force on Iran. There is no news of the North Korean nuclear programme. Europe The ceasefire agreed between Russia and the Ukraine at Minsk is beseems to beginning to fray again and some fighting has resumed in eastern Ukraine. The situation remains highly dangerous. Re- lations between Rus- Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, addresses military sia and the west re- commanders in Tehran on April 19. (Office of the Iranian Supreme main poisonous. Leader) 2 World Security The Arab World

Iraqi armed forces, supported in the air by the American led coalition, and on the ground by the Kurds and by Iranian forc- es, continue to push back the Islamic State (ISIS). The civil war in Syria continues with- out let up. The country has been largely de- stroyed. The conflict in Yemen has widened into an international one, as the Sunni Mus- lim powers, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States, have attacked the Shia Muslim Houthi forces which have taken over much of the country and are conducting an aerial bombing cam- paign. Iran supports the Houthi side and has sent naval ships to the coast near Aden. Lib- ya remains in a state of civil war and ISIS is A member of the Iraqi forces checks the horizon during a recent patrol west of Bagh- now operating there. dad. U.S. officials are considering training Iraqi troops to act as ground controllers for airstrikes. Afghanistan and Pakistan Afghanistan and Pakistani remain open to violence and suicide bombings.

Palestine There are no developments this month.

Asia There is no news of the conflicting mari- time claims of China and its neighbours this month. Occasional terrorist acts continue to occur in Muslim areas of western China’s Xinjiang province and in the southern Philippines.

Thailand, Malaysia and the Malacca Straits

Several bombing attacks occurred in Thai- land during the Songkran New Year fes- Deputy Defence Minister and army chief Udomdej Sitabutr denies the government tival. The Government has blamed exiled played any role in the Samui bombing, saying it would not stoop low as to discredit or banned opposition groups, although it itself by such action. is possible that Muslim terrorists were in- volved. There are occasional reports of piracy attacks aimed at small tankers and cargo vessels in the Malacca straits. Somalia There are no new reports of piracy at present. Fighting continues in the country between the government and its foreign allies (Ethiopia, Kenya and others) and Islamic militant al-Shabaab fighters, who have been linked with ISIS, members of which were shown on video murdering Ethiopian Christians on a beach. 5 Al-Shabaab terrorists carried out a shooting attack at Garissa University College in north east Kenya which killed 148 stu- dents, staff and security forces.

Gurkha International Group Newslatter 3 World Security

Africa Nigerian forces continue their offensive to retake the north of the country from Islamic militants Boko Haram. The security situations in Chad, Cameroon, Burkino Fasu, the Central African Republic, Mali and South Sudan remain disturbed. The outbreak of Ebola Virus in West Africa is steadily being brought under control.

Myanmar Fighting with the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) on the Myanmar border with China continued near the town of Kokang on during the month, leading to many casualties.

India

There is little news of a security note this month.

The Americas There is little news of a security note this month. The US and Cuba have commenced re-opening relations that have been frozen since the Castro revolution.

Nigerian soldiers hold up a Boko Haram flag that they had seized in the recently retaken town of Damasak, Nigeria, March 18, 2015

4 Gurkha International Group Newslatter Nepal News

Final rites of former Prime Minister and CA member Surya Bahadur Thapa is being performed at Pashupati Aryaghat, on Friday Nepal News Lawmakers demand more money Former PM Thapa cremated Mahendra chose Thapa as Prime Minister. 16 Apr - The Constituent Assembly (CA) 17 Apr, AVALANCHE - Former Prime Minister Thapa remained at the center of Nepal’s members belonging to the four major Surya Bahadur Thapa was cremated with politics ever since then and was active till political parties are pressuring Prime state honours at Pashupati Aryaghat on the end as a decisive political payer. Minister and Finance Minister Friday. After 1990, he formed Rashtriya Prajatanra Ram Sharan Mahat to increase the amount Thapa’s son Sunil Bahadur Thapa, who is Party and embraced multi-party that they get to spend in development Minister of Commerce and Supplies, lit his democracy. After 2006, he chaired some works of their respective constituencies. father’s funeral pyre on the Bagmati river sessions of Constituent Assembly (CA) that The government provides Rs 10 million to bank. was primarily formed to turn Nepal into a each CA member under the Constituency Thapa’s dead body was kept at his Maligaun federal republic democracy. Development Program but the CA members residence and Dasharath stadium for last want the government to increase this tributes. Leaders of various political parties Nepal marks anniversary of Everest’s amount to Rs 50 million in the upcoming had reached Maligaun to pay their last deadliest avalanche fiscal year. respect to Thapa. 18 Apr, AVALANCHE - Nepal has marked According to Prakash Jwala, chairman of Prime Minister Sushil Koirala had wrapped the anniversary of Mount Everest’s the Finance Committee of the parliament, Thapa’s dead body with a national flag. deadliest avalanche with a memorial and a the committee is planning to direct the Talking to journalists, Koirala praised Thapa government announcement that it will set government to increase the amount as for supporting democracy during any up a welfare fund for mountaineering and soon as the process to prepare the next political movement. “He favoured reforms trekking workers in the Himalayan nation. budget program kicks off. even during the system,” he said. The April 18, 2014, avalanche killed 16 “The committee will further direct the The government declared a holiday on Sherpa guides who were carrying their government to issue directives regarding Friday to mourn Thapa’s death. loads just above Everest’s base camp. the use of the said amount, which includes Thapa had passed away at Medanta Following the disaster, the worst ever spending in infrastructures like irrigation, Hospital in New Delhi, on Wednesday on Everest, the guides accused Nepal’s drinking water and road among others,” night following a surgery. He was 88. His government of not doing enough for them said Jwala. The committee will also ask the dead body was brought to Kathmandu by a despite making millions in permit fees from government to allocate up to Rs five million special aircraft of the Indian Air Force. the Western mountaineers who attempt to for a single village development committee, Thapa became Prime Minister a record five scale the tall Himalayan peaks. The guides which will be spent under the direction of times serving three kings. protested by refusing to work on the the CA member of the constituency. In 1959, Thapa was handpicked by King mountain, leading to the cancellation of Mahendra to chair his advisory council. In last year’s climbing season. 1963, two years after sending Nepal’s first elected Prime Minister BP Koirala to jail, 5 Gurkha International Group Newslatter Nepal News

better lives for themselves,” Sherpa said. On Saturday, the government announced Bus plunges 1,000 feet off Nepal Sixteen Nepalese guides, including 14 that a portion of the permit fees charged mountain highway members of the Sherpa community, to trekkers and mountaineers would be 22 Apr, Kathmandu - A bus plunged off died last April in an avalanche, marking used for a welfare fund to help people a mountain highway near Nepal’s capital the deadliest accident to hit the world’s working in Nepal’s trekking industry. on Wednesday, killing at least 17 Indian highest peak. Tourism Secretary Suresh Man Shrestha pilgrims and injuring 27 others, officials The bus was carrying Hindu pilgrims from said the fund would be used for the said. the Indian state of Gujrat on a visit to the rescue and rehabilitation of injured The bus veered off the Prithvi highway Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu. trekking and mountaineering guides, about 10 miles west of Kathmandu, They were returning home Wednesday and to help the families of workers who police officer Tejendra said. morning when the bus plunged off the are killed. He said the bus fell about 1,000 feet highway. Trekkers are charged $10 and before it slammed into trees at the The bodies were not immediately mountaineers $20 for the Trekkers’ bottom of a hill. identified. Information Management System The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu One of the injured passengers, who permit, of which 10 percent will go confirmed the death toll and said five identified himself as Jagdish, said the toward the fund. Shrestha estimated of the 27 injured people were in critical pilgrims were traveling in two buses. that it would amount to about $200,000 condition and getting treatment at He said the driver of one of the busses annually. various hospitals in Kathmandu. One was trying to avoid a motorcycle coming A memorial service was held at the person was reported to be missing. from the opposite direction and lost Nepal Mountaineering Association’s Apa Sherpa, now 55, first climbed the control of the vehicle, which flipped over office in Kathmandu, the capital, to 8848-metre high peak as a porter, and before rolling off the highway. mark the anniversary. About 200 people described the feat as “a dream that had The two-lane highway, the most popular attended the ceremony, including never been mine”. route out of Kathmandu, is narrow, relatives of victims of the avalanche and “My dream is that one day, young kids in has sharp turns and is busy during the mountaineering and other officials, with Nepal won’t have to risk working on the morning hours. some offering flowers and prayers. mountain as porters or guides, they will be able to get an education and build

Rescuers work to recover the bodies of victims from the wreckage of a bus at Jayaprekhola in Dhading district, on the outskirts of Kathmandu, April 22, 2015.

6 Gurkha International Group Newslatter Nepal News

Windmills, solar panels light up the project. Before we used to go to bed early fearing Nawalparasi village 「Although we had had a little trouble that the fuel in the kerosene lamps will 24 Apr, NAWALPARASI - Locals of generating electricity after suffering run out and we would have to stay in Dhaubadi-1 in the district have been from some technical problems during darkness. However, we have been rid relieved from traditional kerosene the initial phase, the two windmill s of that compulsion now. Thanks to the lamps and candles to illuminate their have now been running smoothly and uninterrupted power supply, even the homes after the electricity generated by harnessing enough wind power to lit up children are now able to study till late windmill s installed at Hurhure danda, the whole village,」 Ale said. in the night during their exams,」 said Rudrapur started to light up the entire The project initiated by the Alternative 75-year-old local Mohan Singh Lama. A village. Energy Promotion Centre under the pilot project to harness electricity from Although situated just 21 kilometres Environment Ministry with the financial wind power was initiated for the first north from Daladale bazaar along the assistance worth Rs 18 million from the time in the country at Kagbeni, Mustang East-West Highway and connected by Asian Development Bank was handed in 1989. roads, the chances of the village getting over to the Cooperative six months ago. connected with the national transmission The electricity is supplied from 4am- grid is still very slim. 6am in the morning and 5pm-10pm in However, all the households in the the evening and distributed at the rate Magar dominated village has been lit by of 250 watts per household, enabling wind power harnessed from two wind villagers to light at least four light bulbs, turbines that produce 5 Kilo Watts (KW) watch television and charge their mobile of electricity each and 24 solar panels phones. Each household has to pay a generating a total of 2 KW of electricity. monthly fee amounting to Rs 300 for According to Jas Bahadur Ale, chairperson the power supply. In order to provide of Hurhure Danda Agricultural uninterrupted power supply, both the Cooperative Organisation, a total of 46 wind turbines and solar panels have households have directly benefited from been installed in the same place.

The two windmills installed at Hurhure danda, Rudrapur produce 5 Kilo Watts of electricity each.

7 Gurkha International Group Newslatter Hong Kong News

Traders will not be able to visit Hong Kong so often.

Hong Kong News

Shenzhen imposes once-a-week limit the change would be implemented. The Hong Kong to resell at a profit across the on cross-border visits to Hong Kong trips cannot be saved up; they must be border. by permanent residents used or they will be lost. About 14.9 million of the 60.8 million 13 Apr - Shenzhen’s permanent Shenzhen police and Hong Kong visitors to the city last year were from residents are to be limited to just one government sources confirmed the new Shenzhen, and held multiple-entry visit a week to Hong Kong using their arrangement to the Sunday Morning permits. multiple-entry permits, a move that will Post. Brisk trading activities at border towns slash the number of these visitors by The Hong Kong government said last and the large number of mainland about 30 per cent, according to sources night that it had submitted a proposal visitors flooding in have become a familiar with the arrangement. to the central government to adjust the source of friction and triggered protests A Hong Kong government source said multiple-entry policy. “Any adjustment and clashes in the N the restriction would cut the number of to the policy is pending the central Mainland visitors are blamed for buying visitors to the city by 4.6 million a year. government’s announcement,” it said in up daily essentials such as infant formula Shenzhen municipal government issued a statement. and diapers, and putting pressure on the ruling yesterday after a decision Only Shenzhen permanent residents public transport. by the State Council to approve an can hold multiple-entry permits, which But some Shenzhen residents said they “adjustment” in the number of trips that allow them to make as many trips as did not believe restricting the number of multiple-entry permit holders can make they want to Hong Kong. visits would help resolve the problem of to Hong Kong, a notice circulating on The Hong Kong government source cross-border smugglers - 60 per cent of the internet said. said the restriction on that category whom are believed to be Hongkongers. The notice set out details of the of visitors would cut the number of arrangement - restricting the number of arrivals by 4.6 million a year, or 30 per trips by multiple-entry permit holders to cent, which would help crack down on one a week - although it did not say when parallel traders, who buy products in Gurkha International Group Newslatter 8 Hong Kong News

Man ‘pretending to be doctor carried face was unfamiliar, Cheung said. Signs warning commuters of wet floors out medical check-up on Hong Kong But, an hour later, Mo allegedly was were prominent in Kennedy Town, HKU hospital patient’ spotted “conducting a medical check for and Sai Ying Pun stations after water was 19 Apr - A man accused of masquerading a patient by placing a stethoscope on his found dripping from pipes or seeping as a doctor at a public hospital made his chest”, Cheung said. The ward manager from walls in multiple locations. Workers first appearance in court yesterday. became anxious about the safety of were also deployed to keep the floor dry. Clad in a black jacket and surgical patients and alerted hospital security, A passenger who gave her surname as face mask, Mo Man-yip, 24, a financial Cheung said. Tsang said she feared children may slip investment agent, was charged with one However, it was two days later, on April on the water, or something worse might count of pretending to be a registered 16 - after Mo was spotted at the hospital happen. “If it causes a short circuit, the medical practitioner. Mo did not enter a again - that the security officer called train will stop and we will be trapped,” plea in Kowloon City Court. police. she said. Setting out the allegations against Mo, But Li reassured commuters that would Magistrate Ronald Cheung Wai-tat said Hong Kong’s MTR downplays water not happen. “The water leakage in the the alleged offences had taken place at leaks in new stations station definitely has no impact on the United Christian Hospital in Kwun Tong. 21 Apr - The MTR Corporation on Monday station’s structure,” he said. “I can assure Mo allegedly went as far as to conduct a sought to allay concerns that leaking you that it would not affect the train medical check-up on a male patient and water found at its three new stations on operation at all.” called the patient’s family with an update the West Island Line would compromise Li said high underground water pressure on his medical condition. train safety and the structure of the at the HKU station, which is built 70 Cheung said that at 6.30pm on Tuesday, stations. metres below ground, meant leaks Mo allegedly donned a white gown It said the problem, which the company’s would not be uncommon. He said the and went to the hospital’s accident head of operations Francis Li Shing-kee MTR would work with contractors to and emergency department, where he said was common, had nothing to do either fix the problem with grouting or claimed to be a doctor and asked to see a with the rush to open the HK$18.5 billion divert the water somewhere else. patient. The ward manager refused as his project at the end of last year.

A water leak leads to wet walls and caution signs at the new HKU station.

9 Gurkha International Group Newslatter vv

Hong Kong News

Hong Kong political reform debate internal vote than it was for candidates would go forward. becomes a battle for hearts and minds to enter the 2012 election - when just “I now call on all lawmakers, including 23 Apr - The battle for the hearts and 689 votes from a similar body saw Chief friends from the pan-democratic camp, minds of Hongkongers began in earnest Executive Leung Chun-ying elected. to stop and think how disappointed yesterday as the government rolled out a Back then, each candidates required 150 members of the public would be if their final package for electoral reform with no nominations. Now, hopefuls will need aspiration for ‘one man, one vote’ fell surprises or concessions to mollify pan- 120 “recommendations”, and each can through,” Lam said. democrats. collect no more than 240. That should But she alarmed pro-democracy Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet- allow five to 10 candidates to enter lawmakers by indicating that even if ngor, the government’s point woman on the internal vote, in which committee they “pocketed” the package, it would reform, put forward the blueprint for the members must cast at least two votes be at a future chief executive’s discretion 2017 chief executive election to a deeply apiece. to meet their demands for democratic divided legislature yesterday morning, After the committee whittles them down changes to the system in return further sparking a walkout by pan-democrats. to two or three, the decision will be for down the line. The government stuck to the rigid the city’s five million eligible voters. The pan-democrats insisted that framework set last year by Beijing. Chief The poll will be “first past the post” - the “screening out” candidates from their executive hopefuls must win majority candidate with most votes wins. camp would amount to “fake universal support from a 1,200-strong nominating Lam stressed there would be no changes suffrage”. body before Hongkongers choose to the committee’s composition or how Leung, who dubbed yesterday a “historic between the top two or three candidates members were elected. Members are day”, joined Lam to distribute leaflets when they elect their leader for the first drawn from four sectors - business, in Mei Foo with the slogan “Make It time. professional, political, and social and Happen”. Pan-democrats also plan their With pan-democrats vowing to deny religious - and apart from elected own publicity campaign. lender sells the the package a two-thirds majority in lawmakers, they are chosen by about unit. the Legislative Council, both sides are 250,000 individual and corporate voters. looking to win over the public. Lam said what would happen if fewer Lam, who ruled out last-ditch changes, than two hopefuls reached the 50 per urged pan-democrats to show political cent threshold would be decided later. courage. She stressed it would be easier If more than three hopefuls got 50 per for hopefuls to enter the committee’s cent, the three with the most votes

Government officials including Leung Chun-ying (centre) and Carrie Lam (right) kick off the publicity push amid rowdy protests in Mei Foo on 22 April night. 10 Gurkha International Group Newslatter Conclusion

The security situation in the world continues to deteriorate. Make sure that it does not affect the peo- ple and ships in your care.

Nigel Collett Managing Director

11 Gurkha International Group Newslatter