THE Gurkhas will retain a strong presence in the territory in the run-up to 1997, says the first Nepalese officer to take command of a regular battalion of the British Army.
Lieutenant-Colonel Bijaykumar Rawat, who yesterday made history in taking command of the First Battalion Royal Gurkha Rifles, said a majority of ex-Gurkha soldiers would find jobs in Hong Kong.
He said most of the expected 130 Gurkhas to be made redundant before the battalion leaves its Sek Kong base next November would choose to stay or seek employment in the Middle East, Singapore and Nepal.
'Those who finish their service will return to Nepal for discharge but significant numbers will come back to Hong Kong to work,' said Colonel Rawat.
Originally, 250 of the 1,100 Gurkhas were to be made redundancies but the number was halved in October.
From November, the battalion, which includes about 20 British officers, will join forces with two other battalions now based in Brunei and Britain, to form the 5th Airborne Brigade.