Gurkha Reserve Unit

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4°56′21″N 114°58′28″E / 4.9390340°N 114.9743814°E / 4.9390340; 114.9743814

The Gurkha Reserve Unit (GRU) (Malay: Unit Simpanan Gurkha / Pasukan Simpanan Gurkha (PSG) ), also referred to as the Royal Brunei Gurkha Reserve Unit,^[2] is a Nepalese special elite guard force and royal guard in the Sultanate of Brunei.

Background

The GRU are an elite force of soldiers from Nepal who are commissioned by the

They also work as a special forces unit directly under the command of the Sultan, as well as alongside the Special Forces Regiment and Special Combat Squadron of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces.

Structure

Administration

It is subordinate to the Security and Defence Section of the Brunei Ministry of Home Affairs. The commandant of the unit, who will be chosen by His Majesty, will be responsible for the organization and management of the unit under the direction and authority of the Minister. In the event of the Commandant's absence or incompetence, the next highest officer present may exercise and carry out the powers and responsibilities set forth in this Act on behalf of the Commandant. The GRU shall be a fundamental component of the Security Forces of Brunei and shall be composed of such a composition of senior officers, subordinate officers, and rank and file as His Majesty may command.^[5]

Recruitment

Every member of the Unit must be hired in line with the service contract terms that were in effect when they were hired. After turning 40, no member of the GRU may be given another term of duty with the unit without the Minister's consent and on the Commandant's suggestion. The Unit's responsibilities include taking legal measures to carry out any obligations placed on it by

When a member of the unit sustains an injury while doing his duties without being negligent, His Majesty may decide to compensate the victim according to the commandant's recommendations and the results of a medical board or a government medical officer. When a member of the unit dies within a year of suffering such injuries but whose dependents are not entitled to any payment or benefit under section 12, His Majesty may grant compensation in an amount not more than the member's yearly remuneration.^[5]

History

Establishment

In 1947, the

In 1973, prisoners of the 1962 uprising escaped.^[8] the Sultanate of Brunei decided to hire ex-Gurkhas from Hong Kong and Singapore as security after Singapore was consulted.^[8] On February 25, 1974, Mr. Mohan Singh Gurung (ex-Singapore Police, presently settled in Kathmandu, Nepal) became the first Gurkha to serve in Brunei.^[8] The unit was known as the Gurkha Security Guard.^[9] It was formed in 1974 and maintains approximately 2,000 Gurkhas.^[10] The GRU was fully established in 1980.^[8]

1996 rebellion

In the Sungai Akar Camp in September 1996, a few of the Gurkha troops were fed up with the way their British and Brunei superiors were treating them met to determine the best method to protest and to bring awareness to this issue.^[4] Their complaints included being ridiculed and harassed, as well as not receiving the right salary, benefits, and free meals. In addition, they believed that Gurkha recruitment for the Brunei security forces should be handled by a separate treaty between Nepal and Brunei rather than by the British Army.^[11]

Out of the 2,500 Gurkha soldiers in Brunei, more than 2,400 joined on to support the cause after our meeting created a governing committee and subcommittees. While they were in discussions with the leadership, boycotting had begun on some of the top officials. One of their requests was the abolishment of the GRU. Their written memorandum was presented, but it was rejected. Then, all GRU weapons were abruptly returned to the government of Brunei one night, and their unit resumed its role as a security guard force. Other requests, such as a pay raise and an end to the maltreatment by haughty officers.^[11][4]

Pressure was mounting as the issue once more came to a boil. It was clear that in order to enforce military discipline, the brass would take harsh action against whatever it deemed to be a mutiny and insubordination. As it turned out, 11 of them who were deemed to be the instigators were covertly deported, and without the rest of the unit knowing, and were sent to the Brunei International Airport to catch a flight back to Nepal. At the airport, they were waiting to board and were unaware that word had already spread about our dismissal and expulsion from the camp. The Nepali troops protested by encircling the headquarters building and demanding their dismissal, in response to the deteriorating situation and vandalism, HQ dispatched the riot police.^[11]

A few hours later, the Permanent Secretary of Brunei, hurried to the airport to ask what had transpired. He questioned and wanted to know whether they could persuade the Nepalis still camped there to return to their dorms and terminate the protest. Ram Kangdangwa retorted that he would if their employment was reinstated and was given permission to address the base population for a brief speech. The Permanent Secretary concurred and, in his Mercedes Benz, took me and two other Nepalis to the camp. Following his speech, the Nepali troops all dispersed. The Permanent Secretary apparently was taken aback by the Gurkhas' obedience and discipline, so he proceeded to speak with GRU commanders. He stated that Col. F. D. Scotson, the British commander in head of the GRU, had recently been sacked. The Permanent Secretary promised us that all of our other requests, including those for a pay and pension, would be satisfied now that Scotson had left office and the GRU had returned to its previous position as a security force.^[11]

Present day

On 25 February 1999, the GRU celebrated their 25th Silver Jubilee.^[4]

On 2 May 2001 at the Sungai Akar Camp, the unit staged its first "Long Service and Good Conduct Medal" award ceremony. In all, 237 personnel—11 officers and 226 soldiers of various ranks—were awarded medals by the deputy minister of defense, Pengiran Ibnu Ba'asith upon completion of nine years of meritorious service. According to him, the unit's main responsibility is to keep "designated government buildings, installations, and key points" secure around-the-clock. Additionally, they aid the Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF) and other governmental organizations in their monitoring and search operations.^[4]

Brunei has raised almost $166,000 for the victims of the Nepal earthquake, and on 22 June 2015 transfer ceremony saw the Gurkha Reserve Unit donate $2,667. Since it began on 30 April, the Humanitarian Fund for Nepal's Earthquake Victims has amassed $166,585.53. The contributions were presented to Noridah Abdul Hamid, acting director of the Community Development Department at the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sports, by LTC Rani Bujang, commandant of the GRU.^[12]

The GRU's K9 Section hired Dog Force Australia in the middle of 2019 to offer a Train the Trainer Course to six of their seasoned handlers. The course's main goal was to provide the students with the knowledge and abilities necessary for the unit to train handlers in explosive detection,

• Guard Unit (GD UNIT)
• Support Unit (SP UNIT)
• K-9 Unit (K-9 UNIT)[2]

See also

• Military of Brunei
• Gurkhas of the British Indian Army (1858–1947)
• Gorkha regiments (India), seven regiments in India which is the original parent force for the units in Singapore and Brunei
• Gurkha Contingent (Singapore)
• Brigade of Gurkhas (British Army)
• Royal Gurkha Rifles (British Army)

References

This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. Country Studies. Federal Research Division.

External links

• Serving abroad — at Photius.com
• RBAF Order of Battle
• Brigade of Gurkhas — British Army website