Gurkha soldiers from Nepal, who served the British Army for generations, have found new roles as bodyguards of the city's rich and famous. A report by Evelyn Yu.

The demand for personal bodyguards shot up this year, after a couple of high-profile kidnappings in the city. First, the Bossini heiress, Queenie Rosita Law, was abducted from home on April 25. Then, in September, Wong Yuk-kwan was spirited away by a gang of armed thugs.

A bodyguard to some of the city's most recognizable and anxiety-ridden personages could be drawing up to HK$1 million a year, some insiders say. It's a competitive field. Cops, martial arts experts, all varieties of "strong men" and wannabe tough guys are in contention. However, the city's moneyed folks seem to favor hiring Gurkhas, the famed Nepalese hill fighters who fought for the British Army for 200 years. Their regiment was withdrawn from Hong Kong in 1997. Many of the soldiers stayed on in the city, surviving on only a fraction of what their British counterparts draw as pension. Many later found employment in executive security.

Hong Kong's wealthiest man, Li Ka-shing, paid a ransom of HK$1.38 billion to the kidnappers of his son Richard Li Tzar-kai. Since then Li Ka-shing is reported to have built a team of 25-strong all-Gurkha team of bodyguards.

Veteran Gurkhas, who defended the colonies of Britain in their youth, are now gainfully employed, safeguarding some of the wealthiest people in Hong Kong.

The Gurkhas first came to Hong Kong on rotation from Malaya in 1948. Their final withdrawal in 1997 left around 8,000 Gurkhas unemployed.

The Nepalese fighters, whose motto is "Better to die than be a coward", enjoyed a well-earned reputation for gallantry and loyalty. Since being recruited to the British Army in 1815, they have served Britain on the frontlines of almost every major battle. The Gurkhas carry a traditional weapon, an 18-inch curved knife, called the kukri. Tradition held that once in battle, the kukri must "taste blood". Failing that, its owner had to cut himself before returning it to its sheath.

Gurkhas come from a largely agrarian community in the outlying mountainous areas of Nepal. They are renowned for their loyalty, a virtue highly valued among Hong Kong's wealthiest. Moreover, since Gurkhas don't speak Cantonese, VIP employers feel at ease holding private talks in their presence, possibly involving commercial secrets worth of millions.

Historians and demographics experts estimate there are around 25,000 Nepalese in Hong Kong today. It is believed that more than 90 percent of them are former soldiers and their descendants.

Making the cut

Hempratap Gurung served in the British Army in Hong Kong for 14 years. He was hired as a bodyguard practically on his way out of the military base.

The British selects only the toughest and strongest to serve in its Gurkha regiments. Around 200 young Nepalese were selected every year for training. In 2014, there were 28,000 applicants for those 200 positions.

When Gurung applied in the 1980s, he competed with 10,000 candidates. The arduous physical tests Gurung underwent to qualify still applies today: 75 bench jumps in a minute, 70 sit-ups in two minutes and running 5 km up a steep slope in the Himalayan foothills, carrying rocks weighing 25 kg on the back. Those who make it past the physical hurdles are put through an intelligence test as well.

Rai Tej Bahadur, managing director of Sunkoshi Gurkha Security Ltd, is an ex-Gurkha solider. He says recruits who excel in English and Math are sent to the Gurkha's Corps of Engineers. The rest mainly go into infantry training.

Successful applicants underwent nine months of military training in Hong Kong. Gurung and his fellow recruits were taught swimming, boxing, karate, shooting, etc. They were required to qualify in every test, before being sent on patrol along the borders to stem the tide of Chinese mainland residents flooding into Hong Kong.

After a year's training Rai was sent to a military university to study engineering in the UK, a reward for his excellent performance during training. The army seemed more of an education than a stint in the military for him. Gurkha engineers built the border security between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong. They also built roads, canals, and other infrastructures in the Fiji Islands, Kenya, Belize and other British colonies worldwide.

Rai thinks intelligence is a critical asset for bodyguards, who may find themselves having to dismantle a bomb, or tracing threatening phone calls. These require specialized skills and a good mind.

Ready to sacrifice

Rai opened his security service in 2000 and now has more than 80 Gurkhas that serve dozens of clients in the city. He wouldn't identify his VIP clients, but described them as among the city's wealthiest people.

The Gurkha bodyguards who work for his agency are paid between HK$ 25,000 to 50,000 per month. Rai said "the V-VIPs" among his clients might hire five personal bodyguards at a time. Salaries vary considerably, depending on the largesse of the employer.

Hong Kong Police Force told China Daily that agencies providing armed security services may apply for shotgun licenses, but only for use in high-risk public activities such as banks transporting cash. Privately-hired bodyguards are not permitted to carry firearms.

Rai noted the Gurkhas, trained in karate, are experts in unarmed combat. They check under the cars looking for explosive devices, carefully plan daily routines, and plan every step of their employers' participation in public events that attract large numbers of people. Their contract states that they must be prepared to sacrifice their own lives in defense of their employers.

When the boss is having a meeting, the bodyguards stand squarely opposite the door or block the view through the windows. "In case criminals break in or snipers shoot through the windows, they are prepared to die for their bosses," Rai explained.

Gurung says while instances of kidnapping are rare, prudence and planning are crucial to preventing the minuscule possibility that can cost a life. Those who risk their lives to protect that of their rich employers have a life insurance at a very high premium paid by the employers. But then a Gurkha soldier would consider it a fitting end if he went down fighting on the job.

Contact the writer at evelyn@chinadailyhk.com

(HK Edition 12/02/2015 page11)