Thread: VC winner "failed to demonstrate that you have strong ties with the UK."

...and has been refused entry.

I suspect a number of you will have heard about this by now, but WO1 Tul Bahadur Pun VC has applied to move to the UK for health reasons and had his application turned down because apparently a VC won while serving in the British Army is not a strong enough tie to the UK.
This has (understandably) upset a very large number of people over at Arrse, who are now running a campaign to get him into the country ASAP (the thread can be found here: British Army Rumour Service > > Forums > > The Serious Bit > > Current Affairs, News and Analysis > > VC hero Gurkha banned from Britain ).

Can those of you living in the UK please write to your MPs urging them to support Mr Pun's appeal. It is very easy to do - just go to WriteToThem.com - Email or fax your Councillor, MP, MEP, MSP or Welsh, NI, London Assembly Member for free , fill in your postcode and follow the links. There is also a petition on the 10 Downing Street website (here: Petition to: immediately and retrospectively give all Gurkha servicemen and their immediate families past and present british citizenship. ) to allow Gurkhas to live in the UK after their term of service is up. It has collected almost 10,000 signatures in the last 4 days.
For everybody else, there is a website set up to support him at vchero.co.uk - VCHero - all emails sent to there will be put before the immigration tribunal at his appeal.

His citation reads as follows:

No. 10119 Rifleman Tullbahadur Pun, 6th Gurkha Rifles, Indian Army.

In Burma on June 23rd, 1944, a Battalion of the 6th Gurkha Rifles was ordered to attack the Railway Bridge at Mogaung. Immediately the attack developed the enemy opened concentrated and sustained cross fire at close range from a position known as the Red House and from a strong bunker position two hundred yards to the left of it.

So intense was this cross fire that both the leading platoons of 'B' Company, one of which was Rifleman Tulbahadur Pun's, were pinned to the ground and the whole of his Section was wiped out with the exception of himself, the Section commander and one other man. The Section commander immediately led the remaining two men in a charge on the Red House but was at once badly wounded. Rifleman Tulbahadur Pun and his remaining companion continued the charge, but the latter too was immediately wounded.

Rifleman Tulbahadur Pun then seized the Bren Gun, and firing from the hip as he went, continued the charge on this heavily bunkered position alone, in the face of the most shattering concentration of automatic fire, directed straight at him. With the dawn coming up behind him, he presented a perfect target to the Japanese. He had to move for thirty yards over open ground, ankle deep in mud, through shell holes and over fallen trees.

Despite these overwhelming odds, he reached the Red House and closed with the Japanese occupations. He killed three and put five more to flight and captured two light machine guns and much ammunition. He then gave accurate supporting fire from the bunker to the remainder of his platoon which enabled them to reach their objective.

His outstanding courage and superb gallantry in the face of odds which meant almost certain death were most inspiring to all ranks and beyond praise.