The United Kingdom, at the request of the United States, began expelling the inhabitants of the Chagos Archipelago in 1968, concluding its forced deportations on 27 April 1973 with the expulsion of the remaining Chagossians on the Peros Banhos atoll.[1][2] The inhabitants, known at the time as the Ilois,[3] are today known as Chagos Islanders or Chagossians.[4]
Chagossians and human rights advocates have said that the Chagossian right of occupation was violated by the British Foreign Office as a result of the 1966 agreement[5] between the British and American governments to provide an unpopulated island for a U.S. military base, and that additional compensation[6] and a right of return[7] be provided.
Legal action to claim compensation and the right of abode in the Chagos began in April 1973 when 280 islanders, represented by a Mauritian attorney, petitioned the government of Mauritius to distribute the £650,000 compensation provided in 1972 by the British government. It was not distributed until 1977.[8] Various petitions and lawsuits have been ongoing since then, but have not had much effect due to the repeated refusal of the USA and UK to provide reparations and repatriation beyond limited monetary compensation.[9]
In 2019, the International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion stating that the United Kingdom did not have sovereignty over the Chagos Islands and that the administration of the archipelago should be handed over "as rapidly as possible" to Mauritius.[10] The United Nations General Assembly then voted to give Britain a six-month deadline to begin the process of handing over the islands.[11] In October 2024, the UK announced it would giving up sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius in a deal, which is still subject to finalising a treaty. Additionally, the current military base on Diego Garcia would be leased to the British government for an initial period of 99 years under the deal. Because in 2021 Mauritius had amended its Criminal Code to outlaw "Misrepresenting the sovereignty of Mauritius over any part of its territory", the ability of Chagossians in Mauritius to voice their opinion on the agreement was extremely limited. [12][13] Nevertheless some Chagossians in Britain did criticise the deal for not having included the Chagossian community in the decision-making process.[14]
- ^ The High Court of Justice Queens Bench Division, Case No: HQ02X01287, Approved Judgment, 2003, Paragraph 396.
- ^ Nauvel, Christian (2007). "A Return from Exile in Sight? The Chagossians and Their Struggle". Journal of International Human Rights. 5 (1): 96. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
- ^ "The Chagos Islands: A sordid tale". BBC News. 3 November 2000. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
- ^ Pilger, John (1 October 2004). "Paradise cleansed". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
- ^ Sand 2009, p. 69.
- ^ The High Court of Justice Queens Bench Division, Case No: HQ02X01287, Approved Judgment, 2003[permanent dead link].
- ^ England and Wales High Court, Case No: CO/4093/2004, 2006, Handed Down Judgment.
- ^ England and Wales High Court, Case No: CO/4093/2004, 2006, Handed Down Judgment, Paragraph 67.
- ^ "That's When the Nightmare Started: Forced displacement of the Chagossians" Human Rights Watch Report, 2023
- ^ "Latest developments | Legal Consequences of the Separation of the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius in 1965 | International Court of Justice". www.icj-cij.org. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
- ^ "Chagos Islands dispute: UK accused of 'crimes against humanity' by Mauritius". BBC News. 27 December 2019. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
- ^ THE CRIMINAL CODE (AMENDMENT) ACT 2021 (PDF). 19 November 2021. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
- ^ Yuan, Yi Zhu (30 January 2024). "Britain should stand up to Mauritius". The Critic. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
- ^ Davies, Maia; Hagan, Rachel (3 October 2024). "Chagossians criticise lack of say in UK deal to hand over islands". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 6 October 2024.