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The population of the British Indian Ocean Territory were all deported, to clear the island of Diego Garcia for a large US airbase. It's one of the grubbiest re
by pmyteh 9y ago
The population of the British Indian Ocean Territory were all deported, to clear the island of Diego Garcia for a large US airbase. It's one of the grubbiest recent bits of British imperial manoevering.
- eponeponepon 9y agoGrubby is an understatement. We "persuaded" people off the island by (for instance) not letting them back in when they returned from holidays, rationing their food and drink, and literally gassing their dogs in front of them. Edit to add: just to be clear, the UK had bought these people's homeland something like five years previously. Bought.
- jameskegel 9y ago>literally gassing their dogs in front of them. This hits me from a deep emotional place. We shouldn't do things like this. The deeper and more connected this giant web becomes for me, and the more parts I know about, the more everything I've ever known comes into question. It feels as if the final episode will be the big reveal that Bruce Wayne is on the therapist's lounge discovering his second alter-ego, the Joker.
- jjawssd 9y agoWhat is this giant web you are referring to?
- Confiks 9y agoAnd "recent" here doesn't only mean "the 1970s". TIL: "In 2016, the British government denied the right of the Chagossians to return to the islands after a 45-year legal dispute". [1] Also, in 2009 an attempt was made to prevent resettlement by declaring the area a marine reserve. [2] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chagossians#Court_battle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chagossians#Court_battle [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depopulation_of_Chagossians_from_the_Chagos_Archipelago#Diplomatic_cables_leaks https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depopulation_of_Chagossians_fr...
- namelost 9y agoSounds like the UK has effectively given away the atoll to the US. The US is not going to pack up their very important torture base just because the UK asks them to. Denying the islanders permission to return is just a face-saving move to avoid admitting that the UK no longer controls the territory.
- spraak 9y agoI think of this everytime I see .io domains :/ It's a very sad story.