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Erasing Existence of 1500 People:UK's Ongoing Colonial Crime in the Indian Ocean

2 points by Geekette 3y ago

Geekette 3y ago
"The saga began back in the 1960s when the United States, seeking to cement its global military supremacy, started looking for remote islands where it could establish strategic bases. ... The early 1960s saw the beginning of secret negotiations between the British and the Americans over the establishment of a "joint communications base" ...In September 2016, the tiny African state was able to get Chagos back on the United Nations agenda for the first time in half a century. The following year, the UN General Assembly – over fierce resistance from London – voted to seek an advisory opinion on the issue from the International Court of Justice. The judges, responsible for territorial disagreements, were asked to determine whether the British violated international law when they split Chagos off from Mauritius in the 1960s. ... The United Kingdom, the court found, had "forcibly removed" the population of the Chagos islands. Furthermore, the "process of decolonization of Mauritius (was) not lawfully completed." London, reads the court opinion, must return the archipelago to Mauritius "as rapidly as possible." The British, though, had no intentions of complying. Even before the court opinion, then Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson had exhibited no qualms about extending the lease for Diego Garcia to 2036. Now, London ignored the International Court of Justice and, a short time later, disregarded the UN General Assembly, which voted 116 to 6 in a resolution demanding the end of British rule in Chagos. Among European countries, only Hungary sided with the UK. Finally, London also brushed off a ruling from the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, located in Hamburg, which confirmed Mauritius’ sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago in 2021."
nonrandomstring 3y ago
To a rational military thinker, 1500 people seems about the perfect number to drive, cater, clean, farm and fish local food, run the local diving and surf schools for RnR ... everything you'd need to support a military base. They'd be loyal, travel very little, and easy to keep an eye on from a secrets POV. Isn't that basically the state of Hawaii? But instead of choosing to integrate the lawful inhabitants and grow a local economy we've treated them like animals, as pests. As a rational thinker I can't see anything behind a decision like that except pure racism. It is a stinking stain of shame on the pants of Britain, and as a Brit I can't apologise enough for the embarrassing people that have "led" my country.

2 points by Geekette 3y ago

"The saga began back in the 1960s when the United States, seeking to cement its global military supremacy, started looking for remote islands where it could establish strategic bases. ... The early 1960s saw the beginning of secret negotiations between the British and the Americans over the establishment of a "joint communications base" ...In September 2016, the tiny African state was able to get Chagos back on the United Nations agenda for the first time in half a century. The following year, the UN General Assembly – over fierce resistance from London – voted to seek an advisory opinion on the issue from the International Court of Justice. The judges, responsible for territorial disagreements, were asked to determine whether the British violated international law when they split Chagos off from Mauritius in the 1960s. ... The United Kingdom, the court found, had "forcibly removed" the population of the Chagos islands. Furthermore, the "process of decolonization of Mauritius (was) not lawfully completed." London, reads the court opinion, must return the archipelago to Mauritius "as rapidly as possible." The British, though, had no intentions of complying. Even before the court opinion, then Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson had exhibited no qualms about extending the lease for Diego Garcia to 2036. Now, London ignored the International Court of Justice and, a short time later, disregarded the UN General Assembly, which voted 116 to 6 in a resolution demanding the end of British rule in Chagos. Among European countries, only Hungary sided with the UK. Finally, London also brushed off a ruling from the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, located in Hamburg, which confirmed Mauritius’ sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago in 2021."

nonrandomstring 3y ago

To a rational military thinker, 1500 people seems about the perfect number to drive, cater, clean, farm and fish local food, run the local diving and surf schools for RnR ... everything you'd need to support a military base. They'd be loyal, travel very little, and easy to keep an eye on from a secrets POV. Isn't that basically the state of Hawaii? But instead of choosing to integrate the lawful inhabitants and grow a local economy we've treated them like animals, as pests. As a rational thinker I can't see anything behind a decision like that except pure racism. It is a stinking stain of shame on the pants of Britain, and as a Brit I can't apologise enough for the embarrassing people that have "led" my country.