5 ms·

> From there, Mauritius will sign a lease agreement of 99 years with the USA so that the military base there can continue to operate. Seems to be a lease with

> From there, Mauritius will sign a lease agreement of 99 years with the USA so that the military base there can continue to operate. Seems to be a lease with the UK (which then 'sub-leases' to the US?): * https://www.reuters.com/world/britain-agrees-chagos-island-sovereignty-deal-with-mauritius-2024-10-03/ https://www.reuters.com/world/britain-agrees-chagos-island-s... Curious to know if there will be extension provisions: people think 99 years is a long time (which isn't wrong), but Hong Kong went back to China after that period of time.

baybal2 2y ago
[dead]
mcintyre1994 2y ago
The BBC article refers to it as an initial period, so I'd assume it can be extended. > There, the UK will ensure operation of the military base for "an initial period" of 99 years. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c98ynejg4l5o https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c98ynejg4l5o
avinash 2y ago
Possibly. The treaty has not been signed yet. Things will become clearer in the coming weeks.
qingcharles 2y ago
Legally that makes the most sense as it leaves everything where it is. The whole place is a weird combination of US/UK culture and standards.
connicpu 2y ago
It's easier to move a single military base at the end of a lease than an entire country
- mmooss 2y ago
  AFAIK, the US and UK value Diego Garcia because currently there aren't geographical alternatives for that base. Where else could they put it that would have the same benefits?
  - ethbr1 2y ago
    There are multiple islands and archipelagos in the region. Close to Africa/ME: Maldives, Seychelles, Comoros, Mayotte Close to SE Asia: Cocos and Christmas Island Diego Garcia just happened to be forcibly depopulated by the British, so was a convenient choice.
    - reaperducer 2y ago
      Close to Africa/ME: Maldives, Seychelles, Comoros, Mayotte Close to SE Asia: Cocos and Christmas Island That's the whole point of Diego Garcia: It's not "close to" anywhere, and it's nearly in the middle of a bunch of places. That's what give it its strategic importance.
      - ethbr1 2y ago
        The Maldives are only ~400mi N of Diego Garcia.
        vel0city 2y ago
        So its 400mi away from another set of tiny islands which themselves are hundreds of miles from the mainland. I'd still argue that's pretty much "not close to anywhere."
    - mmooss 2y ago
      I mean, what current option is equivalent to Diego Garcia? Are any of those options realistic right now?
      - ethbr1 2y ago
        They're all pretty far from land and in the same general area. If Diego Garcia were no longer an option, there would be alternatives. Especially with US levels of lease money. That said, few of them are quite as remote as Diego Garcia. Which means not quite as easy to secretly fly RQ-180s or whatever the hell is more clandestinely based there.
scottLobster 2y ago
Yeah, but Mauritius isn't China. If the UK had reneged on the Hong Kong lease, there were economic and military options for China to potentially enforce it. A lot can happen in 99 years, but even assuming a serious decline in US economic/military might I don't see a scenario where Mauritius could successfully enforce the lease on its own.
- ta1243 2y ago
  Mauritius isn't China today. In 99 years time it could be part of a China. Or a future country that is more powerful than China.
  - thefounder 2y ago
    Well someone more powerful would not care about the lease agreements anyway so if the U.S can’t fight back the lease agreement won’t help them anyway. See Russia-Ukcraine and the agreements that were signed. They are not worth their paper
- simonh 2y ago
  If the treaty is UK law, they can take the case to UK courts. It's not guaranteed to work, it depends on the legal technicalities, but the government has no say in the findings of UK courts. A lot can happen in 99 years, but as Hong Kong shows, the UK has a decent track record on long term legal continuity.
  - skissane 2y ago
    > If the treaty is UK law, they can take the case to UK courts. It's not guaranteed to work, it depends on the legal technicalities, but the government has no say in the findings of UK courts. Presently, the UK lacks an entrenched written constitution. Hence, any court decision can be overturned by an ordinary Act of the UK Parliament, passed by a simple majority. If a court makes a ruling which the government of the day sufficiently dislikes, the court ruling will be overturned, assuming the government has the numbers to get the legislation through the House of Commons and House of Lords. But, in 99 years time, who knows. Maybe by then, the UK will have a written constitution. Maybe by then, the UK won't even exist anymore. Maybe by the time the lease expires, it will actually be between Mauritius and the English Republic.

baybal2 2y ago

[dead]

mcintyre1994 2y ago

The BBC article refers to it as an initial period, so I'd assume it can be extended. > There, the UK will ensure operation of the military base for "an initial period" of 99 years. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c98ynejg4l5o https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c98ynejg4l5o

avinash 2y ago

Possibly. The treaty has not been signed yet. Things will become clearer in the coming weeks.

qingcharles 2y ago

Legally that makes the most sense as it leaves everything where it is. The whole place is a weird combination of US/UK culture and standards.

connicpu 2y ago

It's easier to move a single military base at the end of a lease than an entire country

mmooss 2y ago
AFAIK, the US and UK value Diego Garcia because currently there aren't geographical alternatives for that base. Where else could they put it that would have the same benefits?
- ethbr1 2y ago
  There are multiple islands and archipelagos in the region. Close to Africa/ME: Maldives, Seychelles, Comoros, Mayotte Close to SE Asia: Cocos and Christmas Island Diego Garcia just happened to be forcibly depopulated by the British, so was a convenient choice.
  - reaperducer 2y ago
    Close to Africa/ME: Maldives, Seychelles, Comoros, Mayotte Close to SE Asia: Cocos and Christmas Island That's the whole point of Diego Garcia: It's not "close to" anywhere, and it's nearly in the middle of a bunch of places. That's what give it its strategic importance.
    - ethbr1 2y ago
      The Maldives are only ~400mi N of Diego Garcia.
      - vel0city 2y ago
        So its 400mi away from another set of tiny islands which themselves are hundreds of miles from the mainland. I'd still argue that's pretty much "not close to anywhere."
  - mmooss 2y ago
    I mean, what current option is equivalent to Diego Garcia? Are any of those options realistic right now?
    - ethbr1 2y ago
      They're all pretty far from land and in the same general area. If Diego Garcia were no longer an option, there would be alternatives. Especially with US levels of lease money. That said, few of them are quite as remote as Diego Garcia. Which means not quite as easy to secretly fly RQ-180s or whatever the hell is more clandestinely based there.

scottLobster 2y ago

Yeah, but Mauritius isn't China. If the UK had reneged on the Hong Kong lease, there were economic and military options for China to potentially enforce it. A lot can happen in 99 years, but even assuming a serious decline in US economic/military might I don't see a scenario where Mauritius could successfully enforce the lease on its own.

ta1243 2y ago
Mauritius isn't China today. In 99 years time it could be part of a China. Or a future country that is more powerful than China.
- thefounder 2y ago
  Well someone more powerful would not care about the lease agreements anyway so if the U.S can’t fight back the lease agreement won’t help them anyway. See Russia-Ukcraine and the agreements that were signed. They are not worth their paper
simonh 2y ago
If the treaty is UK law, they can take the case to UK courts. It's not guaranteed to work, it depends on the legal technicalities, but the government has no say in the findings of UK courts. A lot can happen in 99 years, but as Hong Kong shows, the UK has a decent track record on long term legal continuity.
- skissane 2y ago
  > If the treaty is UK law, they can take the case to UK courts. It's not guaranteed to work, it depends on the legal technicalities, but the government has no say in the findings of UK courts. Presently, the UK lacks an entrenched written constitution. Hence, any court decision can be overturned by an ordinary Act of the UK Parliament, passed by a simple majority. If a court makes a ruling which the government of the day sufficiently dislikes, the court ruling will be overturned, assuming the government has the numbers to get the legislation through the House of Commons and House of Lords. But, in 99 years time, who knows. Maybe by then, the UK will have a written constitution. Maybe by then, the UK won't even exist anymore. Maybe by the time the lease expires, it will actually be between Mauritius and the English Republic.