Charter-based Arguments XII. In addition, nothing has been said with regards to when the islands would cease to be a military base and be returned to Mauritius. Richard Mills concludes: Establishing a marine reserve might, indeed, as the FCO's Roberts stated, be the most effective long-term way to prevent any of the Chagos Islands' former inhabitants or their descendants from resettling in the [British Indian Ocean Territory]. This overview is provided for information only and in no way involves … Displaced and exiled to Mauritius and Seychelles, the islanders found themselves jobless, homeless, and eventually poverty stricken without any medical or job search assistance from the British. The Guardian described their decision as having "far-reaching consequences" and "a severe setback for the use of material obtained from leaks or whistleblowers". The Estoppel Argument X. Non-Self-Governing Territories and the Right to Self-determination XI. From 1965, they were forcefully moved to Seychelles and Mauritius islands over the course of ten years. [22] Lord Justice Richards and Mr. Justice Mitting then refused to accept the documents as evidence, declaring that to do so would breach diplomatic privilege. On 1 December 2010, a leaked US Embassy London diplomatic cable dating back to 2009[19] exposed British and US calculations in creating the marine nature reserve. Subordinate Legislative Authority XI. Mauritius has argued that the Chagos Islands has been a part of its territory since at least the 18th century, till the United Kingdom broke the archipelago away from Mauritius in 1965 and the islands of Aldabra, Farquhar, and Desroches from the Seychelles in the region to form the British Indian Ocean Territory. They were dumped in the Seychelles, where they were held in prison cells, then shipped on to Mauritius, where they were taken to a derelict housing estate with no water or electricity. Al-Skeini and the Relationship between Article 1 and Article 56 ECHR IV. Conclusion 3. The Court, whose powers are advisory, has said Britain must end its authority over the islands. Chagossian man harvesting coconuts, photographed shortly before the first United States encampment, 1971. In 2016, after several judicial challenges, Britain extended … Many settled in the town of Crawley in West Sussex, and the Chagossian community there numbered approximately 3,000 in 2016. Conclusion 7. When the US attacked Iraq in 2003, Diego Garcia’s proximity to the Middle East made it an ideal refuelling and launching point. Also known as the Chagos Archipelago, it comprises seven atolls and 60 islands in total, clustered 1,600 kilometres south of the southern coast of India. Six states were against, while fifty-six states abstained. In the decades following the resettlement of Chagossians in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the United Kingdom has taken numerous steps to compensate former inhabitants for the hardships they endured, including cash payments and eligibility for British citizenship. The Significance of West New Guinea and Mayotte for BIOT's Status XV. At the same time, it continues to function as a military base. International Law and National Law 31A. "The Chagos Islands were colonised by the British so it's their responsibility." https://www.britannica.com/topic/Diego-Garcia-A-Strategic-Base-1517753. The International Court of Justice in The Hague has handed down a momentous judgement that says Britain's colonial authority over the Chagos Islands is no longer legal. The Principle of Self-determination in the UN Charter V. Chapter XI and Chapter XII of the UN Charter VI. In exchange, the UK would obtain Polaris nuclear missiles technical expertise from the US. Senior officials from the United Kingdom continue to meet with Chagossian leaders; community trips to the Chagos Archipelago are organized and paid for by the United Kingdom; and the United Kingdom provides support for community projects within the United Kingdom and Mauritius, to include a resource center in Mauritius. Others arrived as fishermen, farmers, and coconut plantation workers during the 19th century. Although based on no new evidence, the appeal was successful. In 2000, the British High Court ruled the expulsion of the islanders to be an illegal act, and gave the Chagossians the right to return to all islands in the archipelago and be granted UK citizenship. The expulsions began in 1965. The remote Chagos islands situated in the Indian Ocean, has been a British colony under Africa, since 1786. We are a group of Chagossians volunteers, standing up against the injustice of the British and US government for the islanders forcibly evicted in 1968 to build an airbase for the US Army, then dumped in the slums of Mauritius and Seychelles. Support for Resolution 2066 from UN Members States in the General Assembly B. [2], In 2016, the British government denied the right of the Chagossians to return to the islands after a 45-year legal dispute.