 An unnamed Chagossian and his final coconut harvest, photographed at the time of the first United States encampment (1971) Chagossians (also known as Ilois and Chagos Islanders) are a group of Creole-speaking people. They are mostly of African origin, namely from Madagascar,Mozambique, Somalia and people from other African nations who were in Ile de France (Mauritius) at the time of the settlement, but there is a small proportion of South Indian descent in the genetic pool of the Chagossians as well. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1172x1800, 1347 KB)An unnamed Diego Garcian at the time of the US encampment, 1971. ...
Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1172x1800, 1347 KB)An unnamed Diego Garcian at the time of the US encampment, 1971. ...
A French creole, more properly French-based creole language, is a creole language with substantial influence from the French language. ...
This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ...
The Chagossians inhabited the islands of Diego Garcia, Peros Banhos and Salomon Islands, but they also had settled in other parts of the Chagos Archipelago, like Egmont Islands and Eagle Islands, at a certain time. The very first Chagossians were probably brought to the Archipelago as slaves from Mauritius by the French in 1776. Others arrived as fishermen, farmers, and coconut plantation workers during the 19th century. The Archipelago later passed to the control of the United Kingdom and came to form part of the Colony of Mauritius. Diego Garcia ( ) is an atoll located in the heart of the Indian Ocean, some 1,000 miles (1,600 km) south of Indias southern coast. ...
Peros Banhos is a group of thirty-five main islands in the Chagos Archipelago of the British Indian Ocean Territory, forming a circular coral reef. ...
The Salomon Islands, an atoll of the British Indian Ocean Territory, are located in the Northeast of the Chagos Archipelago. ...
// The Chagos Archipelago. ...
Slave redirects here. ...
// Mauritius was first discovered by the Arabs in 975 AD. Also Malay sailors knew of Mauritius as early as the 10th century. ...
The Chagossians' exile from their homeland
In 1965, as part of a deal to grant Mauritian independence, the Chagos Archipelago was split off from the Colony and came to form the British Indian Ocean Territory. The territory's new constitution was set out in a statutory instrument imposed unilaterally without any referendum or consultation with the Chagossians, and envisaged no democratic institutions. The constitution prohibited anyone from residing in the islands without a permit. Statutory Instruments (SIs) are parts of United Kingdom law separate from Acts of Parliament which do not require full Parliamentary approval before becoming law. ...
In the following years from 1967 and 1973, the Chagossians, then numbering some 2000 people, were expelled by the British government, first to the island of Peros Banhos, 100 miles away from their homeland, and then, in 1973, to Mauritius (For the relationship between the Chagos Archipelago and Mauritius, see Chagos Archipelago). Their forced (and, according to some authorities, illegal) expulsion and dispossession was for the purpose of establishing a United States air and naval base on Diego Garcia, where a small contingent of UK military personnel are stationed as well. Peros Banhos is a group of thirty-five main islands in the Chagos Archipelago of the British Indian Ocean Territory, forming a circular coral reef. ...
// The Chagos Archipelago. ...
Diego Garcia ( ) is an atoll located in the heart of the Indian Ocean, some 1,000 miles (1,600 km) south of Indias southern coast. ...
Chagossians obtain the right to return
 Flag of the Chagossian Community In 1983, the United Kingdom gave the Mauritian government £4m, of which the Mauritian government transferred £1m to those deported Chagossians dwelling in that country as refugees. Later, some 30 years after their deportation, the Chagossians demanded the right to return to their homeland. Their case was brought to the High Court of Justice in London by a British firm of solicitors, Sheridans, and on November 3 2000 the High Court ruled in their favour, stipulating that they should be allowed to return to their homeland. From November 5 to 23, 2001 , over two hundred Chagossians maintained a vigil outside the British High Commission in Port Louis, Mauritius. On 21 May, 2002, the British Foreign Affairs Secretary Jack Straw signed a document conferring British citizenship upon the Chagossians, later implemented in "Section 6: The Chagossians: Citizenship" of the British Overseas Territories Act 2002. Image File history File links Flag_of_CSSC.svg‎ Sources: [1]; [2]; [3] Date 2006/8/15 Author Himasaram Permission File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Ilois List of mens national football (soccer) teams Flags of ethnic...
Image File history File links Flag_of_CSSC.svg‎ Sources: [1]; [2]; [3] Date 2006/8/15 Author Himasaram Permission File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Ilois List of mens national football (soccer) teams Flags of ethnic...
Her Majestys High Court of Justice (usually known more simply as the High Court) is, together with the Crown Court and the Court of Appeal, part of the Supreme Court of Judicature of England and Wales (which under the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, is to be known as the...
A solicitor is a type of lawyer in many common law jurisdictions, such as the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Republic of Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, but not the United States (in the United States the word has a quite different meaning—see below). ...
A High Commissioner is a person serving in a special executive capacity. ...
The arms of Port Louis Port Louis banking district, and the main avenue leading to the Government House (seen in the background) Port Louis (pronounced locally as paw-louee) is the capital of Mauritius. ...
The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (commonly referred to as Foreign Secretary) is a member of the British Government responsible for relations with foreign countries, heading the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (often called simply the Foreign Office). ...
John Whitaker Straw (born August 3, 1946) is a British Labour Party politician. ...
The British Overseas Territories Act 2002 is an Act of Parliament passed in the United Kingdom in 2002, which superseded the British Nationality Act 1981. ...
Return frustrated Despite the court judgement recognising the Chagossians' rights, the islands were uninhabited and there were no civilian transportation links. Most of the Chagossians remained in impoverished conditions, unable to facilitate their own return. Promises of the British Government to assist in resettlement failed to materialise.
On 9 October 2003, in a controversial judgement, Justice Ousley of the High Court decreed that the Chagossians had no right to any compensation from the British Government. Then, in June 2004, the British Government effectively overruled the 2000 court decision in favour of the Chagossians by an order-in-council. The Chagossians and their advocates appealed this move to the High Court of England and Wales and the European Court of Human Rights. Compensation has several different meanings as indicated below. ...
An Order-in-Council is an executive order issued in Commonwealth Realms operating under the Westminster system. ...
Her Majestys High Court of Justice (known more simply as the High Court) is, together with the Crown Court and the Court of Appeal, part of the Supreme Court of Judicature in England and Wales: see Courts of England and Wales. ...
European Court of Human Rights building in Strasbourg The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), often referred to informally as the Strasbourg Court, was created to systematise the hearing of human rights complaints against States Parties to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, adopted by...
New developments In early April 2006, a group of around 100 Chagossians were permitted to visit the British Indian Ocean Territory for the first time in over 30 years in a trip. The trip was organised and financed by the British Foreign Office and the government of Mauritius. [1]
On 11 May 2006, the Chagossians won their case before the High Court, which ruled that they are entitled to return to the Chagos Archipelago. It remains to be seen whether when or how the judgement might be implemented in practice.[2] The UK government launched an appeal at the Court of Appeal against the May 11 ruling in June 2006. The Foreign office has put forward an argument based on the treatment of the Japanese Canadians following the attacks on Pearl Harbour. [3]
On 23rd May 2007, the Court of Appeal dismissed the UK Government's appeal saying that the methods used to stop the Chagos families to return to the islands were "unlawful" and "an abuse of power".[4] The Government was refused leave to appeal to the House of Lords, but have stated an intention to appeal to the Lords against that refusal.
The American lease on Diego Garcia is due to expire in 2016.
See also The Diego Garcia depopulation controversy pertains to the evacuation of the indigenous inhabitants of the island of Diego Garcia during the 1960s and 70s. ...
External links - Diego Garcia: Paradise Cleansed by John Pilger
- Spreading democracy, by any means necessary. the US/UK and Diego Garcia
- US/UK BIOT defence agreements, 1966-1982, US Court filing
- http://www.chagossupport.org.uk/ UK-Chagos Support Association
|
Feeds |
Contact