a report Human Rights Watch Accuses the United Kingdom and the United States A serious violation of the human rights of the people of the Chagos Islands toEstablishing a military base between the sixties and seventies: Not only by forcible deportation, but also by denying them the right to return despite the existence of many national and international decisions issued in this regard.
the Chagos Islands At the time they belonged to Mauritius but were retained by the United Kingdom at the time of granting independence with the creation of a British territory, in fact Territory of the British Indian Ocean. To avoid UN scrutiny, the United Kingdom declared these islands to have no permanent residents. Strategic islands in this stretch of ocean, especially at a historical moment when the West was facing the might of the Soviet Union.
These lands were inhabited, as African slaves had been deported in previous centuries to plant coconuts for the French and British colonizers: a community that created its own culture over time.
Thus, from the moment of the independence of Mauritius and the establishment of British territory, to the establishment of the Naval Air Base to be entrusted to the United States of America, About 1,500/2,000 Aborigines were gradually removed from 1965 to 1973.: at first by not allowing those who left the islands to return, then by limiting the influx of essential species, and finally by killing domestic animals and forcibly removing the last remaining animals. They were treated as inferior, treated as “Fridays” (remember Daniel Defoe Robinson Crusoe?), of obscure origin (therefore, in a report of the time by a British officer).
The story is not really new (Just go to wikipedia to realize it) But what’s new is that a reputable organization like Human Rights Watch Throw a serious charge Violation of human rights , For behavior that persists even after deportation.
In Wikipedia itself we read, moreover, the curious news that Part of the islands has been converted into a nature reserve: The ultimate goal seems to be to prevent the return of the expelled and their descendants. Even if we were to believe in good intentions, such an action would be evidence of, In protecting biodiversity, indigenous peoples are not considered.
Returning to deportation, we are talking about people who were forced to leave the islands without any form of deportation capable of preserving cultural identity. The United Kingdom and the United States reject these allegations, Even if not with completely convincing arguments: in fact, it is forbidden to cHagosians Return to the motherland despite judicial rulings.
These are events that took place nearly 60 years ago and continue today, leaving painful scars. Another proof that, in geopolitical choices, the “few” is not considered by the “most” and becomes invisible to public opinion. Guide shows how in terms of respect human rights No one can stand on a chair even in the West.
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3 minutes to read
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