Chagos Archipelago sovereignty dispute being resolved is a step forward towards establishment of a Mauritian Marine Protected Area, says Vinitha Revi
On October 3, the United Kingdom stated that it would cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
The islands are located in the heart of the Indian Ocean, where the UK has jointly operated the strategically important Diego Garcia military base with the United States.
The base on the largest island of Diego Garcia was built after the local people of the islands were forcibly removed. This has been the subject of controversy for several decades.
Down To Earth spoke to Chennai-based independent scholar Vinitha Revi on the development regarding the Chagos Archipelago.
Revi’s research interests are Indian foreign policy in South Asia, with a special focus on the island nations of Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Mauritius and the Seychelles, as well as India-UK Relations.
Excerpts:
Q. With the Chagos development, has the Sun finally set on the British Empire?
A. The UK decision to hand over the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius is a historic one no doubt. The Chagos Islands have often been pejoratively referred to as Britain’s Last Colony in Africa and the dispute has been ongoing for decades, appearing to be unyielding and intractable at several stages…so in that sense this feels momentous. As Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnath said, this move "completes the decolonisation of Mauritius". There is a perceptible decline to British soft power over the last decade. There are also now several accounts of strategies and pressure tactics pursued by the British Empire to hold on to power. Fervent anti-colonial sentiments in former British Colonies are also proving to be a challenge. Having said that, there are still several remaining British Overseas Territories, such as Anguilla, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar to mention just a few.
Q. For the benefit of our readers, can you recount the displacement of Chagossians?
A. Chagossians are predominantly descendants of indentured labourers who were brought onto the then-uninhabited islands to work on the coconut plantations under French Rule. When the Napoleonic Wars ended and the Treaty of Paris was signed in 1814, Mauritius, was ceded to Britain and it remained a British colony until it gained its independence in 1968. However, three years prior to granting Mauritius independence, the British decided to detach the islands from Mauritius and created the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT). This was primarily to accommodate the US request to establish a military base on one of the islands. The US requirements for a base were that it be strategically located, secluded and ideally uninhabited. Diego Garcia, the largest of the Chagos Islands, matched these criteria, except that there existed a local population who lived there at least eight generations and had even developed their own unique culture, with a distinct Chagossian Creole language and a type of music, recognised by UNESCO.
However, the UK and US governments at the time believed the local population could be deported easily with compensation. Anyone familiar with the Chagossians story knows the often-quoted Foreign Office memo which stated the British plan was “there will be no indigenous population except seagulls”. The UK government was in charge of displacing the local population and they systematically used several pressure tactics. Many Chagossians were prevented from returning home having left the island for medical reasons, dogs were poisoned as a warning, and water supply was cut off to make the islands unliveable. Over a period of three years they evicted all the islanders, and for decades have blocked the Chagossians’ attempts to return to the islands, allowing only heritage visits. The Chagossians now live between Mauritius, Seychelles and the UK.
Q. Diego Garcia will still be under the British. Is this bitter-sweet in a way?
A. The long-term, secure and effective operation of the military base on Diego Garcia was always the central issue for resolving the dispute. Mauritius understood this acutely, and this is why ever since the start of the negotiations, Mauritius has openly stated their willingness to sign a 99-year lease for the continued use of Diego Garcia as long as resettlement on the outer islands was allowed.
Diego Garcia, as per the new agreement, will remain a joint UK-US base and the United Kingdom has been authorised to exercise the sovereign rights and authorities of Mauritius on Diego Garcia alone. So yes, it is true that it will still remain under the British, but it is more symbolic than reflective of facts on the ground. According to a former BIOT Deputy Commissioner, the UK has never operated out of Diego Garcia and has little control over Diego Garcia. This was highlighted when the US blocked a UK judge from holding court in Diego Garcia a few months earlier. Therefore, though Diego Garcia is under the British it is still for all practical purposes an American base above all else.
Q. Island ecosystems are in danger everywhere, threatened by climate change. In that sense, is the development a blessing for the Chagos Archipelago or vice versa?
A. There is important marine conservation work to be done both in and around the Archipelago. The sovereignty dispute being resolved has definitely opened up a more cordial environment for scientists from both countries to work together in partnership, including towards the establishment of a Mauritian Marine Protected Area.
Q. What about the Chagossians as a people, an indigenous people? Is it a just closure for them?
A. It is important here to remember that the Chagossians are not a monolith and don’t all feel the same way. There are wide ranging opinions within the community and they each feel differently about the sovereignty dispute, their right to return as well as their citizenship. Some want to return to the islands while others want to live in the UK. Overall, the Chagossians feel sidelined and openly criticise their lack of a role in the negotiations that have been agreed between the two governments. The agreement aims to right the wrongs of the past and to support the welfare of Chagossians. It also states that Mauritius will now be free to implement a programme of resettlement on the islands of the Chagos Archipelago, other than Diego Garcia. We need to wait and watch.