Ascension : UK CHAGOS SUPPORT ASSOCIATION - Update March 2008
Submitted by The Islander (Gavin Yon) 20.03.2008 (Article Archived on 03.04.2008)
Diego Garcia has featured several times in the House of Commons since the last Update.
Diego Garcia has featured several times in the House of Commons since the last Update.
On Tuesday 19 February, Andrew George asked the Foreign and Commonwealth Office what services his Department provides to the residents of British Overseas Territories and Crown dependencies.
MEG MUNN (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Foreign & Commonwealth Office) The overseas territories have a significant degree of internal self-governance. In general, the Government of each territory is responsible for the provision of services to their residents. The Government are responsible for the territories' defence, external relations and internal security. The Ministry of Justice is responsible for the UK’s relationship with the Crown dependencies.
ANDREW GEORGE (St Ives, Liberal Democrat) I am grateful for that response, but how can Britain call on other countries to uphold human rights and basic freedoms when the Chagos islanders were unlawfully deported from their homes 40 years ago and denied the right to return—a right restored three times by the courts over the past seven years and appealed against by the Minister's Department—and when Diego Garcia is being used by the US for extraordinary rendition?
MEG MUNN (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Foreign & Commonwealth Office) I make no excuses for what happened in the 1960s and 1970s. That was a dreadful situation. As for the present position, we concluded on the basis of a feasibility study commissioned in 2002 that lasting resettlement would be precarious. As the Hon. Gentleman knows, however, the issue of settlement is subject to legal proceedings. We have appealed on the ground that the previous judgment would cause problems for the way in which we run our relationships with other overseas territories, not just the British Indian Ocean territories.
JEREMY CORBYN (Islington North, Labour) Does the Minister accept that that was a deeply disappointing answer? The islanders were forcibly removed from their homeland, disgracefully and wrongfully, one of their islands has been taken over as an American base and possibly used for extraordinary rendition, and many of them have lived in poverty ever since their removal. Is it not time to give justice to the Chagos islanders? Is it not time to pay them appropriate compensation, and allow them to return to the homes from which they were so brutally removed?
MEG MUNN (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Foreign & Commonwealth Office) I have already said that I do not excuse what happened previously: in that respect I agree with the Hon. Member for St. Ives (Andrew George). The matter is currently subject to a court process. Compensation has been paid—that has been legally agreed—and British citizenship given to all Chagos islanders. We await the outcome of the court hearing.
PAUL KEETCH (Hereford, Liberal Democrat) Can the Minister tell us when the agreement with the United States on the use of its base on Chagos expires? Can she also tell us whether the renewal of that agreement requires the approval of Her Majesty’s Government or whether it can be effectively continued by the United States without such approval?
MEG MUNN (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Foreign & Commonwealth Office) There is no end date for the agreement with the United States. It should mean that at the end of the period, if we no longer needed the British Indian Ocean territories, we would consider the rights of Mauritius.
ANDREW MACKINLAY (Thurrock, Labour) Why does the Foreign Secretary not take account of the mood of the House in respect of the Chagos islanders? Overwhelmingly the House wants this wrong remedied, and remedied with some expedition and dispatch.
MEG MUNN (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Foreign & Commonwealth Office) I understand the anger that Hon. Members feel about what has happened, and I share their concern. The Government looked into whether it was possible to resettle the islanders. The feasibility study commissioned in 2002 said that lasting resettlement would be precarious and, if sponsored by the Government, would entail substantial open-ended contingent liability to the British taxpayer.
As a supporter with wide knowledge of this issue pointed out: “Why are ministers still referring to a generally discredited feasibility study as if it were gospel and the puny compensation as if it were adequate?”
The most unexpected news recently was the Foreign Secretary’s revealing to the Commons (information already known to Reprieve, the EU, readers of Update and various newspapers) that Diego Garcia had been used for refuelling rendition flights by the USA.
The BBC correspondent, Paul Reynolds, pointed out “Not only was the US government supposed to ask permission for such flights, but assurances were given to Britain which led to misleading statements by ministers.”
Olivier Bancoult, leader of the Chagos Refugee Group in Mauritius, wrote to remind us that, when he gave Oral Evidence to the Foreign Affairs Committee in January, one MP had commented on reports that DG had been used in this way and was there any evidence? Olivier said at that time that they had heard and read such reports but there was no proof. After Mr. Miliband’s apology to the House of Commons, Olivier said “We Chagossians deeply regret that our island has been used as a place where terror suspects have been transported while we are not free to go there.”
“We believe the time has come for the British Government to follow the example of the Australian Prime Minister (who has apologised to the Aborigines) to take responsibility for their acts and doings and to apologise to the Chagossian community.”
He reiterated his belief that the UK Government had often acted in secrecy (as in the exiling of the Islanders) and hoped for more honest and open behaviour in future.
However, Manfred Norvak, the UN Special Rapporteur, has since said he has received credible evidence that detainees were actually held on Diego Garcia between 2002 and 2003. (Observer March 2nd).
On 21st February, Andrew George MP’s office issued this statement:
Commenting on the statement today (Thursday) from the Foreign Secretary – the Rt. Hon. David Miliband MP – that the United States has now admitted that the British Overseas Territory, Diego Garcia, has been used by the U.S. for extraordinary rendition, Andrew George MP has called on the Government to withdraw its legal action to stop Islanders who were unlawfully deported from the Chagos Islands to return and to review the basis of the U.S. Government’s ‘lease’ of the Islands.
Mr George, the MP for the West Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Constituency of St Ives, raised a question with the Foreign Office Minister this week, querying the Government’s treatment of the Chagossians and accusing the U.S. of using Diego Garcia for extraordinary rendition.
Mr George said: “Unlawfully deported Chagossians have been dying in penury and poverty in Mauritius for decades. British courts have granted them the right to return to their homeland on three occasions in the last seven years whilst the Foreign Office has chosen to contest each ruling at great expense to the taxpayer.
“The Foreign Secretary’s confirmation that the U.S. has abused the privilege granted to them surely means that they have lost any moral entitlement to stay. Diego Garcia has become a cuckoo’s nest.
“The Islanders have been bullied and dishonoured and now they’re having their noses rubbed in it. How can either Britain or the U.S. stride the globe hectoring other nations about human rights and basic freedoms when this has been going on?”
Last month we reported that eight islanders were visiting the Archipelago in order to tend the graves on Salomon and Peros Bahnos. They have arrived there and started on their work. “Musichana” with Pete Bouquet and Jon Castle is also in the Archipelago at the moment.
In November last year, with support from the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust, we began the exercise to assist the Chagossians to formulate proposals for the resettlement of the northern atolls. Even in the period when the FCO (under Robin Cook) was contemplating resettlement, there was no consultation with the Chagossians. Since that time, the FCO has consistently opposed resettlement on the grounds of both environmental risk and economic costs.
Our job has been to contest these grounds and to indicate how we believe resettlement should take place. We approached John Howell, the former Director of the Overseas Development Institute in London and, more recently, Adviser to the Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs in South Africa, to help in this task.
John visited Mauritius three times and, in addition to working with the Chagossians, met with potential investors (in tourism and fisheries especially), consulting engineers, environmental NGOs and quantity surveyors. He has now produced a draft set of proposals that is being circulated among a number of people with specialist interests in the Chagos Islands, including some resettlement sceptics.
Our proposals draw upon the two feasibility studies commissioned by the British Indian Ocean Territory administration in 2000 and 2002 on the resettlement of the Peros Banhos and Salomon atolls and on the Chagos Conservation Management Plan (also commissioned by BIOT) in 2003. We had nothing like the resources (in staff numbers, time and site access) available to any of those studies, and we are not claiming to have produced a fully-fledged Resettlement Plan. This is a task for BIOT, hopefully taking account of our proposals and consulting closely with those who intend to return on a permanent basis.
In our proposals we are providing our preliminary answers to five main questions that BIOT will have to address if it finally accepts the case for resettlement:
How many Chagossians want to return and what are their expectations for housing, services and amenities?
How will Chagossians secure incomes and livelihoods, and their islands generate revenues, to pay for the services and amenities required?
How will Chagossians contribute to the conservation of the marine and land resources on which their livelihoods will depend?
How will the resettlement be managed and the islands run their affairs?
How much will resettlement cost and where will the money come from?
We hope to complete the final round of consultations over the next month and then make the proposals – provisionally titled ‘Going Home: A proposal for the resettlement of the Chagos Islands’ – available to the public. In due course, we hope to receive a response to the proposals from BIOT. More importantly, we hope to receive a response that recognizes the constructive contribution that the CRG and others have made to addressing reasonable concerns about environmental conservation and economic viability in the resettlement of the northern atolls.
As well as the coverage in the papers of Mr. Miliband’s statement on rendition flights, there was a rather more unusual item in the Mirror: ten reality TV stars were asked what they would do if they were Prime Minister.
Steve Brookstein, who was X Factor winner in 2004 (and is now on tour) said “I’d apologise to the natives of Diego Garcia who were thrown off their island in 1973 to make way for a US military base.”
Contact has been made with Steve who has very kindly agreed to write, sing and publish a song for the Chagossians.
Recently, the Royal Commonwealth Society held a public debate on “Human Rights and the Commonwealth” which focused on the War on Terrorism. During questions at the end, the rendition flights were mentioned by several people who also commented on Her Majesty’s Government’s treatment of the Chagossians. Devapriyo Das (Acting Head of Public Affairs) emphasized that justice for the Chagossians matters to the R.C.S.
Hengride Permal, leader of the Chagos Islands Community Association in Crawley, tells us that CICA has submitted evidence to the Foreign Affairs Committee.
On Saturday March 15th at 5.00, CICA will be holding a public meeting in London at International Student House, 229 Great Portland Street, W1. (Next to Great Portland Street tube station.) After speeches from MPs and trade unionists, there will be a showing of John Pilger’s film “Stealing a Nation.” All are welcome.
Thank you to all who have sent donations to help the Chagossians. Enough money was recently transferred from UKCSA to Mauritius for eight homes to be repaired. Your money supplied corrugated iron sheets, wooden posts, cement and nails and the Chagossians provided the labour. Marlene Ono, Jacques Uranie, Alfred Desire, Jenny Mardav, Jeannine Jaffar and Joseph Francois are very grateful for the work done. We would also like to thank the people of the church in Mauritius which organizes this work on a voluntary basis.
As you can imagine, we had many e-mails and phone calls after the Foreign Secretary’s apology and two are quoted here:
“The Government apologises to the Commons? It should be making a full apology to the Chagossians for gassing their dogs, shooting their animals and exiling them into poverty – and not Meg Munn’s mealy-mouthed regret for what had happened in the past. It should follow the apology with resettlement and proper reparation.”
“Using Diego Garcia for refuelling was not the only shocking thing to have happened on that island: clearing the Islands for the US to use DG as a military base which, ironically, they call Camp Justice and Footprint of Freedom was dreadful. Continuing to deny them justice despite a run of court victories is also shocking.”
We, in the UKCSA, welcome your feedback, suggestions etc. Please continue to spread the word.
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