The removal of all Chagossians from their homelands by the UK - Does this sound familiar?

Our Sovereign Neighbours from the Indian Ocean.
 
The United Kingdom did a deal with the United States and gave them the Chagossian peoples homeland Islands so the US do they could build a military base.
 
Diego Garcia, was the principal island which was the homelands of the Chagossians, most of them now live in Mauritius and the United Kingdom after being forcibly evicted by the British government in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Chagos islander Rosemond Sameenaden protesting outside the High Court in London
Image: The UK Mirror

By the UK Chagos support Association

The abuse suffered by the Chagossian people has been so great it can be overwhelming to read through it all. With that in mind, we've put together a 5 minute summary on the horrifying half century of human rights violations inflicted upon the Chagossian people. Also have a look at how you can support the Chagossian campaign for justice in 2015.
 
It started with The Deal

• In 1966, the US and UK Governments came to an agreement which allowed the US military the use of Diego Garcia, the largest of the Chagos Islands, for 50 years.
• As part of this agreement the UK agreed to remove all Chagossians from their homeland dismissing them as Man Fridays and Tarzansof obscure origin.
• Not revealed at the time, the deal also gave the UK a hefty discount on the Polaris nuclear weapons system. Human rights directly sacrificed for weapons of mass destruction.
• This deal expires in 2016, with the option of extension. Extension must only be permitted with US support for Chagossian return.

The Deportation

• A programme of forced deportation concluded in 1973. From the late sixties onwards, Chagossians who left the islands for medical treatment or to visit relatives found they were not allowed to return. Families were separated for years.
• Food supplies were restricted and pet animals gassed to 'encourage' Chagossians to get out.

A Chagossian family now living in Mauritius but want to return to their homelands
(Graeme Robertson/Guardian)

The Broken Promises

• Deported Chagossians arrived in Mauritius and The Seychelles to find promises of support and compensation were not kept. Many were simply abandoned on the dock.
• Promised payments to build a new life arrived 5 years late. Many were forced into debt and extreme poverty, whilst rampant inflation severely reduced the compensation's real value. The little money they eventually received often just paid down debts.
• Compensation distributed in the 1980s to a limited number of Chagossians was only paid on condition Chagossians signed away any rights to their homeland. Chagossians report this condition was never explained. (see video below)
• When compensation did arrive, Chagossians received much less than reported figures, with middlemen skimming off considerable amounts. Many Chagossians have received little or no compensaton to this day.

 
The Legal Struggles

• In 2000, the High Court judged the eviction of Chagossians was illegal. In 2004, the Government used Royal Prerogative to quash this decision, bypassing Parliament and the legal system. The law was enacted on election day to avoid media scrutiny.

• Royal Prerogative was also used to approve the original deportation-meaning Chagossians' exile was never approved by Parliament or a UK court

• The Government has continued to spend millions fighting court cases to prevent Chagossian return.

• New Supreme Court challenges will be brought by Chagossians and their lawyers 22nd June

Location Map Chagos Archipelago

The Marine Protected Area

• In 2010 a Marine Protected Area was created around the Chagos Islands. Documents released by Wikileaks proved this was a deliberate attempt to undermine the Chagossian return campaign.
• Enviromentalists, including Ben Fogle, Greenpeace and the Green Party have been deeply critical of the way the MPA was created.

The Hope for Return: 2015

• An independent study into Chagossian return home has found a resettled Chagossian society could be economically, environmentally and socially sustainable.
• The Government pledged to resolve the issue before the 2015 election, but failed to do so. We need to pressure the new Parliament and Government, whoever they may be, to finally give Chagossians a measure of justice, and to do it now. (see Ben Fogle's interview for more detail)

For more information: http://www.chagossupport.org.uk