A country which prides itself on respect for the rule of law, the UK is urged to end its governance of Chagos Islands “as rapidly as possible”.
First published in November 2019.
“Global” Britain, that post-Brexit paradox, is coming at the UK in surprising ways. Britain is under international pressure to give up its last African colony, the remote Chagos Islands.
But Britain doesn’t recognize Mauritius’s claim over what it calls the British Indian Ocean Island Territory, and the issue continues to fester. And it comes to a head on November 22.
UK and US cling to last colonial possession despite UN vote (116 to 6) against them. They want Chagos Islands of Mauritius for UK/US military.
— Richard D. Wolff (@profwolff) November 17, 2019
Declining empires' desperate last gasps.https://t.co/DbQNOLJnCu
Earlier this year, the International Court of Justice ruled the 1965 excision of the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius unlawful because it wasn’t based on the free will of the people concerned.
The court advised the UK to end its governance of Chagos “as rapidly as possible”.
In May, the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly affirmed this, setting a November 22 deadline — 116 member states were in favour and six were against. (Incidentally, the US, Hungary, Israel and Australia were among the dissenters.)
Windrush scandal continues as Chagos Islanders are pressed to ‘go back.’ British passport holders from the Chagos Islands are being systematically targeted in a “shameful” attempt to have them removed from the UK https://t.co/9H3cgVhRIO
— Peter Stefanovic (@PeterStefanovi2) July 28, 2019
And in September, Pope Francis on a visit to Mauritius said that the UK needs to respect the wishes of international institutions.
Jeremy Corbyn, leader of Britain’s Labour Party, has repeatedly said the UK should respect the international court’s opinion. It’s a throwback to the way a Labour government decided to grant full independence to India.🔷
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[This piece was originally published on Medium and re-published in PMP Magazine on 18 November 2019, with the author’s consent. | The author writes in a personal capacity.]
