Compensation ruling 'not the end of the road'
10 October 2003
The Chagossian people and their supporters reacted with grief and disappointment to the High Court ruling on October 9, 2003 denying them compensation. However, all are determined that the fight must go on.
It is difficult to understand how Judge Duncan Ouseley could rule that there was no case to answer after saying the Chagossians had been treated unjustly and shamefully by successive UK governments. As a leader column in The Independent said, “they surely deserve as much consideration as, say, the Falkland Islanders, on whom the equivalent of £1 million a head was spent to defend them from Argentinian aggression.” The writer went on to say “it can never be too late to make amends for an act of shockingly recent imperial arrogance.”
An appeal will be lodged but may not be allowed.
However, we must all look to the future and focus on what the government will do for the Chagossians. An early visit would be good and the possibility of a pilot resettlement project must be pursued. This should be a group project involving islanders, scientists and environmentalists, which would develop and expand as infrastructure is put in place.'
Related stories:
22 August 04 - CRG warns of hunger strikes if government does not act
28 July 04 - Compensation appeal rejected
17 June 04 - Judges consider appeal application
14 June 04 - Appeal hearing set for Thursday 17 June
19 May 04 - Chagossians take compensation fight to Court of Appeal
- Read the BBC's coverage of the ruling:
Evicted islanders vow to fight on