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Our
December 2004 update
After
only a month,
we
think there is already enough material for an update.
Olivier
Bancoult (Leader of CRG in Mauritius) visited the UK in November. On the 16th.
he had a meeting with Bill Rammell of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office who
subsequently announced that he had persuaded the Americans to allow a
humanitarian trip for a hundred Chagossians plus two priests to visit family
graves at East Point on Diego Garcia. (We have heard promises like that
before…) The minister resisted any idea that resettlement of the islands was
possible and said there was no chance of further compensation.
Later
that day there was a public meeting at the House of Commons organised by the
Minority Rights Group International – “Diego Garcia : A Crime Against
Humanity?” This brought together members of the community, lawyers, MPs, human
rights experts, academics and the media. The event was sponsored by Jeremy
Corbyn MP and an account can be seen in the news section of the Minority Rights Group website:
www.minorityrights.org.
Olivier Bancoult, Richard Gifford (Lawyer), Allen Vincatassin (Leader BIOT
Islanders Movement), Chris Martin (producer, “Stealing A Nation) and Laura
Jeffery (an anthropologist) all addressed the meeting. (Long-time members will
recall that Laura spent time on Mauritius working with the Chagossians as part
of her studies.)
Minority
Rights Group International is helping to support the Chagossians in their legal
case through its long experience in international human and minority rights law
and standards.
Still
on the 16th.November, Olivier met with Robin Cook (former Foreign
Secretary) who expressed sympathy and intends to keep abreast of the issue.
The
next day, Olivier and others had a
meeting in Portcullis House with Donald Anderson MP who is Chairman of the House
of Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee. He asked for further briefing in
order to help where he could. Laura thought this a very positive meeting.
Further
legal action, following the Orders in Council, is in the pipeline.
Given
the government’s track record, reactions to Bill Rammell’s “promise” of
a visit are not exactly joyful. We have heard this before. One member wondered
“if Mr. Rammell could explain the use of the words ‘stop the repopulation’
when there is a community living in the very area in question – the US
military”. He also wonders if the government will now support policies of
displacing populations elsewhere such as Sudan and Zimbabwe. Obviously not –
hypocritical or what?
A
Norwegian member, Steffen, sees the promised trip as a means of
legitimizing the early wrong decisions by the FCO. “Look how good we
are being” whilst forgetting they CAUSED the problem. The smugness of
Rammell’s “I am pleased that I have been able to agree this (visit)”
rankled with many members as he has
been one of the main obstacles.
Steffen, who has spent time with the Chagossians in Mauritius,
also let us know that “Stealing A Nation” caused some public interest in his
country. John Pilger’s article from 2 October’s Guardian was
translated and published in a major Norwegian newspaper “Morgenbladet”.
Steffen wrote to the paper and was given almost a full page coverage.
The
generous Scottish couple, having a joint birthday celebration mentioned in the
November Update, collected a handsome sum of money in lieu of presents which is
being used to make Christmas more enjoyable and comfortable for the elderly and
poor Chagossians on Mauritius. We are most grateful to them as we are for any
donations, large or small. One member
(who is not on email) has kindly sent me stamps.
A
new member discovered us in Mauritius! She had seen the Pilger programme shortly
before going away on holiday and, having a little time in Mauritius, she looked
for the Chagos Refugee Group and saw our November Update on Olivier’s desk.
She made contact with us on her return. She is also, incidentally, collecting
the beans from Nescafe jars so, if that is your tipple, please will you save
these towards funds – they can be sent to me.
A
member from East Anglia had a brilliantly simple idea :
why don’t we all contact ITV and ask them to repeat “Stealing A
nation” at an earlier time? Can you help with that please and get others to do
the same? Contact details are near the end of this Update.
We,
on the committee, and many members, have
written to the Queen to complain about the Orders in Council and the appalling
way the Islanders have been treated. Here is part of one letter sent to
Buckingham Palace by a lady in Leeds : “It seems to me that the present
government have defied the UN and neatly side-stepped the issue by manipulating
Orders in Council, thus diminishing the authority of the High Court and laying
the ultimate responsibility at your door. The Chagossians have been
disgracefully treated for forty years by the American and British governments.
For the first time in seventy years, I am ashamed to be English. Hitler would
have been proud of this ‘Final Solution’.”
Sadly,
all letters to the Palace get the same standard reply, thanking us for our
concern and saying that she cannot interfere. (If the papers are to be believed,
as Commander in Chief, she is making her feelings known about the future of the
Black Watch.) Our letters are sent to the Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, and we
then get a standard letter from the FCO. If you get one of these, please point
out (through your MP and directly to the FCO) that:
-
the
Chagos Islands are NOT unfit for settlement as the US are settled in nicely
and extending their base facilities for stealth bombers.
-
the
cost of resettlement by Chagossians has not been investigated and it need
NOT be expensive since they could do non-military work on the base. This works in Cyprus
(as Paul, our chairman, noticed at a British Sovereign Base when he visited
lately) and in US bases elsewhere. While we are talking costs, let’s
remember how much the Department for International Development has spent on
refurbishing their offices this year - £45million. $500million has been
spent on rebuilding Monserrat since the volcano and St. Helena is getting a
runway. Two out of these three expenditures are acceptable!
-
how
would having the indigenous population living near a base prevent “the
effective use of the Territory for defence purposes”? The US seems to
manage in Cuba – a communist country!
-
We
also wrote to Prince Charles who, as Lord of the Isles, is keen to keep the
indigenous people in place and to support their culture – but this is in
Scotland. Similar non-helpful reply as was received from the Queen.
John
Madeley (author of Minority Rights Group Report on Chagos Islanders, 1980) had a
piece published in The Church Times
on 15th.October. (This excellent article can be emailed on request.)
In
the Methodist Recorder (October 21st.), David Budge wrote “If
politicians want to know why they are held in such low regard by the British
public, they could do no better than ask for a tape of ‘Stealing A
Nation’.” (Since an ITV merger, this video is now available from Video
Library, Yorkshire TV, Leeds LS3 1JS or ring 0113 2438283.)
Most
Chagossians are Roman Catholic, can anyone get something published in THEIR
journal?
It
is good to note that Private Eye is still printing items about Diego Garcia and
the Chagossians (Oct 15th) even though we lost a good friend
when Paul Foot died.
Back
to Bill Rammell again : on 6th.October in New York he said “It is
especially important…that justice systems are sensitive to the needs of
victims, and that those responsible for war crimes and other atrocities are
dealt with appropriately.” How, exactly, would he deal with a government that
cleared a nation from its homeland, gassed their dogs, shot their animals and
refused to allow them to return?
We
hear from Olivier that a Canadian film crew will be in Mauritius from the 12th
to the 18th December to make a programme. They are also visiting the
community in Crawley.
Allen
Vincatassin (Leader of BIOT Islanders Movement) has been negotiating with
different councils in Crawley for support for the Islanders until they get on
their feet. Central government says they should stay in Mauritius but they have
little future there and ARE British passport holders.
A government minister was heard to comment that they are not entitled to
help as they “made themselves homeless”. Actually, of course, they were made
homeless by the government who exiled them from their homeland and which has
done almost nothing for them since.
The
plan to make an oral record of the Islanders lives and experiences is being put
on hold until next year when things should be more settled in Crawley.
Finally,
practically ways in which you can help:
1.
Spread the word, badger your MP and the FCO and get everyone you know to do the
same.
2.
Badger ITV to repeat the Pilger programme at an earlier time and get everyone
you know to do the same. Nigel Pickard is in charge of scheduling and his
address is ITV Network Limited, 200 Gray’s Inn Road, London WC1 8HF. His email
address is Nigel.pickard@itv.com and
his phone is 0207 843 8000.
3.
Raise funds to help with our work, if possible. (Does anyone know how to set
about turning ourselves into a registered charity?)
4.
Get in touch with Donald Anderson (Chair of Commons
Foreign Affairs Select Committee) to express support for the Chagossians
at House of Commons, LONDON or fax him
on 01792 650766.
Thank
you for all you help and interest
– please can you let me know you have received this Update? All comments and
ideas welcome.
With
very best wishes for Christmas and 2005 from all of us on the committee,
Celia
Whittaker
Secretary
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