Dilrook Kannangara
World attention was drawn to horrendous acts of genocide, crimes against humanity, militarisation, ethnic cleansing and outright injustice by Chagossians a few years ago when they took the legal route to reclaim their nation. Chagos Archipelago has been occupied by British and US troops for a very long time and Chagossians have been denied their territory. It is a matter of shame for the UK that advocates human rights around the world. UNHRC must be moved to investigate crimes committed upon Chagossians, compensate them, demilitarise their islands completely and hand back their islands to them completely.
The lease granted by UK to USA for the Diego Garcia military base ends in 2016. Therefore this is the right time for the UNHRC to take up the matter and resolve it.
Occupation of the Chagos Archipelago, Genocide and Militarisation
USA is running a very large military installation in Chagos Archipelago by displacing the indigenous people there. In 1974 this base was expanded further and today it is a major threat to peace in Asia. Displaced people are not even allowed to visit their ancestral homeland, re-establish themselves or otherwise use their nation. Acts of UK and USA fall within the definition of genocide. In addition, this base has been used for needless bloodshed in Iraq, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia. It must be closed down and the territory should be handed back to its rightful indigenous owners. If they are not willing to relocate to their territory, it should be made into a protected territory for wildlife and sea life.
During the expansion program of the military base, many Asian nations including India, China, Vietnam, Pakistan and Sri Lanka protested the move. In 1974 Sri Lankan Prime Minister protested against the move to the US President. Consequently on March 1, 1974 President Nixon wrote to the Sri Lankan Prime Minister reassuring her that further militarisation of the Chagos Archipelago didn’t pose any threat to the island nation or any other Asian nation. However, he has been proven wrong as horrendous crimes against humanity that occurred in the Chagos Archipelago came to light.
UK Under Pressure; Needs Further Pressure
UK is under pressure from within and from the international community to vacate Chagos Archipelago and not renew the lease to USA. However, as things stand now, the UK government will disregard these claims and very likely extend the genocidal action of extending the lease to US military which will continue to occupy the territory and continue its military activities. UNHRC is the perfect platform to move against this crime against humanity. UK’s hypocrisy must be exposed to the world.
Strategic Worth
Diego Garcia military base is the most strategic of all US bases around the world. It has naval, air and ground troops mobilisation capabilities. Its isolation means it houses nuclear weapons as well. It sits close to important sea lanes plying goods for the world’s largest economies. As Asian economies grow, western military interest in Asia also grows in an attempt to scuttle the Asian Century.
Its military worth is set to enhance further with USA’s “pivot to Asia” strategy which will expand US military presence, especially naval assets in Asia. Under these circumstances USA will go to any lengths to save this base. Its continuation poses an existential threat to whole of Asia particularly to China, India, Pakistan, ASEAN nations, Middle East and Russia. Impending US military action against Iran, China and other Asian countries will be launched from Diego Garcia as well. Indian Ocean should be free from foreign military presence for the benefit of all.
UNHRC 2014 Session
UNHRC 2014 session should be moved to investigate crimes committed upon Chagossians, compensate them, demilitarise their islands completely and hand back their islands to them completely. A resolution for the purpose will have majority support at the 47 member UN agency. It will bring much needed balance to the UNHRC. Without addressing the issue of genocide of Chagossians it is futile to address human rights violations in Asia.
February 11th, 2014 at 3:56 pm
Sounds good but we have to be careful.
IF USA goes out, ENDIA will grab it! Then we are WORSE off. We will be encircled by Endia then.
February 11th, 2014 at 4:45 pm
Tamil Nadoo’s cry to take back Kachchathivu is to legalise the poaching in the Sri Lanka’s resources.
February 11th, 2014 at 6:25 pm
” UNHRC 2014 session should be moved to investigate crimes committed upon Chagossians, compensate them, demilitarise their islands completely and hand back their islands to them completely. A resolution for the purpose will have majority support at the 47 member UN agency. It will bring much needed balance to the UNHRC. Without addressing the issue of genocide of Chagossians it is futile to address human rights violations in Asia.”
This appears to be an excellent way to defend Sri Lanka. It is very relevant to Sri Lanka and Maldives than any other country.
Dilrook should also be sent to Geneva !
February 12th, 2014 at 12:59 am
Government should consider distributing mobile phones with unlimited data.
“By Shamindra Ferdinando
Northern Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran has lamented that money sent by Tamil Diaspora has had a devastating impact on the lifestyles of Tamils here.
The retired Supreme Court judge is of the view that foreign funds have caused irreparable damage to society, especially the student community.
CM Wigneswaran was addressing a gathering at the annual Prize Giving and 60th Anniversary of Varani Central College last week.
Those who had received political asylum overseas during the conflict had started sending money to their relatives living here, the CM said. Years back those striving for a good life had no option but to work hard but today money from abroad made things easier; it was spent on mobile phones, computers and Internet.
Wigneswaran stressed the need for addressing social issues caused by the Diaspora money.
Instead of studying hard, Tamil girls and boys had taken to watching movies, particularly those with sexual themes as well as violence and exchanging love messages via mobile phones, the Chief Minister said. “
February 12th, 2014 at 6:29 am
USA was deeply concerned with the stability of the host nation of any potential base, and sought an unpopulated territory, to avoid United Nations’s decolonisation requirements and the resulting political issues of sovereignty or anti-US sentiment. The Chagossian right of occupation was violated by the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office as a result of the 1966 agreement between UK & US governments The forced removal of the Chagossian people was an act of ethnic cleansing. The frustration of more than four decades of of exile for the Chagos islanders exacerbated by the refusal of successive UK governments to find a just solution kept breaking though. How can it be that a military settlement is lawful when the rightful inhabitants are not allowed to settle there? US & UK military squatters have taken over the rightful habitation of the islands. Each revelation about the UK’s dealings with Diego Garcia is more disgraceful than the previous, and still the cover-up continues.
Presently about 50 British and 1,500 U.S. military personnel, and 3,000 support workers of various nationalities – primarily Sri Lankans and Filipinos – reside at Diego Garcia.
Most of the roughly 1,500 displaced Chagossians were agricultural workers and fisherman. Uprooted and robbed of their livelihood, the Chagossians now live in poverty in Mauritius’s urban slums, more than 1,500km from their homeland. A smaller number were deported to the Seychelles. About 800 islanders forced off Diego Garcia are alive today, and another 5,000 Chagossians have been born in exile. As G deSilva mentioned , a 2003 60 Minutes segment and a 2004 documentary by Australian journalist and filmmaker John Pilger, “Stealing a Nation”, have done much to publicize the little-known plight of the islanders.
In May 2006, the British High Court in London ruled that the Chagossians may in fact return to other Chagossian islands, and offered a withering assessment of the British conduct in the case, calling it “outrageous, unlawful and a breach of accepted moral standards.”
“The suggestion that a minister can, through an Order in Council, exile a whole population from a British Overseas Territory and claim he is doing so for the ‘peace, order and good government’ of the Territory is repugnant.”
The Chagossians have accepted that they cannot return to Diego Garcia because of the U.S. airbase, but the islanders want to move elsewhere in the Chagos archipelago, to the Salomon islands and Peros Banhos, which are more than 150km from Diego Garcia. USA is opposed to anyone other than military personnel and their employees living anywhere in the Chagos archipelago, asserting that security will be compromised. According to a US State Department official, Lincoln Bloomfield Jr., allowing civilians in the archipelago could potentially lead to “terrorists infiltrating the islands.”
Visit http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3667764379758632511# to watch the documentary by John Pilger titled ‘Stealing of a Nation’ which discusses the current plight of these indigenous people who have been forcibly exiled by the so-called guardians of democracy and human rights, the British, for the benefit of their loyal friends, the Americans, so that the US has an unrestricted platform to launch attacks on other nations which do not comply with the so called ‘new world order’ as dictated by the US.
February 12th, 2014 at 9:59 am
Nanda, Government should consider distributing mobile phones with unlimited data- care fully they may use to regrouping for Eelam war V !!!
My Chinkala brother, are you not satisfy with Mullivakkal Thuvasam May 2009 (dead annual remembrance ) .
Sammy Kanumada (machan enough) we can not take any more……..
Why this Kolaveri mate ???
February 12th, 2014 at 1:22 pm
Nanda,
Good news indeed! Let FUTURE TNA voting generations go to hell. DIRECT ALL drug dealers to get their share of TAMIL DIASPORA money by operating in Jaffna, Vanni and Batti.
Particularly Tamil school girls are addicted to sexual media. It is because they were DENIED ALL freedom for SO LONG and SUDDENLY every freedom comes from heaven.
It will NOT help LTTE regrouping. LTTE = TNA already have SATELLITE phones.
Moving Tamil future generations AWAY FROM Tamil Elam and Tamil RACISM is MOST important. WHATEVER distracts them from TE should be promoted right or wrong. Remember there is NOTHING WRONG in anything that saves SL.