Comments on: Seeking justice for the Chagossians

By: Shine Steel

Shine Steel — Thu, 15 Sep 2022 14:08:18 +0000

Hi Rachel,
I’d love to talk to you about this article. I’m a journalist looking at a story related to the monarchy. Could you get in touch please.
shine.steel@global.com

By: No to this sort of thing

No to this sort of thing — Sun, 28 Aug 2022 16:34:56 +0000

In reply to Anonymous. People who never lived in these British territories have no role in interfering with the nation’s global strategic interests. We cannot bend down and weaken the nation to appease Guardian readers. A deal was done for those that left and compensation was paid.

By: Nope no never

Nope no never — Mon, 22 Aug 2022 15:03:49 +0000

National strategic interest of the UK is more important than the financial interests of a group who were never born in these islands.

By: Rachael Shaw

Rachael Shaw — Sat, 20 Aug 2022 18:56:34 +0000

In reply to Anonymous. The essence of the article is to highlight the crimes against humanity that the United Kingdom committed against the Chagossians. Self governance and self determination is the goal, but to achieve this is to also be aware of who stripped those rights in the first instance.

By: Facts

Facts — Fri, 19 Aug 2022 22:38:58 +0000

Apologies Indian Ocean island paradise but the Crawley bit is true

By: Facts

Facts — Fri, 19 Aug 2022 22:37:19 +0000

These people were actually plucked from their Pacific island paradise and dumped in Crawley

By: Pumpole

Pumpole — Fri, 19 Aug 2022 19:19:29 +0000

I usually defend the British government in discourse but this was and is a crime against humanity.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 19 Aug 2022 18:32:21 +0000

The Chagos once belong to Mauritius AND Seychelles. It is up to the former Chagossian natives & their descendants if they wish to be ruled by Mauritius. Self-determination & self-governance is the goal, not another occupier. Once the Nationality rights for Chagossians are enacted later this year, a significant amount of Chagossians, especially the young ones, wish to move to the UK; they do not want to remain under the hindhu-run Mautiruan government oppression. The Mauritian government is oppressive to the native Chagossians and later generations. They are kept out of senior-level jobs. THey are truly pressed and kept poor by the MRU government. If you write an article, we suggest you speak to the broader Chagossian community.

By: Strategic Priorities

Strategic Priorities — Fri, 19 Aug 2022 13:33:51 +0000

The reason the Chagos islands remain under British control is the strategic need for a UK/US armed forces deployment site based which can reach the Middle East and Far East but which would remain unthreatened by India or China on a breakdown of international relations. Partly this is for nuclear coverage (as the Diego Garcia airforce base can house B-2 bombers) and partly this is to protect the Strait of Hormuz (through which 1/4 of the world’s oil and 1/3 of the world’s natural gas passes).

Unless global priorities shift so that the needs of the 1000 or so Chagos islanders who were expelled suddenly outweigh these concerns, nothing will change.