Discgracefull UK and US actions in Diego Garcia

[Lineker10]

Though people might be intrested in this -

Few could accuse you of ignorance for never having heard of Diego Garcia?much less for not knowing that it's not a person but an island. Along with such obscure, far-flung places as Fogo Island off the West Coast of Africa and Pukapuka in the South Pacific, Diego Garcia isn't the sort of place to come tripping off the tongue of even the most geographically sophisticated.

There are times, however, when the U.S. military considers this 17-square-mile atoll of coral and sand in the middle of the Indian Ocean one of the most valuable places on Earth.

A British dependency, Diego Garcia was developed as a joint U.S.-UK air and naval refueling and support station during the cold war. Located in the middle of the Indian Ocean and out of cyclone range, it was ideal for keeping an eye on the Soviet Union.


Although Diego Garcia once had a small native population, the inhabitants, known as the Ilois, or the Chagossians, were forced to relocate (1967?1973) so that the island could be turned into a military base?over the strong protestations of other Indian Ocean islands, who objected to having cruise missiles as neighbors. Most of the displaced Ilois were agricultural workers and fisherman. Uprooted and robbed of their livelihood, the Ilois now live in poverty in Mauritius's urban slums, more than 1,000 miles from their homeland. A smaller number were deported to the Seychelles. In 2000, a British court ruled that the order to evacuate Diego Garcia's inhabitants was invalid, but the court also upheld the island's military status, which permits only personnel authorized by the military to inhabit the island. The Ilois sued the British government for compensation and the right to repatriation, but in Oct. 2003 a British judge ruled that although the Ilois had been treated "shamefully" by the government, their claims were unfounded. In 2004 the British government issued an "Order of Council" prohibiting islanders from ever returning to Diego Garcia. A 2004 documentary by Australian journalist and filmamker John Pilger, Stealing a Nation, has publicized the plight of the islanders.

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/835963.stm

In 1965, when Mauritius was negotiating its independence from Britain, the then Prime Minister Harold Wilson made it clear there would be no deal without the Chagos islands being separated from Mauritius, and retained by Britain.

The islands were of great strategic significance - situated right in the middle of the Indian Ocean - they were in the heart of an area prized by the then Soviet Union and China.

What Mauritius did not know was that Britain had already done a deal with the United States - they would lease the largest island, Diego Garcia, for use as an air base and ship refuelling station.

But the Americans did not want a "population problem", as they put it.

There were about two thousand people living on the islands, mostly working in the coconut plantations. Descendants of African slaves and Indian plantation workers, the Chagos islanders had lived there for generations.
 
So Britain began a systematic, but highly secret, programme of resettlement.

No return

Families were accustomed to taking periodic trips to Mauritius by the only boat available.

Once there, they - like Oliviers' family - found a return passage was refused to them.

This policy continued for several years, until the programme was stepped up. The plantations were closed down, food supplies ended, and then in 1970, the people on Diego Garcia were called together and told they would have to leave.

Seewoosankar Mandary remembers that day well. He was working on the small weather station on the island, and took some photographs of the moment the people were told by the British administrator they were being evicted.

"He told the people there will be changes in the way the place is run. In a few weeks time you will not be able to stay. The military will come and you will have to go," Mr Mandary remembered.

All this was only revealed in 1975, through a United States congressional inquiry into the Diego Garcia military base.

But even then, the British government tried to cover it up. They claimed the Illois had no right to live on the islands, and said they were just temporary contract workers from Mauritius and the Seychelles.

In fact, declassified Foreign Office documents discovered at the Public Records Office in London reveal the policy of deception.

Embarrassment

One memo, dated 28 July 1965 says: "A small number of people were born there and, in some cases, their parents were born there too. The intention is, however, that none of them should be regarded as being permanent inhabitants of the islands."


Ive just watched a programme on this on UK TV. The people who were tricked, lied to and eventually forced to leave Diego Garcia were British citizens. The British and American goverments seceretly covered the move up and hid it from both parliment and congress. Its been ruled illegal by the British high court and the UN. Even though the high court has ruled this act illegal the UK and the US goverments still collaberte to not allow the people to return home. They have recently claimed it would be too difficult and dangerous to reinhabit - even though thousands of US servicemen live there - i find it disgusting that the British goverment would put the lives (as many of the pople from DG died either through poverty,with the trauma of moving or suicide) of its own citizens behind the wishes of the American military, and force 2,000 of its own people into poverty.

[Surfrider]

Doesn't surrpise me.  This stuff happens more than most Americans and Brits probably like to think.

I had a friend of mine from boot camp that was stationed there.  He said he liked it, but I dont remember him ever saying anything about the native people.  I guess this shows why.

[SLCPUNK]

A true disgrace is right.

Even more so that nothing was awarded these people after the case went to court.

You'd never, ever hear about this on our news.

[Will]

Not if you get your news on TV that's for sure! Especially Fake News.

[SLCPUNK]

All seems to be fake on tv doesn't it?

One celeb trial to the next, one missing person story to the next, one high profile murder trial to the next.

Keep everybody fighting with one another, feed them bullshit on tv all day. CNN and FOX are really no better than one another, they are about as relevant as MTV these days.

Answer? The internet, get your news here.

[Will]

Yup. Internet and books.

The only thing I enjoy on TV now is the series (CSI mainly).

[Axls Locomotive]

unbelievable...disgraceful is right...how could anyone authorise this??...i started to read more...

http://www.antiwar.com/orig/pilger.php?articleid=3702

where is the justice?

[usurper]

All seems to be fake on tv doesn't it?

One celeb trial to the next, one missing person story to the next, one high profile murder trial to the next.

Keep everybody fighting with one another, feed them bullshit on tv all day. CNN and FOX are really no better than one another, they are about as relevant as MTV these days.

Answer? The internet, get your news here.

The only real news reporter was Ron Burgundy, aren't I right SLCPUNK? 

[Drew]

Not if you get your news on TV that's for sure! Especially Fake News.

That would include CNN, MSNBC, NBC, FOX, ABC, BBC, and CBS.

Let's just say all news outlets(including those worldwide) speak alot of lies.

[SLCPUNK]

Yup. Internet and books.

The only thing I enjoy on TV now is the series (CSI mainly).

We just got a new place and the wife insisted on cable. I watch John Stewart, VH1 Classic Videos, and that is about it.

All news channels are really a joke, they all report the same thing, 24/7.

[Eazy E]

I watch the Daily Show and music videos for free over the internet.... who needs cable?  (Although Canadian news is usually loads better than what's on CNN, everything is still on the internet).

[SLCPUNK]

All seems to be fake on tv doesn't it?

One celeb trial to the next, one missing person story to the next, one high profile murder trial to the next.

Keep everybody fighting with one another, feed them bullshit on tv all day. CNN and FOX are really no better than one another, they are about as relevant as MTV these days.

Answer? The internet, get your news here.

The only real news reporter was Ron Burgundy, aren't I right SLCPUNK? 

" Go fuck yourself Salt Lake City."

 

[BigCombo]

All seems to be fake on tv doesn't it?

One celeb trial to the next, one missing person story to the next, one high profile murder trial to the next.

Only if its an attractive white girl....

[SLCPUNK]

All seems to be fake on tv doesn't it?

One celeb trial to the next, one missing person story to the next, one high profile murder trial to the next.

Only if its an attractive white girl....

Yes, this should be assumed..........

This week: Aruba (still), Rove, and London bombings circulated non-stop around the clock. That is all you are going to see. In the meantime we just approved 50 BILLION more for the war, and not a peep from our media giants.......

[Genesis]

All seems to be fake on tv doesn't it?
One celeb trial to the next, one missing person story to the next, one high profile murder trial to the next.

Only if its an attractive white girl....

Who's a class topper...

[Surfrider]

I really couldnt believe the news recently with all of the terror attacks.  We had the worst attack on London since WWII and the guys on cnn and fox would talk about the attacks for a minute and then go back to Aruba.  Are you fucking kidding me?  All respect to the family that lost their daughter in Aruba, but I couldnt give a shit about that case.  Not after Scott Peterson, Michael Jackson etc were shoved down our throats for months and months.  No wonder people overseas have such a negative feeling toward us, look at what we export: Hollywood trash, and our big news networks following worthless stories.

Its almost as if terrorism is nothing anymore.  I dont know if anyone saw it, but one of Brit Hume's first comments after the London attacks was, "First thing that came to my mind was that it would be a good time to buy futures."  Sad to say this guy is still working for Fox.

[usurper]

All seems to be fake on tv doesn't it?

One celeb trial to the next, one missing person story to the next, one high profile murder trial to the next.

Keep everybody fighting with one another, feed them bullshit on tv all day. CNN and FOX are really no better than one another, they are about as relevant as MTV these days.

Answer? The internet, get your news here.

The only real news reporter was Ron Burgundy, aren't I right SLCPUNK??

" Go fuck yourself Salt Lake City."

 

I LOVE THAT MOVIE!

[Chris Misfit]

Its almost as if terrorism is nothing anymore.

Terrorism has been nothing for years. What about the IRA? UVF? UDA? LVF? Who run riot in the UK and have done for many years. What, in the last few years has been done about their gun battles in east belfast? Drug Trafficing? Murders?

Nothing will ever be done to control their criminality and brutal murders, ever.

But as soon as there is coloureds or oil involed. Attack!

[Surfrider]

Its almost as if terrorism is nothing anymore.

Terrorism has been nothing for years. What about the IRA? UVF? UDA? LVF? Who run riot in the UK and have done for many years. What, in the last few years has been done about their gun battles in east belfast? Drug Trafficing? Murders?

Nothing will ever be done to control their criminality and brutal murders, ever.

But as soon as there is coloureds or oil involed. Attack!

It sucks that it takes something like oil or money to wake up the United States and other countries.

[Chris Misfit]

But it hasnt. It never will. People will be cruified on a british war, which they would rather blame on the "IRISH" withouht knowledge or history. What I see on TV is protestant irish going to america to meet bush over the killing of yer man McCartney. That is the only interest in 30years of bombing, and civil war. Why now. Are we next?

But dont at all give a fuck about the british paras, who have killed 3 times since then. Who stand in belfast shooting each other every day since. Because it's in the "british cause" why worry? Even though it's drugs. It's heroin. It destroys. But always blame the irish. Its the british way!

Wanna kill terrorism? Do it in Ballymena. Drumcree. Belfast. Newry. London. Calgary. Boston From Ireland to the usa and canada. Dont pretend it doessnt exist.

But they will, If it were coloureds or oil, or even potatoes, different story/