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bbc story : Mauritian PM to discuss Diego Garcia

Quote:

Mauritian Prime Minister Paul Berenger is to meet the Commonwealth secretary general in London to discuss the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands.

Inhabitants of one of the islands, Diego Garcia, were evicted more than 30 years ago so it could be a US airbase.

A British court ruling in 2000 said the eviction was unlawful but a ruling in 2003 said there were no grounds for compensation or a right of return.

The 24-square-mile archipelago was separated from Mauritius in 1965.

At least 1,000 people were displaced from the archipelago between 1967 and 1973, to make way for the airbase.

Mauritius wants the archipelago returned and has not ruled out going to the United Nations over the case.

"The possibility that Mauritius will seek the backing of the UN to take the dispute to the International Court of Justice is also under consideration," a Mauritius government source told AFP.

so, as I see it, the British government evicted the inhabitants, let the US build a big military base there, and are now ignoring the issue for all they're worth

i've only heard of it occasionally and i'd regard myself as fairly politically aware ...

any opinions? is it ok to take people's islands away from them? has anyone even heard of this place?

some background on the island : about Diego Garcia

where are the islands? here!

Interesting. Looks like a very strategic place for a US military base right now.

This is one of those issues where I can see and agree with both parties and that there may not be an easily accesible solution.

Part of me says there is a ruling that the evictions were unlawful and we should return the land. Close and tear down the base or fairly reimburse those who were evicted.

However, I also believe that what is done by past generations is done and future generations can never be held responsible for the acts of the past. And the present day is what it is. We cannot change the past and every country has been wronged by someone in the past.

To argue what has been done in the past just brings about pain and bitterness, when it is easier and more civil to accept the past and try to change the laws so that a repeat of what did happen will not happen again.

The fact most of the people affected are still alive makes this more valid to me than say, native land claims. It's not like some guy 4 generations later is going to rake in cash - it's the guy whose home was bulldozed who would get compensation, and that seems fair.

But I agree, I don't know enough about the particular situation beyond that.

I've heard of it, Diego Garcia supports a good majority of our B-52 Nuke Task Force. It was mainly designed to reach the Soviet Union fairly quickly from a direction other than from Europe or Alaska/Japan. It was actually one of the major staging areas for B-52s during the Viet-Nam war. A lot of this stuff was done in the name of detente; as far as the indigs and their political situation go, I know very little about it and can't commentate on that, but I do know why we wanted Diego Garcia, hope that helps.

Let them try and take it back from us, we'll crush them!

Diego Garcia is one of those places you do not want to see under "location" for your next duty station.

When we were all getting our orders, a few of my friends were assigned to Diego Garcia. They were not happy.

From what I hear: yes, it is very strategic and it is also very isolated. I don't know too many people that would want to go back there. (kind of like Guam was for us in the past).

well, the people who used to live there seem to want to go back ... i can understand it's not a great posting for soliders mind