UK suffers major UN defeat over Chagos Islands decolonization

[sandensea]

Source: CNN

The United Nations General Assembly has voted overwhelmingly to condemn the UK's continued occupation of the Chagos Islands -- a humiliating defeat for London on its continued colonial legacy.

The Indian Ocean islands, which are home to US military base Diego García, were separated from the former British territory of Mauritius during decolonization in 1968.

On Wednesday, UN member states voted 116-6 for a non-binding resolution endorsing a decision by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that separation was illegal and calling for the UK to return the islands to Mauritius within six months. Only Australia, Hungary, Israel, the Maldives, and the US voted in support of the UK.

"The advisory opinion is clear and unambiguous," Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth said. "It is decisive."

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/22/asia/uk-chagos-islands-un-intl/index.html

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Aerial view of Diego García.

The existence of a U.S. Navy base there may make today's ruling, which follows a similar one at The Hague, unlikely to ever be carried out.

[EX500rider]

1. The UK bought the Islands:

In November 1965, the UK purchased the entire Chagos Archipelago from the then self-governing colony of Mauritius for £3 million to create the British Indian Ocean Territory.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chagos_Archipelago

[marble falls]

2. Someone needs to point that out to the UN! Case solved!

[EX500rider]

3. Seems a little late for sellers remorse....unless we wanna give the Russians Alaska back too..

There no indigenous natives, the French were the 1st to populate it.

[Denzil_DC]

5. "Indigenous" is a weasel word. The archipelago was settled in 1776, and developed its own culture.

2,000 inhabitants were cleared out by the UK government and promised resettlement in similar conditions to those they enjoyed before. That promise has still not been honoured after 40 years, and many Chagossian exiles live in poverty in Mauritius, where they're barely tolerated: https://www.chagossupport.org.uk/

[EX500rider]

6. The fact that they speak a form of Creole tells me there are not from around there.

"and many Chagossian exiles live in poverty in Mauritius"
I bet they lived in poverty there also, I don't think copra farming pays that well.