Abridged from the website of the Mauritius socialist organisation Lalit
In the apparently low-stakes dispute between Mauritius and Maldives over the delimitation of their maritime boundary, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) on 28 January found, on a preliminary issue raised by Maldives, that Britain has no claim on Chagos [islands previously ruled with Mauritius by Britain from which Britain evicted the whole population in 1967-73, to hand them over to the US for a military base]. Not even “a claim”.
The judgment thus lands a legal knock-out.
Now, unfortunately, the Mauritian government’s obsequious stance over the military base will again be exposed, as we move forward. Instead of calling for a time-table for base closure, the Mauritian State wants rent money from the USA for the military base.
Lalit has, together with Chagossians, maintained a struggle to get the wrongs of Chagos and Diego Garcia righted — by means of petitions, communiqués, street demonstrations, forums, international conferences, hunger strikes, court cases, leaflets, posters, books, newspaper articles, candle-light vigils — for over 40 years… [and] la luta continua! For:
• Complete decolonization of the entire Chagos.
• A democratically organised right to return for all Chagossians.
• The right to free movement in the whole of Mauritius, including Chagos for everyone, especially Chagossians.
• The closing down of the military base on Diego Garcia.