Skip navigation

Chagos: stolen nation, dark history

The name Diego Garcia sounds more like the name of a person rather than of an island part of the Chagos Archipelago situated in the middle of the Indian Ocean. This 44 square kilometres (17 square mile) atoll has been considered as one of the most valuable pieces of real estate on Earth because of its very important geostrategic location. Probably few have even heard of it. The footprint-shaped atoll lies in the middle of the Indian Ocean, at the tip of a chain of coral islands whose tropical beauty belies a difficult history.

‘Why do we continue to allow our governments to treat people in small countries as either useful or expendable? Why do we accept specious reasons for the unacceptable? The High Court issued one of the most damning indictments of a British government. It said the secret expulsion of the Chagos Islanders was wrong. That judgement must be upheld and the people of a group of beautiful, once peaceful islands must be helped to go home and compensated fully and without delay for their suffering. Anything less diminishes the rest of us (John Pilger).’

Download this Just Comment here.

Download version with references here.

Continue Reading

Read More