The First Minister of the Chagos Islands has accused the “increasingly dysfunctional” UK Government of “losing its moral bearings” and called on the House of Lords to reject the Diego Garcia Bill.
Misley Mandarin warned the proposed transfer of sovereignty to Mauritius was an example of “colonialism in an extreme form” by denying the Chagossian people the return of their homeland.
He called on the Lords to refuse the third reading of the Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill due to take place today.
The Bill aims to implement in law provisions of a treaty signed by the Government in May to return sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, which will also see Britain lease back the strategically important military base on Diego Garcia – the largest island within the remote Indian Ocean archipelago.
The First Minister has called on the Lords to reject the third reading of the Diego Garcia Military Base
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As well as establishing a £40million fund for Chagossians expelled from the islands, the UK has agreed to pay Mauritius at least £120million annually during the 99-year agreement, a total cost in cash terms of at least £13billion.
The Chagossian First Minister wrote in Parliament News: “We live at a time when it feels like the UK Labour Government is losing its moral bearings in a way that threatens its connection with the electorate, a particular problem when one remembers it received less votes than when Labour lost the General Election in 2019.
“Indeed, notwithstanding its majority the current administration is backed by the votes of fewer British people than any government in recent times.
“One of the ways in which it seems to have lost its bearings is undoubtedly in relation to the Chagos Islands.”
The Government signed a treaty back in May to return sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius
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GETTYMr Mandarin added that Chagossians “want to remain under UK sovereignty” which he argued was of critical importance to the US so that Diego Garcia military base can remain under UK-US control.
He described the Government as “broken” and “increasingly dysfunctional” and said the terriority should be returned to Chagossians and “we are afforded full self-determination in relation to them”.
The Government estimates the Diego Garcia Bill will cost around £101million a year, while critics argue it will be much higher.
The Bill, which is needed to implement the treaty, has already been approved by MPs but has so far faced a bruising ride in the House of Lords.
Peers last week voted narrowly in favour of renegotiating the treaty to ensure that would stop making payments if “use of the base for military purposes became impossible”.
While Labour MPs are likely to defy the ruling of peers, the vote could delay the deal’s formal agreement.
Families who had been displaced from the archipelago between 1967 and 1973 chose Mr Mandarin to lead the campaign to keep the islands under British rule.
The Government has been warned that handing over the Chagos Islands would risk the loss of one of the world’s most important and unspoilt natural environments.
The islands are home to almost 800 species of fish, at least 300 types of coral, 280 species of plants and ferns, and 50 species of birds.
Sir Keir insists the deal is the only way to adequately protect the Diego Garcia base from the influence of other countries like China.
