It's such a small world. Especially when you've been to or lived on more than one of the several islands in the Indian ocean. A few weeks ago, I met a neighbor of ours who is South African, (imagine my surprise, running into someone who speaks English!) and who also happens to know a guy (Burt) who was a friend of ours (PCVs) in the north of Madagascar.
This neighbor of ours, Walt, lives here with his wife Judith, and their 8 year old daughter. He, like Burt, was a yachtie who has travelled tremendously in his lifetime. He left SA and headed to Kenya, then to
Chagos, Malaysia,
Mauritius,
Seychelles,
Comores, Madagascar, various other small islands in the area, and all around again. We had them over for dinner the other night and they told the most incredible stories about sailing and living in all those different places. The one spot that sparked the most interest for Alex and I was Chagos. I had heard of it once while I was in Madagascar; that it's a US military base on an uninhabited island smack-dab in the middle of the ocean. I never thought much of it.
Now, after hearing Walt and Judith talk about it, and doing a little researching on my own, I've become more curious. Here is a map to help you visualize where the Chagos archipelago lies: it's at the very center of the map, just under the vertical strip of Maldives islands, and it's not even marked.
What has happened on the Chagos island during the past 40 years is of particular interest. Before all of that though, the islands were uninhabited until the colonization period. It is thought that most Chagossians were of African descent, brought there as slaves by the french. After Napolean's defeat, Chagos came under British rule, which hasn't changed since then, but the islands are now reffered to as BIOT (British Indian Ocean Territory).
Suddenly, beginning in 1967, Chagossians were forcibly removed from their homeland in different ways; some left on vacation and were not allowed back in, some went to seek medical treatment on Mauritius (because funds had "run out" for the local medical staff) and were denyed reentry, and the last group of people were loaded onto ships bound for Mauritius or Seychelles. Families were split up, and most ended up living in poverty in the capital of Mauritius, St. Louis.
WHY?
Because the US and British governments had secret plans to set up a US Naval Base in the Indian Ocean, for Cold War strategies. The original choice was Aldabra, a small island north of Madagascar. It was uninhabited by people, but home to a rare breed of turtle, and so, fearing politically aware environmentalists, the US turned to Diego Garcia, the main island of the Chagos group. No matter that there was a human population which had been living there for the past 200 years. Apparently, it was easier to deny rights to these people than to try to build the naval base on an island filled with rare turtles. No one told the people living there what was happening until the very end; they were allowed to bring one small bag of personal items with them and had to say good-bye to their homes forever.
To read a very good indepth history of the Chagossians, go
here, or read about a documentary which may or may not still be in the making
here, or read this book;
Island of Shame.
As an FYI, the lease of Diego Garcia to the US govt ends in 2016, at which point it could be renewed. Perhaps the future administration of the US could right some wrongs of the past at that point.
The
latest news about Chagossians.
In the words of a Chagossian living in Mauritius:
"The UK and US governments have taken us and are taking us for a big ride. They go to Bosnia, Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq to put an end to violations of human rights; yet, they are violating human rights in their own back yard."
We're such proud parents!
