The Story of Mauritius and the Chagos Islands

September 21, 2025 TDNEWS2025 Important Comments Off on The Story of Mauritius and the Chagos Islands
     

1. Before Independence

  • Mauritius is an island nation in the Indian Ocean.
  • It was under British colonial rule for many years.
  • In 1965, just a few years before Mauritius got independence (1968), the UK separated the Chagos Archipelago (a group of small islands, including Diego Garcia) from Mauritius.
  • Britain kept those islands under its direct control and created the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT).

This separation was done against the will of the Mauritian people.

2. Why the UK Took It

  • The UK leased the biggest island, Diego Garcia, to the United States for a military base.
  • The native people of Chagos (Chagossians) were forcibly removed from their homeland between 1968–1973 and sent to Mauritius and the Seychelles.
  • For decades, Mauritius protested that this separation was illegal.

3. International Legal Struggle

Mauritius fought back using international law and diplomacy:

  • United Nations (UN): Mauritius kept raising the issue that the UK’s action was a violation of decolonization principles.
  • International Court of Justice (ICJ): In 2019, the ICJ ruled that the UK’s continued administration of the Chagos Islands was illegal and that the islands must be returned to Mauritius.
  • United Nations General Assembly: Backed Mauritius, calling for the UK to withdraw.
  • International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS, 2021): Confirmed that the waters around Chagos belong to Mauritius.

4. Victory for Mauritius

  • The struggle was long — more than 50 years.
  • But Mauritius won recognition from international courts, the UN, and world opinion.
  • Now, even the UK and US are under pressure to return the islands.

5. The Lesson for Tamils

  • When the UK left Sri Lanka in 1948, it merged Tamil Eelam and Sinhala areas into one state, ignoring Tamil sovereignty.
  • Mauritius shows that:
  • Colonial mistakes can be challenged, even decades later.
  • International law supports the right of people to their own homeland.
  • Persistence, diplomacy, and legal action can bring justice.

Message to Tamils:
Just as Mauritius regained its islands after independence, Tamils too can challenge the illegal handover of their homeland and demand restoration of sovereignty through international law, diplomacy, and persistence.

 

Thank you,
Tamil Diaspora News, USA,
September 20, 2025
Email: news@TamilDiasporaNews.com
www. TamilDiasporaNews.com