Open Letter of Protest to Pravind Jugnauth re his Betrayal of peoples’ principled support on Chagos (English and Kreol versions)
09.12.2017
Here is a copy of the open letter from the Komite Diego (Diego Garcia Committee, a common front) to the Prime Minister, Pravind Jugnauth.
8 December, 2017
Dear Sir,
Call for Closure of US Military Base on Diego Garcia! Please don’t sabotage your own ICJ Case!
As you are aware, Britain would not have dismembered Mauritius before Independence nor would it have displaced the Chagossians, had it not intended to get a US military base built there.
Britain, since then, pretends it will return Chagos when Diego is no longer needed for defense. We call on you to put the issue differently: the base must be closed so that Mauritius can be decolonized and re-unified with Chagossians (indeed all Mauritians) regaining free movement.
The reasons for base closure are clear:
1. The USA has used Diego Garcia, part of Mauritius, to go and kill civilians. The US-UK war on Iraq, for example, from 2003-11, killed at least half a million civilians.
2. The USA has tortured prisoners kidnapped and held illegally on our land (on Diego Garcia).
3. Since protests closed a base in Italy, nuclear submarines are now serviced in Diego Garcia.
4. The USA is ruining the sea, the lagoons and the land of Diego Garcia.
5. The USA is flaunting the binding Pelindaba Treaty for a Nuclear Arms Free Africa.
6. The risk of military accidents is increasing exponentially before our very eyes.
7. With Donald Trump as Commander-in-Chief, there is extreme concern.
8. UK-USA has a base on territory that is not theirs, and occupies land the Chagossians lived on.
Reasons for the timing of this protest
We have worked, against all the odds, to build support for the Mauritian State to take the issue to the UN. It has taken 40 years. Finally PM Ramgoolam took a case to the UN Tribunal under UNCLOS and won. Then Sir Aneerood Jugnauth won a UN General Assembly vote 94-15 on 22 June. It came as a pleasant surprise to us that the African union proposed the Resolution. It meant the UK and US arguments sounded half-witted, claiming it was a mere “bilateral dispute”.
Much of the support we won that allowed these victories – whether from States, organizations or individuals – is predicated upon the importance of a principled stand for decolonization and demilitarization of Chagos and Diego Garcia.
So, we were shocked when, while the case is at the ICJ, you as Prime Minister, addressing the UN General Assembly 21 September sought negotiations with the USA, even stooping to pleading for rent money. This means colluding with the military base! This means colluding with the British pretext that they are keeping Chagos as long as Diego Garcia is necessary for defense purposes. You are admitting the necessity of the “defense purposes” argument. This is what we protest today. Instead you should be calling for the rescinding of the illegal lease, illegally “rolled over” last year.
History refuses to forgive those treacherous on anti-militarist issues. Britain lost its member on the ICJ panel for the first time ever last month: their candidate Anthony Greenwood was not forgiven his “legal” advice justifying an illegal war on Iraq. Years later Britain has been made to pay the price.
We call on you to maintain the dignity of the Mauritian State, and not to betray the principled support it has received from 94 nation states, and millions of people. Do not betray anti-militarist nor decolonization struggles by begging for rent money.
Yours sincerely,
For the “Komite Diego” (Muvman Liberasyon Fam, CTSP, MPRB, LALIT and individuals)
Kreol translation, read out at meeting on 8 December, 2017:
Ala kopi nu let uver a Premye Minis, Pravind Jugnauth.
KOMITE DIEGO
c/o LALIT, 153 Main Road, GRNW, Port Louis. Tel: 208 5551
8 Desam 2017
Premye Minis
Batiman Trezor, Porlwi
Misye Premye Minis.
Apel pu Ferm Baz Militer Lamerik lor Diego! Silvuple, Napa Sabot Moris so Ka divan ICJ!
Kuma u kone, Grand Bretayn pa ti pu demanbre Moris avan Lindepandans ni li pa ti pu derasinn Chagosyin, si li pa ti ena lintansyon instal enn baz militer Amerikin lor Diego.
Depi sa, Grand Bretayn pe tultan pretann ki li pu return Chagos kan li nepli bizin Diego pu defans. Nu pe fer apel a u pu get sa isyu depi enn lang diferan: bizin ferm baz pu ki kapav konplet dekolonizasyon ek re-inifye Moris avek drwa pu Chagosyin (anfet tu Morisyin) sirkile libreman.
Rezon pu ferm baz zot kler:
1. Lamerik finn servi Diego Garcia, ki form parti teritwar Moris, pu al tuy popilasyon sivil. Par exanp, Lager USA-UK dan Lirak ant 2003-2011 finn tuy plis ki demi milyon sivil.
2. USA finn tortir prizonye ki li finn kidnape e detenir ilegalman lor nu later (Diego Garcia).
3. Akoz finn ena protestasyon pu ferm baz dan Litali, asterla pe fer servising sumarin nikleer lor Diego Garcia.
4. USA pe rwinn lamer, lagon ek later Diego Garcia.
5. USA pe fud Trete Pelindaba ki obliz tu pei pu gard Lafrik San Zarm Nikleer.
6. Risk aksidan militer pe kontinye ogmante dan enn fason alarman divan nu lizye.
7. Avek Donald Trump kuma Sef Komandan Larme Lamerik, nu ena rezon pu byin trakase.
8. UK-USA ena enn baz lor enn teritwar ki pa pu zot, pe okip later kot Chagosyin ti pe viv.
Rezon kifer nu pe proteste zordi
Nu finn travay, kont tu obstak, pu batir sutyin pu ki Leta Moris amenn sa isyu divan Nasyon Zini (UN). Li finn pran 40 banane. Finalman, Premye Minis Ramgoolam ti met ka divan Tribinal UN su Konvansyon Drwa Lamer (UNCLOS) e finn gayne. Apre, Sir Aneerood Jugnauth gayn vot Lasanble General UN par 94-15 le 22 Zin 2017. Li ti enn bon sirpriz kan nu finn truve ki se anfet Linyon Afrikin ki ti prezant Rezolisyon dan UN. Sa finn balye argiman bankal UK ek USA ki sanse sa li enn “litiz bilateral”.
Sutyin ki dimunn finn done – antan ki Leta, antan ki lorganizasyon, antan ki individi – pu ki nu truv sa kalite viktwar la – li angran parti depandan lor enn atant ki, kote Moris, nu lalit li lor baz prinsip, setadir prinsip dekolonizasyon, prinsip demilitarizasyon Chagos ek Diego Garcia.
Alor, nu ti soke ki u, antan ki Premye Minis, kan u ti adres Lasanble Zeneral Nasyon Zini le 21 Septam, kan ka deza divan ICJ, u finn al rod negosyasyon ar USA. U finn mem al ziska rod enn lamone pu enn bay ar Leta Zini an-esanz pu lwe Diego Garcia pu baz la. Sa vedir u pe konplis ar baz militer! Sa vedir u konplis ar sa pretex Britanik ki zot pe gard Chagos osi lontan ki Diego Garcia neseser pu defans. U pe furni kredibilite pu sa pretex “defans”. Pu sa rezon la ki zordi nu pe proteste. U ti oredi pe apel pu kennsel sa bay ilegal, ki ti ilegalman prolonze lane dernyer.
Listwar li drol. Li refiz pardonn dimunn ki fer tret lor size anti-militarist. Gran Bretayn, pu premye fwa dan listwar, ti perdi so plas lor panel ziz lor ICJ mwa dernye. Bann pei manb UN pa finn pardonn kandida UK, Anthony Greenwood, pu sa konsey “legal” ki li ti done pu dir al delavan ar lager ilegal kont Lirak. Apre tu sa lane, Gran Bretayn inn oblize pey pri pu sa tretriz so kandida.
Nu fer apel a u pu gard dinite Leta Moris, evit trayir sutyin baze lor prinsip ki tu sa 94 pei, tu sa milyon dimunn, finn akord Moris. Pa trayir nonpli sa lalit anti-militarist, sa lalit pu dekolonizasyon par tal lame pu lamone lokasyon depi USA pu baz militer.
Salitasyon,
Pu “Komite Diego” (Muvman Liberasyon Fam, CTSP, MPRB, LALIT ek individi)
