Declaration calling for Diego Garcia Military Base Closure
16.03.2019
We are publishing a copy of a Declaration initiated by LALIT, calling for Diego Garcia Military Base Closure. The declaration was signed by people and organizations long linked to the struggle on Chagos. We think that it would be of interest to our visitors after ICJ strong judgement.
Declaration calling for Diego Garcia Military Base Closure
We, the undersigned demand that:
In the interests of peace,
and following the ICJ findings that “as a result of the Chagos Archipelago’s unlawful detachment and its incorporation into a new colony, known as the BIOT, the process of decolonization of Mauritius was not lawfully completed when Mauritius acceded to independence in 1968 .... [and that] the United Kingdom’s continued administration of the Chagos Archipelago constitutes a wrongful act entailing the international responsibility of that State ... [and that] Accordingly, the United Kingdom is under an obligation to bring an end to its administration of the Chagos Archipelago as rapidly as possible, thereby enabling Mauritius to complete the decolonization of its territory in a manner consistent with the right of peoples to self-determination ....” [and that] all States have a legal interest in protecting that right ...”
and, in recognition of the support of the African union in presenting the Resolution, which thus help to ensure that the issue was not judged bilateral as the UK pretended and still pretends,
we call for the Mauritian State to call for the UK-USA to fix a date to end military occupation of our land.
Cassam Uteem, Former President of the Republic
Hervé Lassemillante, Barrister.
Jean-Claude Bibi, Former Attorney General
Rajni Lallah for the Muvman Liberasyon Fam
Haniff Peerun for Mauritius Labour Congress, and All Workers’ Federation
Naraindranath Gopee for National Trade union Congress
Randheer Bundoo for Confederation of General Trade unions
Reeaz Chuttoo for Confederation des Travailleurs des Secteurs Publique et Privé
Atma Shanto for Federation des Travailleurs Unis
Alain Ah-Vee for LALIT
