Rédaction Africa Links 24 with lemauricien
Published on 2024-03-08 07:00:45
My name is Olivier Bancoult and I am a Chagossian born on Peros Banhos. I am speaking on behalf of the forcibly exiled Chagossian people, who were referred to as “tarzans” and “Man Fridays” and were forcibly removed from their homes by the British government. It is important to acknowledge the role of racism in this ongoing injustice.
This is fundamentally a human rights issue. All we have ever asked for is to be treated equally, with dignity, and to have our rights respected so that we can return to our homeland where we belong. For 50 years, the UK government has failed to show us this basic respect. As Members of Parliament, would you tolerate this treatment in your own constituency? Why are your human rights and those of your constituents more important than mine and those of all Chagossians?
Before our forced expulsion, our pets were killed and we were threatened with the same fate if we did not comply with the exile. Out of fear and uncertainty, we boarded the ships with just one suitcase of belongings. We were taken to foreign lands like Mauritius and the Seychelles, where we were left to live in poverty in inadequate conditions without basic amenities.
The British government, in collaboration with the United States, orchestrated our exile, despite the fact that the US has no legal claim to the Chagos Islands. The government created a narrative that there was no established population on the islands, portraying us as mere “contract workers” whose contracts were terminated. This was a deceptive way to justify our forced exile.
For 50 years, we have endured separation from our families, deaths of loved ones, and constant deception by the British government. We have watched strangers enjoy our homeland while we remain unable to return. Despite all these challenges, we have never given in to hatred and have always maintained hope that justice will prevail.
I urge you to consider the basic principles of human decency and human rights when reviewing our situation. Why are the most basic human rights denied to us when billions in former British colonies enjoy these rights? Why are the Chagossians being forced into exile while local populations near US bases are not?
In closing, I ask for respect from the British government by ceasing to refer to the Chagos Islands as the “ancestral home” of the displaced Chagossian people. This is a painful reminder of the injustice we have faced. It has been 50 years of suffering and loss for my people, and all we ask for is the right to return home and enjoy our fundamental human rights.
I remain hopeful that justice will prevail and that the British government will do the right thing in the end. Thank you for considering the human rights perspective of my submission.
Sincerely,
Olivier Bancoult
Read the original article(French) on Le Mauricien
