of Mauritius, Garcia have been living stricken exile for the last ten years. Many of their shacks are made from no more than beaten tin cans. They are the human price for the imperialist war machine that is being put together in the Indian Ocean; a problem that the Thatcher government is now trying to sweep under the carpet.
Diego Garcia, and the other islands which make up the Chagos historically attached to Mauritius, colony from 1814. But in the 1960s there were growing demands for Mauritian independence. How was Britain to retain control of the vital shipping routes?
Bribery was the answer. In return for 40 million rupees the Mauritian ahandoned at claim to inhabitants were not consulted as the islands of the Chagos Archipelago were lumped in with other far-flung Islands Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT)..
Indifference Two years later, on 25 April 1967, the US and Britain concluded a 50-year agreement to purposes. people living there. But ¡hem?
In 1970, when the decision lo establish a naval communications base on Diego Garcia 434 families from Diego in povertyArchipelago, were a British government Diego Garcia.
the British Jointly Gence There was still the problem of the who cared about was announced, the American administration 'uninhabited'. It was the truth whole truth. Over the previous two years some been forcibly evacuated in the face of general The islanders found themselves dumped in Wolls sills, compensation the British government came up handed over to the Mauritian government to of this money found its way into the islanders' hands until 1978, by which time it was worth — DIE TOE LIC Ick-Will:
Mauritian government. because the group laid down their The 'auxiliaries' are meant to abide by the same rules as the army, of which they are technically part. In fact they are a private gang owing allegiance only to Muzorewa. they have if anything even greater freedom of movement. There have been numerous reports of auxiliary rampages and beatings of people who fail to produce the correct party card. They often pose as Patriotic Front supporters in order to detect ZANU and ZAPU supporters The British refusal to clamp down on the auxiliaries is part of a larger concern that Muzorewa, the trusted servant of the whites, should win the To that end the same civil and police apparatus settlement elections last April will be wheeled out for a repeat performance on 27-29 February.
This, unfortunately is not violation of Lancaster House but is inhabitants of Diego effectively left to their fate.
Of the 434 families; 422 signed a repatriated to Diego Garcia. Public meetings were held, and the issue was taken up by the Moyement• Decent embarrassment to both imperialism and the Enter a London barrister named Bernard Sheridan, bearing a new British offer of no less than £1 4m (about £1,000 per person). There fully in line with what the Patriotic Front leaders agreed. One of them, Joshua Nkomo, play atrocities in order to win favours. He may well come in handy if Muzorewa's standing among the voters drops much further.
The British presence in Zimbabwe is thus Hellel.
Governor would have troops Africans at Beit Bridge. Not only did Soames not de this, but he wouldn't be prepared to years.
The question does not really even revolve though 90 years as the colonial power has shown only too clearly what they are likely to be. incapacity of the do anything masses of Zimbabwe.
That is why the idea that more British troops or more Whitehall civil servants would solve the money, Indian Ocean Territory'.
Initially the them some money. not without friends.
the government informed.' The compensation in which they their homeland.
Thatcher's military Task them The reply should be interesting misplaced.
is already trying to security forces' neutral thrown his against explained by against the South do it in a million around British intentions -It concerts thee • Britisk state ever to to benefit the African everything is was just one little snag. In order to get hold of , the islanders had to sign a paper declaring that 'we abandon all titles and rights which would permit a return to the British islanders" response was farourable. Most of them are illiterate, and all they knew was that somebody wanted to give But fortunately they were A Port Louis docker, Michel Gerard Nina, made it his business to find out what was going on and then began to contact all the Diego Garcians to tell them: 'Don't sign anything You have to talk it over with the MMM and and keep the newspapers British-sponsored deal was blown. Now a general meeting of the islanders has voted not to accept any strings on the offered, and steps are being taken to invalidate documents already signed gave up the right to return to The moral of this little tale: that Carter and build-up in the Indian Ocean has nothing to do with anyone's "selfdetermination'. So next time some Tory collars you with a lecture about the threat to the 'free when they intend dismantle the military bases on Diego Garcia and hand the islands back to their inhabitants Only if the presence is reduced — to nothing! — can the people of Zimbabwe decide their own future.
Intercontinental Press AFGHANISTAN'S struggle imperialist intervention Ernest article in the latest issue of the weekly Intercontinental Press/Inprecor (Vol . 18, No 3). Other features examine the growth of the US nuclear arsenal in Europe, the performance of the left in Portuguese repression in Colombia, and the figh for the 30-hour week in Sweden.
Individual copies cost 30p 10o pop, but subscriptions mort For £3 for 10 weeks. Please make cheques/POs out to 'Intercontinenta Press' and send to: IP/I, PO Box 50 London N1 2XP.
Socialist Challenge 31 January 1990 Pagel