Le Matinal: Chagos and A Marine Protected Area: Brainwash and Greenwash

Chagos and A Marine Protected Area: Brainwash and Greenwash
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Noor Adam Essack on Friday 19th of February 2010 - 10:49:00
 
This myth-making has continued _ad nauseam_ in order to try and cover up the
fact that there were inhabitants of the Chagos Archipelago but they were
forcibly evicted in the 1960s (in breach of international law) to clear the way
for the Americans to build and operate a military base on Diego Garcia, the
Archipelago’s largest island.
The Chagossians have been fighting one legal battle after another in UK courts
to claim what they see as their right of return to their islands. After winning
two cases in the High Court, followed by another one in the Court of Appeal,
they lost in the House of Lords. They have now taken their case to the European
Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. Meanwhile, Mauritius has maintained that
its sovereignty over the Chagos is non-negotiable. It is still hoping to recover
that sovereignty.
But the UK never ceases to move the goal post. It has now pulled out another
trick from its hat of mischiefs: paint the Chagos Archipelago green! In the era
of conservation, ecological movements and green politics, what better way to win
over public opinion than to talk about creating a vast marine protected area and
nature reserve in and around the archipelago, especially when you can have top
environmentalists to endorse your (wicked) plan.
In a consultation document, David Miliband, the UK’s Foreign Secretary wrote:
“This is a remarkable opportunity for the UK to create one of the world's
largest marine protected areas and double the global coverage of the world's
oceans benefiting from full protection.”
http://www.fco.gov.uk/resources/en/pdf/21153320/mpa-consultation-101109
The consultation period expired on 12 February.  The Foreign and Commonwealth
Office (FCO) expects to announce a decision on whether to establish a Marine
Protected Area in early April 2010.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has endorsed the
UK government’s plan, which has also received the backing of a host of other
organisations which include the Marine Conservation Society, Kew Gardens, London
Zoo, and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).
Julia Marton-Lefevre, the Executive Director of IUCN, has been criticised for
her decision to lend her support to the creation of a marine protected area.
Klaus Bosselmann, the chair of the IUCN's ethics group, declared that it
"violates IUCN's own commitments towards sustainability" because the plan would
"invalidate... the right of the Chagos Islanders to return." In her defence,
Julia Marton-Lefevre said that her organisation’s stance “in no way takes or
endorses a position with regard to the sovereignty of the archipelago.” And
she said that she called for consultation with all stakeholders including the
Chagossians.
In the meantime, more than 10,000 people of a ‘green’ disposition and
seemingly unaware of the Chagos Archipelago saga and the plight of the
Chagossians have already signed a petition in support of the protected marine
area contemplated by the FCO.
_Mea culpas_ have followed once some of these well-intentioned people learnt of
the deceit and lies surrounding the Chagos.
If the Mauritian government seriously hopes to get anywhere with regard to
sovereignty, it will need to alert the international community. Bilateral talks,
though commendable, have their limits.
LONDON, 18 FEBRUARY 2010