Britain: Chagos islanders demonstrate for right to return to their homeland

From British daily News Line:

Monday, 12 February 2007

UNIONS BACK ISLANDERS’ STRUGGLE – hundreds march through Crawley

MORE than 400 Chagos Islanders and their supporters marched through Crawley town centre on Saturday, shouting: ‘We will return to Diego Garcia – it’s our right!’

Led by the banner of the Chagos Islanders Community Association, the march was joined by leading members of the GMB and Amicus trade unions, as well as members of the Young Socialists, as it made its way past the offices of West Sussex County Council and Crawley Town Hall, before going through the busy shopping centre.

The chants continued with: ‘Blair, Bush you should know, Chagos people are going home!’ and ‘Victory to the Chagos Islanders! Return them to their homes!’ – with islanders also shouting slogans in French.

Islanders carried placards saying: ‘We come from British Indian Ocean Territory – British government respect us’ and ‘Give our people their island – Diego Garcia’.

Diego Garcia was turned into a military base after having been ‘cleansed’ of its people; a base now for Bush’s wars.

Update: here.

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• Chagos islanders lose fight for rights (itv.com)
• Britain faces UN tribunal over Chagos Islands marine reserve (guardian.co.uk)
• Chagos Islanders Lose the European Court Battle but the Struggle Continues (fairobserver.com)
• Convenient freedom: a tale of two islands (abc.net.au)