Stubborn and Shameful

The prime minister of Mauritius, Pravind Jugnauth, told the BBC that "Britain has been professing, for years, respect for the rule of law, respect for international law… but it is a pity the UK does not act fairly and reasonably and in accordance with international law on the issue of the Chagos archipelago." 

Describing Britain's behaviour as  shameful, the prime minister said he was exploring the possibility of bringing charges of crimes against humanity against individual British officials at the International Criminal Court (ICC).

"It is a violation of the basic principle of human rights. I fail to understand why Britain, this government, is being so stubborn," said Mr Jugnauth. 

Mauritius won a major victory against Britain when the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague ruled - in an advisory opinion - that the Chagos Islands should be handed over to Mauritius in order to complete its "decolonisation."  The United Nations General Assembly then voted to give Britain a six-month deadline to begin that process. Britain has steadfastly refused to comply.

Philippe Sands, a lawyer representing the Mauritian government, said: "Britain is on the edge of finding itself as a pariah state. We now have a situation where Chagossians - a deported population, want to go back and have a right to go back. And the UK is preventing them from going back. Question is that a crime against humanity? My response is that, arguably, it is."

 Liseby Elyse, 66, who was 20 when she left the archipelago explained, "Every day, one by one, we're dying. I believe the British are waiting for us to die so there will be no one to claim the islands,"