by Barbara Miller
In three C-SPAN airings this weekend, David Vine discusses his research on the presence of a US military base on the island of Diego Garcia in the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean. In his book, Island of Shame: The Secret History of the U.S. Military Base on Diego Garcia, Vine describes how the establishment of the base involved the forcible eviction of the 1500-2000 residents by the Americans and British in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The exiled Chagossians now live in poverty and social marginalization in Mauritius, the Seychelles, England, and elsewhere while the base on Diego Garcia continues to be important to US military efforts as a launch pad for aircraft used in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Vine’s research included interviews with many Chagossian refugees, and his book includes their voices. He also provides a critical review of “the bases of empire,” “the strategic island concept,” and the use of military secrecy. Near the end of the book, he offers his views on “what we must do” to redress the damage, prevent future harm, and enable the refugees to return to their homeland immediately.
David Vine is assistant professor of anthropology at American University and an advocate for the Chagossian movement for a right of return. His book has received wide coverage including a major article in the New York Review of Books and high praise for his meticulous research, clear exposure of the links between imperialism and racism, and unflinching stand for the rights of the refugees to return.
Photo, “Diego Garcia (very small island)”, from Flickr via Creative Commons.
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