Support the Chagossians

The following is a message from David Vine, Assistant Professor of Anthropology at American University:

You can immediately assist the Chagossians by signing the petition by Friday, February 12, to support the rights of the Chagossians and protect the environment in the Chagos Archipelago.  Click here for the petition: http://www.marineeducationtrust.org/petition/protect-chagos

The British Government is currently considering the establishment of a “Marine Protected Area” in Chagos.  While the idea of protecting the environment in Chagos sounds like a good one, the British Government is using “environmental protection” as a way to further cement the ban on Chagossians returning to their homeland.  They are using the name of environmentalism to compound and cover up a grave human rights abuse.

The creation of a protected area in Chagos is a good idea, but it should be done in consultation with the Chagossians.  To now, the Chagossians have been completely excluded from the planning process.  Elsewhere around the, communities coexist with environmental protection areas.  As the Chagossians have long said, if they would be allowed to return to their homeland, they could serve as the best protectors of the local environment, helping to monitor and enforce a Marine Protected Area.

Please sign the petition organized by the Marine Education Trust and supported by the Chagossians (and the UK Green Party, among others) calling on the British Government “to protect both the marine ecosystem of the Chagos archipelago and the rights of its exiled community.”

For more information, go to http://www.chagossupport.org.uk/

Please encourage others to sign  and thanks for supporting the Chagossians’ struggle!

Image: “Sunset at Turtle Cove”, from flickr user Drew Avery, licensed with Creative Commons.