What I learned from my encounter with Mr. Olivier Bancoult in Washington DC

Mr Olivier Bancoult at a Human Rights Watch talk in Washington DC

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of meeting Mr. Olivier Bancoult, at a Human Rights Watch gathering in Washington, D.C. As I was listening to his speech to a captivated audience, I realized he was the modern David in an unfolding drama of seeking justice against all odds, that is reminiscent of the age-old battle between David and Goliath. As President of the Chagos Refugees Group, he stands as a formidable champion fighting an uphill battle against the United Kingdom and the United States in the courts—a battle he is undeniably winning.

We exchanged pleasantries in Creole - even though Mr. Bancoult is of African descent and I’m of Indian descent - we both hailed from Mauritius, a vast ocean territory comprising about 100 islands! I was born on the main island, Mauritius, while Mr. Bancoult was born Peros Banhos which is about 1200 miles northeast of Mauritius.

Our story takes us back to 1973 when the British government in cahoots with the United States government forcibly evicted the Chagossians from their homes. The sinister purpose behind this eviction was to pave the way for the establishment of a US military base on Diego Garcia—which was Mauritian territory. In the cruel process, Anglo-American agents razed Chagossian homes and callously took the lives of their beloved pet dogs.

As a chilling footnote to this dark chapter, the New York Times reported that the British Government received a paltry $14 million discount on their Polaris missile purchase from the United States as compensation for this heinous act.

However, the implications of these actions stretch far beyond mere geopolitics. Firstly, deportation is a crime against humanity, a verdict first pronounced in the historic Nuremberg trial against the Nazis. Secondly, the excision of the Chagos Islands from Mauritius represents a blatant violation of UN Resolution 1514—an act that suggests the full decolonization of Mauritius has not been fully completed. As explained by Phillipe Sands, the British lawyer hired by the Mauritian government, in excising Diego Garcia, the British created their final and last colony, illegally I might add!

In this David versus Goliath tale, it is Mr. Bancoult who emerges as the unyielding David, successfully confronting not one, but two formidable Goliaths—the United States and the United Kingdom—in international courts.

Yet, amidst the shadows of this struggle, it is a sobering realization that the actions of the Mauritian government, both past and present, in supporting the Chagossians' cause seem to have been driven more by political gains than genuine empathy. Their advocacy, it seems, is more for political gains than the welfare of the displaced Chagossians. One cannot help but wonder how much more could have been done to improve the lives of their own people if only their concern had been as resolute as Mr. Bancoult's unwavering determination.

Mr. Bancoult's demand for an apology from the United States Government is nothing short of significant. His struggle is the struggle of all the Chagossians, as well as all Mauritian islanders.

We unite in our call upon the United States, a symbol of hope and democracy, to rectify a grave injustice it has committed, and to uphold itself accountable to international law.