Sussex University students' support statement for the Chagos Islanders' campaign in response to the House of Lords ruling against the right of the UK Chagossian population to return to their homeland.
To the Chagossian people of the U.K.
We, concerned students of Sussex University, were appalled to learn of
the law lords' ruling on Wednesday 22nd October in support of the UK
government's blockage by royal decree of your lawful right to
return to your homeland. We are incredulous that the governement should
still seek to invoke the excuse of terrorist threat to justify this
outrageous violation of human rights when this threat has been laid bare
as nothing but manipulative public hype on so many recent occasions; not
least, ironically, the illegal war in Iraq, for which U.S. military
occupation of the Chagos Islands played a vital role. We note also an
irony in the justificatory postulation of potential terrorists
on the islands, whilst the very real detention and torture of terrorist
suspects there by U.S. military forces is habitually denied.
We are ashamed that even after having recognised the wrongfulness of the
stripping of your land and livelihoods under the Macmillan labour
government, our present labour government could consider that monetary
compensation might suffice to counter the damage done to your people and
instead continue to collude with U.S. foreign policy interests. We find
Lord 'Justice' Hoffman's explanatory statement that "the law gives (the
right of abode) and the law may take it away" perplexing in light of the
fact that the inhabitation of the islands by Chagossians predates
British possession of the islands, which is itself a legacy of colonial
plunder.
Having had to fight against the forced presence of the Royal Navy on our
own campus in the decitful guise of the URNU, your struggle reminds us
of the reality of the function of military forces and that our illusion
of peace and democracy at home is made possible only by the
dispossession, enslavement and genocide of other peoples in other parts
of the world.
We join you unreservedly in calling for the immediate right of return to
the Chagos Islands for those people for whom they constitute home.
In solidarity.
We, concerned students of Sussex University, were appalled to learn of
the law lords' ruling on Wednesday 22nd October in support of the UK
government's blockage by royal decree of your lawful right to
return to your homeland. We are incredulous that the governement should
still seek to invoke the excuse of terrorist threat to justify this
outrageous violation of human rights when this threat has been laid bare
as nothing but manipulative public hype on so many recent occasions; not
least, ironically, the illegal war in Iraq, for which U.S. military
occupation of the Chagos Islands played a vital role. We note also an
irony in the justificatory postulation of potential terrorists
on the islands, whilst the very real detention and torture of terrorist
suspects there by U.S. military forces is habitually denied.
We are ashamed that even after having recognised the wrongfulness of the
stripping of your land and livelihoods under the Macmillan labour
government, our present labour government could consider that monetary
compensation might suffice to counter the damage done to your people and
instead continue to collude with U.S. foreign policy interests. We find
Lord 'Justice' Hoffman's explanatory statement that "the law gives (the
right of abode) and the law may take it away" perplexing in light of the
fact that the inhabitation of the islands by Chagossians predates
British possession of the islands, which is itself a legacy of colonial
plunder.
Having had to fight against the forced presence of the Royal Navy on our
own campus in the decitful guise of the URNU, your struggle reminds us
of the reality of the function of military forces and that our illusion
of peace and democracy at home is made possible only by the
dispossession, enslavement and genocide of other peoples in other parts
of the world.
We join you unreservedly in calling for the immediate right of return to
the Chagos Islands for those people for whom they constitute home.
In solidarity.