The UK Chagos Support Association

After raising the hopes of the exiled Chagos islanders for an end to their plight, the coalition has dashed those hopes yet again.

Commitments of support for the islanders before the election were followed by encouraging noises from the new Foreign Secretary William Hague, who indicated in a conversation with constituent Philippa Gregory that the best solution would be to allow the islanders home.

But in a letter sent to Chagos Refugees Group leader Olivier Bancoult in August while parliament was still in recess, Foreign Office Minister Henry Bellingham said the coalition would “continue to contest the case” at the European Court of Human Rights, and that the arguments put forward by the previous government for preventing a return were in fact “clear and compelling”.

The islanders could hardly believe the new government would go back on its word so dramatically – especially without cabinet or the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Chagos having been consulted. But when William Hague was asked about Chagos at the Foreign Affairs Committee earlier this month, he said that “when you go into it in detail, it is quite hard to hold out the prospect of a fundamental change of policy, so I do not want to raise any hopes of that.” Hague said that he was still looking into the issue, but that “in the light of what I have seen so far, we will be maintaining the position that we have taken on proceedings in the European Court”.

Despite this, Business Secretary Vince Cable, a known supporter of the islanders, wrote in a letter to a constituent that the government intended to drop the case – also noting that the Liberal Democrats “will continue to aid [the islanders'] campaign to see justice done”.

But within hours of Cable’s letter being made public by the New Statesman, the Foreign Office had got in touch to say that it was the result of a “mistake”. Cable then swiftly issued a second letter apologising for the first one, which he claimed was sent “in error”. The coalition, he said this time, would in fact continue the policies of the previous government (which the Lib Dems previously accused of “mistreating” the islanders).

Error or otherwise, Cable’s first letter shows us how he feels and where the Lib Dems stand. What that means for government policy is another matter, and Cable now says he is unable to remain as actively involved with this cause, because of his ministerial role.

Clearly the coalition is in complete chaos over Chagos, and it seems to be settling into trotting out the same specious arguments that the islanders have been hearing for years.

Words of support before the election have amounted to nothing. William Hague has not, as he promised when he was seeking votes, ensured “a fair settlement of this long-standing dispute” (which would be achieved by dropping the case and seeking a friendly settlement). Nor has Nick Clegg acted on his belief that the government has a “responsibility” to allow the islanders home. Vince Cable, who made clear in his first (hand-signed) letter that both he and Hague were “committed” to a fair settlement of the matter, now seems to want to distance himself from the issue.

The Chagos islanders are, of course, used to being disappointed. But the government that promised foreign policy “with a conscience” could hardly have found a crueller way to raise their hopes and then dash them. As David Snoxell, co-ordinator of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Chagos, told the New Statesman: “A candid explanation to the Chagos Islanders, parliament and the media is now required.”

Labour leadership candidate Andy Burnham has written to Kieran Roberts of the Labour Friends of Chagos Islanders, with the following message:

“Whilst I certainly sympathise with the historic plight of the Chagossians, and believe that their eviction is a source of shame for our Foreign Office, I cannot at the moment commit to lobbying for or enacting a change to the current policy. That is not to say that I am not open to the idea; more that I am not furnished with the full facts from both sides of the argument regarding the current situation.”

The All Party Parliamentary Group on Chagos will be able to furnish Burnham with the facts he needs. We just hope he doesn’t ask the Foreign Office.

Baroness Whitaker, a member of the All Party Pariamentary Group on the Chagos, recently urged the British Government to implement the “tried and tested model” for Marine Protected Areas (MPA), where they “keep the residents living there, where they help maintain the conservation area”. She goes on to mention that this model has been used for the Galapagos Islands and the American MPA off Western Hawaii, and would “allow the exiled Chagossians to return to their birthplace and put right an acknowledged tragic injustice”.

In Radio 4′s From Our Own Correspondent programme this week, the BBC’s Lorraine Mallender speaks to Chagos islanders in Mauritius. Hundreds of people were dumped on the docks of Mauritius in the 60s with no help from the British or Mauritian authorities, and many still live there. They share their memories of the islands and their hopes for a return. Follow the link above and jump to 17:15 to listen (NB the audio may not work outside the UK and is only available online for a limited time).

Fantastic news for the Chagossians today: in a letter to a constituent, business secretary Vince Cable has said that the coalition government will drop its case at the European Court of Human Rights against the Chagos islanders.

The letter says:

“The coalition government are dropping the case in the European Court of Human Rights opting instead for a friendly settlement. The previous government were trying to uphold the expulsion.”

But the government may yet be wavering on this one. The New Statesman, which has reprinted Cable’s letter on its website, now says it has been told by the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills that the letter “was issued by Dr Cable’s constituency office in error, and a new letter will be sent out”.

Please urge your MPs to make sure the government keeps its promises on this one.

Speaking at a meeting of Chagos Islanders in Crawley, Philippa Gregory, bestselling author and co-patron of the UK Chagos Support Association, talks of being “astounded” when she first read of the Islanders’ struggle, and calls on the Government to bring the injustice to an end.

Chagossians are being asked to contribute their stories to an online archive of information about the everyday lives of communities.

The Mass Observation Communities Online project, based at the University of Sussex, is collecting stories and photographs from people in various communities across Britain.

Chagossians interested in taking part can share their stories on the project’s website, here. Participants have until later this month to answer a questionnaire or submit a diary and photos about their life.

At a meeting in Crawley yesterday, islanders shared their stories with researchers from the University of Sussex, and met with Philippa Gregory and Ben Fogle, co-patrons of the UK Chagos Support Association.

Ben Fogle speaks with Chagossians

The Labour Friends of Chagos Islanders have set up a petition calling for the Prime Minister to allow the Chagos islanders to return home. It’s already got dozens of signatures. You can read it in full and sign it here.

Meanwhile, in the light of recent statements from the Foreign Office (see here and here) about the government’s position on resettlement of the Chagos islands and the establishment of a Marine Protected Area, this association makes the following statement:

The UK Chagos Support Association would condemn in the strongest possible terms any reversal of commitments made to the Chagossian cause by the coalition parties. We are seeking clarification of the position and remain committed to working with the UK government to establish the right to return.

The Foreign Office has been writing to Chagossians and supporters saying that the coalition government is against resettlement and will pursue the case at the European Court of Human Rights. But the coordinator of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Chagos has warned that these statements may not be all they seem.

Below is the text of a letter sent by David Snoxell to the New Statesman in response to a blog post by Sean Carey revealing the government’s apparent change of heart.

“Sean Carey assumes (Coalition ditches promise to reverse policy, 27 August) that the Government has taken the decision to maintain the policies of its predecessor and quotes from a letter from the FCO Minister in charge of the Overseas Territories. It is doubtful that this letter represents the views of the Government as a whole and may not even reflect those of the Foreign Secretary who told a constituent on 9 July that he “was very sympathetic to the position of the Islanders and that he would look at the situation over the next few months”. He also said “it appeared that the best solution would be for the Chagos people to return to the outer islands”.

In Opposition both Nick Clegg (“The Government has a responsibility to allow these people to return”) and William Hague (” If elected to serve as the next British Government we will work to ensure a fair settlement of this long standing dispute”) supported the Chagossians, as did several members of the present government. It is doubtful that in mid August they have been consulted. In a letter to the Foreign Secretary in June the Chairman of the Chagos Islands All Party Parliamentary Group, Jeremy Corbyn MP, said he hoped that the Group (which includes several current ministers and former FCO ministers) would soon have a meeting with Mr Bellingham. The purpose of the meeting will be to feed the views of Parliament into the review that the Foreign Secretary is conducting on Chagos policies. This review was not expected to conclude until Parliament returns in October when the meeting will take place. Presumably the Cabinet would then be consulted.”

We’re waiting with great interest to see what the Government does next on this, especially when MPs return from the summer break in a few days time.

Remember the statements of support for the Chagossians from William Hague and Nick Clegg during the election campaign?

Hague, now Foreign Secretary, promised that the new government would “work to ensure a fair settlement of this long-standing dispute”, while Clegg, now Deputy PM, said New Labour had “mistreated” the Chagossians, and that the government had a “moral responsibility” to allow them home.

As a result, the Chagossians were expecting a break with the policies of the previous government. But there seems to have been a sudden change of heart. In a letter sent to Olivier Bancoult, chairman of the Chagos Refugees Group, Henry Bellingham, Minister responsible for the Overseas Territories, has said:

“The UK government will continue to contest the case brought by the Chagos Islanders to the European Court of Human Rights. This is because we believe that the arguments against allowing resettlement on the grounds of defence, security and feasibility are clear and compelling… The Government also believes that a Marine Protected Area (MPA) is the right way ahead for furthering environmental protection of the Territory and encouraging others to do the same in important and vulnerable areas under their sovereign control.”

Bellingham’s letter goes on to restate the arguments we’re so familiar with hearing from the Foreign Office: that compensation has already been paid in a full and final settlement and that feasibility studies deemed resettlement “precarious and costly”.

To say this comes as a surprise is an understatement. The last thing we knew, Hague was still conducting a review of policy on Chago, which wasn’t expected to be complete until after parliament returns in the autumn. It’s hard to see how he can reconcile the view outlined in Bellingham’s letter with his previous pledge to seek a “fair settlement” of the matter, or his comment since the election (in a July meeting with Philippa Gregory, bestselling author and patron of this association), that a return to the outer islands would seem like the best solution.

The statement (variations of which have also been sent by Foreign Office officials to supporters of this association) has been released during parliament’s summer recess, without the opportunity to consult the All Party Parliamentary Group on Chagos or, for that matter, cabinet.

Is this really how the new government intends to conduct itself in dealing with Chagos? Breaking its promises of change? Burying bad news in the summer recess? Failing to consult parliament? If so, it’s going to face resistance from within its own ranks. Government members who have called for the legal case against the islanders to be dropped include senior Lib Dems such as Business Secretary Vince Cable, Ed Davey, Chris Huhne and Lynne Featherstone. From the Tories, Keith Simpson has said the islanders “must be placed at the heart of any decisions taken about their homeland”, while Henry Smith (who represents the hundreds of Chagossians living in Crawley) said the decision to bypass parliament with the 2004 Orders in Council was “quite wrong” and that the islanders have a human right to be allowed home. Mark Field, Peter Bottomley, Bill Cash and Anne McIntosh have also criticised New Labour’s treatment of the islanders.

It’s starting to look like the words of support for the Chagossians during the election campaign may have been just that: words. Parliament returns from recess on 6 September – make sure your MP knows that you expect the promise of ‘new politics’ to be fulfilled.

See Sean Carey’s post on the New Statesman blog, here, for more on this.