New York Times: Unpublished Letter to the Editor re: Chagossians

"They Were Eager to Return Home. Then the U.S. Bombed Iran" refreshingly illuminates the plight of Chagossians who have been living in exile since the 1960s thanks to the creation of a US military base on the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia. 

The article unfortunately gives voice to a bogus theory circulated by right-wing politicians and media in the US and UK who claim that recognizing the sovereignty of Mauritius over Diego Garcia and the other Chagos islands will allow China to build a military base in Chagos. This is an absurd smear promoted by Nigel Farage, Boris Johnson, and Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) to maintain colonial rule over the islands. 

There is zero evidence Mauritius has any interest in allowing China or any country other than the US and UK to operate a base in Chagos. Mauritius has agreed to rules that would prevent other militaries from operating in the islands without US and UK agreement. Mauritius's closest ally, other than the UK and US, isn’t China—it’s India, which has fought two major wars with China. 

President Trump only opposed Mauritian control over Chagos after the UK refused to join the illegal US-Israeli war on Iran. Previously, Trump, the Pentagon and State Department, and the Biden administration publicly supported the deal. 

The New York Times should have provided the necessary context to debunk the Farage-led fearmongering campaign. As the article shows, the biggest losers are the Chagossians, whom Anglo-American officials have barred from living in their homeland for decades.


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