KE AUPUNI UPDATE - OCTOBER 2024
The Chagos-Hawaii Connection
An international case we have been tracking for years is the dispute between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Mauritius over the Chagos Islands. It has a parallel to our dispute with the United States… the manipulation of the United Nations’ decolonization process by the “administrative power” (the colonial or occupying nation) to manufacture an outcome in its favor.
The Chagos Islands is an archipelago that was part of Mauritius, a colony of the UK in the Indian Ocean. When Mauritius gained its independence in 1968 and became the Republic of Mauritius, the UK arbitrarily withheld the Chagos Islands from the new nation saying it was needed for defense purposes. The UK forcibly evacuated the inhabitants (a couple of thousand people) from all the Chagos Islands, then leased the largest island, Diego Garcia, to the United States.
The US then built a huge Air Force base on Diego Garcia to assert the United States’ military power in the region, especially in the Middle East. Thus, Diego Garcia was the key forward base for the US Air Force in the Gulf War, the Iraqi War, the Afghan War, the war against al-Qaeda, the war against Isis, and numerous other conflicts in the region. And so it remains…
After years, of complaining to the UK and international bodies such as the UN about the illegal withholding of the Chagos Islands from their nation, Mauritius filed a complaint with the International Court of Justice (the ICJ) located at The Hague, Netherlands, asking for an Advisory Opinion from the ICJ regarding the matter.
In 2019 a landmark decision, the ICJ opined that the withholding of the Chagos Islands from the Republic of Mauritius, was in violation of the UN’s decolonization procedure and illegal. The ICJ said the United Kingdom had an international obligation to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
When that news broke there was much celebration in Mauritius and among the Chagos descendants living in exile, and those of us hoping for this just and favorable outcome. But the UK made it known it considered the ICJ Opinion as non-binding, and it was not going to return Chagos to Mauritius.
This brings up a primary weakness of the International Court of Justice and the World Court system. Many of their rulings are either non-binding or unenforceable. Thus, countries, especially powerful ones, simply ignore rulings they think are bothersome.
It looked like this was going to be one of those times. But, amazingly, in August 2024, five years after the ICJ opinion, to their credit, the UK announced in that it would indeed return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. Apparently, an agreement was reached to allow the UK/US base at Diego Garcia to remain. And plans are being made for Chagosians to return.
What is significant to us in Hawaii, is that the Chagos case was successfully resolved, setting a clear precedence for correcting an error made in a botched UN decolonization process. Thus, because Hawaii’s case is also one of a botched UN decolonization process (the “Statehood Plebiscite”) we could leverage this international precedence to resolve our situation as well.
And so could Alaska… and perhaps, West Papua.
“Love of country is deep-seated in the breast of every Hawaiian, whatever his station.” — Queen Liliʻuokalani
----------
Ua mau ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka pono. The sovereignty of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.
------
For the latest news and developments about our progress at the United Nations in both New York and Geneva, tune in to Free Hawaii News at
6 PM the first Friday of each month on ʻŌlelo Television, Channel 53.
------
"And remember, for the latest updates and information about the Hawaiian Kingdom check out the twice-a-month Ke Aupuni Updates published online on Facebook and other social media."
PLEASE KŌKUA…
Your kōkua, large or small, is vital to this effort...
To contribute, go to:
• GoFundMe – CAMPAIGN TO FREE HAWAII
• PayPal – use account email: info@HawaiianKingdom.net
• Other – To contribute in other ways (airline miles, travel vouchers, volunteer services, etc...) email us at: info@HawaiianKingdom.net
All proceeds are used to help the cause. MAHALO!
Malama Pono,
Leon Siu
Hawaiian National
