PA averageBritish Foreign Secretary David Lamy said Britain’s decision to relinquish control of the Chagos Islands did not mean a change in the government’s stance on other overseas territories.
He told the House of Commons that the status of the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar and other British overseas territories was “not subject to negotiation”.
It comes after the British government announced it would relinquish sovereignty over a string of remote Indian Ocean islands, following years of diplomatic negotiations and international pressure on Britain to resolve a dispute over the islands’ status.
Meanwhile, Chagossians opposed to a deal to hand over control of the island to Mauritius staged protests outside parliament.
rummy description Agreement with Mauritius The country has long claimed that it was a “historic moment” and a “diplomatic victory” in 1968 when it was forced to illegally give up the islands in exchange for independence from Britain.
A key component of the deal announced last week, expected to be ratified in 2025, would allow Britain and the United States to continue operating military bases in a strategic location on one of the Diego Garcia islands.
While Britain’s move to drop its claims to the Chagos Islands has been praised by the international community, including the United States, critics say it could embolden governments with claims to other British overseas territories.
Lamy told the House of Commons that the special situation surrounding the Chagos Islands was “not comparable” to other territorial disputes, particularly Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands – both of which are claimed by the governments of Spain and Argentina respectively.
He added: “The government remains firmly committed to modern partnerships with our overseas territories based on mutual consent.”
Conservative shadow foreign secretary Andrew Mitchell criticized the deal, saying it “provides aid to our enemies in a dangerous world and undermines the strategic network of UK defense interests”.
Shortly after the agreement was announced, the Argentine government reaffirmed its claim to the Falklands. Governor of the British Isles Let people feel confident about this deal He also stated that in light of the Chagos Islands Agreement, “the UK’s firm commitment to safeguarding British sovereignty remains undiminished.”
Although Britain has apologized for the forced expulsion of some 1,000 Chagos islanders in the 1960s, many expatriates on the islands do not support Mauritius’ territorial claims.
Some Chagossians living in the UK said they were not consulted on the recent agreement. A crowd gathered in Westminster as Lamy made his statement.
PA averageIngrid, from Crawley, said: “It’s like someone stabbing you in the back. Our hearts are broken because they have just made the decision.
“We have no voice, it’s like we don’t matter. We are like their puppets. Where are our human rights?
Bertrice Pompe, from Clapham Junction, said the Chagossians were being treated very badly, adding that “to them we are not human beings”.
She continued: “I would love to go back… I would love to stay there for more than a week.
“Britain is not my country but I have to come here just to get back to where I belong.”
Merlene Augustine, from Crawley, asked the government to “stop the suffering”, adding: “Let my people, let us decide our future.
“This is our island, this is our heritage.”
